A surreal scene at around 2 o’clock on Saturday. An assortment of relatives – who may have included my mum, my sister Kathy, her husband Martyn, their daughter Becky, their son Peter, his wife Ruth, their daughter Abigail and Alfie the dog – assembled at the entrance to The Polegrove, home to Bexhill United, a club currently mid-table in the Sussex County League’s Division Three.

Everyone had come to see "Dad’s bench". Then, after a poem from Martyn and a brief photo-call during which Abi remained asleep and Alfie remained confused, "The Barber" stayed for United’s match with Loxwood while everyone else went shopping. They weren’t bad judges, as it turned out, Bexhill struggling to put an attack together in a 1-0 defeat.

But, having said that, I did have a nice chat with Sammy Hammond, the club’s chairman in those halcyon days when Dad and I watched "Bexhill Town" (as they were then known) play all over Sussex. We went to out of the way places like Storrington, Midhurst and Crowborough. Sam is now club president – and joint manager of the U18s. "Are you still at The FA?" "Yes, I’ve been there 32 years now."

And there was another surprise to come. When we used to stand behind the goal at Bexhill in the ‘80s and early ‘90s, there was always this other guy with his dog. If the canine half of that double act sensed that I had a chocolate bar about my person, I’d be absorbed in the on-field action and suddenly find his big wet nose inside my anorak pocket. "You’re such a scrounger", his grinning owner would say.

Well, during the second half on Saturday I had a "This Is Your Life" moment when I saw this very chap walking towards me. He’s 75 now, he told me, and I barely recognised him at first. He’d moved away from Bexhill but had now come back. "How’s Dad?", he asked. Ah, well…and the scrounging dog was long gone too, of course. "Will you be coming to any more matches this season?", he asked. Yes, I think I probably will.

I’ve no real idea how many people read this column. I assume it’s in single figures – but I occasionally get an email inviting me to a particularly ground or match. One of these, from Hanwell Town’s Clive Cooke, led to my appearance at their FA Youth Cup First Round Qualifying tie against Dunstable Town last Wednesday. I met stalwart chairman Bob Fisher, who I believe has been involved with the club for half a century, and enjoyed coffee and biscuits in the boardroom at half-time.

Last night’s match at the Rec finished BNP Paribas 1 Eastern Promise 1 and I think Promise’s goal was scored after about eight seconds. Paribas lost possession in the centre circle after kicking-off, the ball was played forward into the inside-left channel and the No.5 took a couple of touches before rifling the ball into the corner. I wore the anorak for the first time this season. How sad.