Last Wednesday evening I was in Sevenoaks, Kent, where my sister and her husband reside and the former accompanied me to a game for the first time since the1960s.

I believe both clubs’ websites had indicated a 7.45 kick-off for this pre-season friendly between Sevenoaks Town and Cray Wanderers – but when we turned up in light drizzle under an overcast sky at Greatness Park, we found they had started at 7.30.

Not only that; it was already 1-1. Kent League Sevenoaks played a very solid game to beat a team from a higher level 2-1 and delight a crowd of 45. Touched by Greatness indeed.

My 5,136th game, at Eastbourne United’s "Oval" ground on Saturday, had something I’d never seen before.

Fire broke out in bushes behind one goal on a particularly parched afternoon and it looked to be getting out of hand until some "East Sussex" fire fighters piled in with their hoses. Grass over a wide area had swiftly gone from yellow to black.

The pitch itself had a few little patches of green but was predominantly a yellowy brown after weeks of unusually dry and hot conditions.

The Sussex County League home side, with a lot of new faces, found themselves 0-3 down to Ash United of the Combined Counties League after about 20 minutes. "You’ve got to get closer to them!", shouted their new manager from the dugout. They did – and it finished 2-3.

Then it was a three-mile walk back to my mum’s flat. Along the seafront in t-shirt and shorts, where lots of ladies smiled at me and said hello. Most of them in their 70s, I would think, but I’m setting my sights lower now.

Yesterday evening it was back to the Rec for the first time in two months to see Lazard take on Time Out in the new London Football League Division Two. Other things were new too: the sand-based artificial pitch has been replaced with something that looks like natural grass until you get up close – and the "grandstand" now only has one row of seats.

I sat on the other side of the water-based "Pitch 2" this time, on a park bench that was almost entirely covered with bird droppings. I was perched on the edge. Lazard, in white shirts without numbers, took an early lead as dogs of all shapes and sizes came over to me for a sniff. Time Out dominated the game after that, winning 6-1.

Looking forward to The FA Cup starting in ten days’ time. I have ties on Friday, Saturday and Sunday in prospect.