I KNOW people won’t show much sympathy for footballers over Christmas but, believe me, it can be a really difficult time of year.

I’m happy to say this will be the first time in eight years that I get to spend the holiday with all my family and we’re doing it traditionally. I won’t be doing much of the cooking, but I’ll certainly be doing a lot of the eating.

It is a time to be together but when you are playing, it can be a really tough time of year.

You know that no sooner have the kids unwrapped all their presents that you’ll be off down the road for training.

If you get to nip back and have some Christmas dinner then by the time the Queen’s Speech comes on, you might be back out again to travel to wherever you are playing on Boxing Day and stay at the team hotel.

People might say “well they earn so much money” but for the lads with kids and wives, you naturally want to spend time with them. It is tough when you have to ignore everything and go and do your job.

I intend to enjoy the next couple of weeks, hopefully watching us string some more wins together and go into 2013 climbing up the table.

So to all the readers of The Bolton News, have a safe and happy Christmas. All the very best.

*****

I KNOW a lot of people were upset that Stuart Holden’s comeback game was postponed on Monday night – but I think it might work out for the better.

The way the rain has been coming down just recently, you could be sure the pitch at Leyland would be heavy and might even cut up, and do we really want to risk setting him back weeks or months with an injury he could avoid?

Give it a week. Maybe look to get a game in behind closed doors.

I’m looking forward to seeing him back in action just as much as anyone, but there is no rush.

We have waited a long time to see him wearing the white shirt again, a little longer won’t hurt.