*BS*Nicky Forster reflects on a frustrating couple of weeks without a game and looks forward to the friendly against Whitstable, which will give the full squad some action before Saturday’s match against Truro.*BF*

I’m sure like me many of you will be delighted to see that the weather has finally improved, temperatures have risen and with a bit of luck football can proceed once again.

With the huge investment that the game has seen over the past 20 years the top two divisions in the English game are now largely unaffected by frozen putches and heavy snowfall due to under-soil heating but until we get there ourselves or technology provides an answer, we remain at the mercy of the elements.

I have said before that enforced lay-offs like we have had recently create problems in many areas. Training is obviously a problem with most outdoor areas unplayable so indoor facilities such as leisure centres and school halls have to be used.

Managers and players alike want games to focus their efforts on at the end of a week to either continue or improve on their current form, and I’m sure that fans are no different.

Fitness is the biggest issue during these periods as there really is no substitute for match day tempo but under the guidance of Niall Clark we hope that when the next game finally comes we are as close to being 100% as we possibly can be.

On Wednesday night we will play Whitstable Town at Crabble to get ourselves back into the swing of things, it will be a good opportunity to work on a few things without three points at stake. There will be no restrictions on substitutions, allowing us to use the whole squad at some stage which will be vital.

Entrance on the night is free to all who want to attend so come along and enjoy the game.

With the sudden resignation of Fabio Capello last week it seems that Harry Redknapp is primed to step in and take over the role of national manager. I am not a believer that the position has to be filled by an Englishman but feel that the best man for the job should be appointed and in Redknapp I feel we have that with the added bonus that he is English. It certainly could be an exciting time for the English game! Fingers crossed!

Fozzy