GOALKEEPER Phil Smith signed a new two-year contract last week and I was delighted that the man who was brought in during the summer to cover Peter Brezovan had been given such a vote of confidence.

When Brezovan suffered his broken arm, Dennis Wise responded by bringing in Preston keeper Andy Lonergan to take his place. But Paul Sturrock had more confidence in Smith - a confidence that has been more than justified. Phil's performances at the back have been a real bonus to the season.

Bristol Rovers have been granted planning permission for a new ground, and sharing with Town has been mooted while work takes place. But you only need to look at the Madejski Stadum to see the wear and tear a pitch suffers when submitted to more than 25 games a season.

The fact that Reading share their pitch with a rugby team, London Irish, rather than a football club is unlikely to be too important.

Personally, I can't see Rovers going anywhere other than back to Twerton Park in Bath while their new 18,000-seater stadium gets built. One day perhaps I'll be able to bemoan the fact that Town are forced to do likewise, while the New County Ground emerges from the foundations of the old.

Ex-Town striker Rory Fallon has completed a move to Plymouth, but the sell on clause that Town insisted on when he left Wiltshire for Swansea has led to nothing. With the fee set at £300,000, the same price that Swansea paid Town, there's no profit to be shared out.

I have a theory that the New Zealander is slowly migrating home. Barnsley to Swindon, a slight westerly deviation to Swansea, then on to Home Park suggests the Channel Islands beckon in a year or two.

It's been reported that Andy King, having spent all of two months in charge of Grays Athletic, is now the favourite to take over as manager of Dublin-based side Shelbourne.

King spent more years at Swindon than many thought justified as he tried to turn the club in the right direction, and he came oh-so close with that play-off semi-final defeat in Brighton back in 2004.

Eventually the inevitable happened and Andy was forced from his post (again), and while he seemed to polarise people's opinions through most of his double reign, by the time he left Swindon there were more calling for his head than for a continued stay of execution.

Andy is certainly a character', but then again so is Les Battersby on Coronation Street and lots of people wouldn't want him managing their football team either. Having an interesting personality doesn't count for much when your job relies on winning football matches.

But of course Eire was amongst the first countries to ban smoking in public places. Someone ought to remind cigar-man Andy of that before he signs a contact.