Hello to everyone.
It is Christmas time!
I just want to wish every single one of you a very happy and healthy Christmas.
For our young supporters, I hope Father Christmas brings you everything you have wished for and for everyone to have a safe Christmas, especially if you are driving and travelling to see your family and friends. Have a good day and enjoy all the festivities, but keep safe and sound.
I would also like to send our very best wishes to all we met at Whipps Cross Hospital and Richard House Children's Hospice on our team visits a few weeks ago. We will be thinking of all of you and those of you who might not have the best Christmas in the difficult circumstances and to all those hard-working hospice and hospital staff who will be working over this time.
As our game scheduled for Boxing Day - against Arsenal - has been called off, we won't be playing, so we have a bit of time with our families but we will be training and focusing this week on what will be our next match, away to Reading, on Saturday.
That match will be followed by a home match on New Year's Day, against Norwich, so there is much to concentrate on and much to aim for.
Although we were disappointed to lose against Everton and how it all turned out for us, we move on now to put things right in our next game. The big boost for us was the welcome return of JC [Jack Collison] to the squad.
JC has been working so hard to get back and we are all delighted for him and to have him back is a great addition to the team again. We hope that we will have a few more bodies back soon and that will help strengthen us in the month ahead.
Once again, your support was boss at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday which was appreciated by us all and a big thank-you to all of you who will be following us to Reading next weekend.
Merry Christmas and enjoy!
Come on you Irons!
Kevin Nolan
Captain