Pennant playing for struggling Zaragoza...Smith injured with Real Union...Ex-Chelsea man Simmonds continues exodus from Hoddle's Academy...Ex-Hammers legend Tommy Taylor joins Torry Army... Spain has been a favourite haunt of English footballers and coaches over the years but those present this season have experienced some indifferent fortunes over the course of the first half of the season.

With Stevenage securing promotion to the football league for the first time last Saturday I thought I would have a look and see how I think we will do in League 2.

There is no doubt that it is a tough division and will be a step up, but promoted clubs rarely find themselves fighting for relegation and usually end up sitting comfortably in mid-table.

Sorry it's a bit late, but it's a story that is definately worth mentioning. New Year's Day saw Stevenage go top of the Blue Square Premier after they beat Cambridge United 4-1 at Broadhall Way. Boro took the place of Oxford United who didn't play because their game against Rushden was postponed due to the recent poor weather.

Big Story
Alright, so some of us might not pay very much to watch Mansfield Town, but here is an interesting promotion by the club for their game this weekend against Gateshead, as they let supporters set their own ticket price:

Blue Square Premier side Mansfield Town are offering fans the chance to pay whatever they want to see their home game against Gateshead on Saturday.

Two wins from the next four games is all that is needed to win Stevenage promotion to the football league. Boro's 2-0 win against Forest Green, plus Luton's failure to beat Tamworth means that if Graham Westley's side beat both Altrincham and Kidderminster away from home this week, they will be confirmed as Blue Square Premier Champions for 2009/2010 with 2 games still left to play.

If Luton thought that their win at Broadhall Way on Saturday was enough to knock Boro's confidence and secure the Hatters promotion back to the football league then they can think again. Stevenage showed exactly why they are top of the Blue Square Premier as they bounced back in style yesterday afternoon with a professional, efficient performance that was too much for AFC Wimbledon to cope with in front of nearly 4,000 fans at Kingsmeadow.

After the disappointment of Saturday's defeat to Luton Town, Boro return to action with a tricky looking away trip to AFC Wimbledon on Easter Monday. With the Hatters now breathing down our necks, the Wimbledon game is now all the more important. Boro need to bounce back after being beaten at the weekend and show that they have the mental strength to go on and win the title.

James Cannon Photography

Luton beat Stevenage at a packed Broadhall Way for the first time in 18 months yesterday afternoon as they kept their title hopes alive. Matthew Barnes-Homer's fortunate strike a minute after coming on decided the game and left Boro knowing there is still a lot of work to do to clinch promotion.

So, here it is. Boro vs Luton. It's a game that has been talked about for months now and it finally kick's off at 1pm tomorrow afternoon. Both sides go into the game full of confidence after recent results. Boro are on a 8 match winning run which has propelled them to the top of the Blue Square Premier.

http://www.cannonphotography.co.uk

Scott Laird was the hero again last night as Stevenage beat Oxford 1-0 at Broadhall Way. Laird, who scored Boro's only goal in their victory at Luton back in September, stepped up and scored the second half penalty that was enough to win the game. That result puts Graham Westley's side 8 points clear of the U's and keeps the gap between ourselves and Luton to 5 points.

Oxford United make the trip to Hertfordshire tomorrow evening to face Stevenage in a top of the table clash, which could go a long way into deciding the destination of the Conference title. Boro go into the game 5 points clear of Oxford at the summit and are in fine form having won 7 games on the bounce, the latest being the 3-0 victory away at Crawley.

Saturday's win against Forest Green, plus Luton's failure to beat Tamworth means that Stevenage will clinch promotion from the BSP if they collect maximum points from their next two games. It's fitting that those games are against two sides that have been in and around the Conference for as long as we have.

It's been a season that no Stevenage fan will ever forget and it seems that destiny is finally taking over as we only require 3 more points to win the league. 14 years ago when I was 6, I remember the last day of the season when Steve Berry, Smudger and co lifted the title. 14 years on and my desire has grown and after years of mid table obscurity it has made me feel proud to finally see my hometown club so close to being promoted into the football league.

April 17th 2010 may be a date that Boro supporters will remember for a very long time. It could be the day that Stevenage Borough finally seal promotion to the football league, 14 long years after being denied the first time. Kidderminster Harriers are the opposition and Boro travel to Aggborough knowing that 3 points will be enough for them to win the Blue Square Premier title and clinch promotion to League 2 for next season.

I still can't believe it. It hasn't really sunk in yet, but Stevenage Borough have won the Blue Square Premier and been promoted to the football league. In some ways I'm still waiting for someone to wake me up or for our promotion to be denied because we have a seat missing in the away end or something!

Stevenage would have been forgiven for taking their foot off the pedal after sealing the title on Saturday and maybe in some ways they did against Gateshead, but they still won the game thanks to Scott Laird's 21st minute penalty. I didn't actually travel to Gateshead, so can't comment on the performance, but it's the sort of win that sums up what this season's team is all about.

It's nearly 14 years to the day when a late Corey Browne header earned Boro the point they needed against Morecambe to win the Vauxhall Conference title. As everyone knows back then promotion was denied, so the title party at the next home game against Dagenham was a little muted. However, tomorrow we will not only be celebrating ending a fantastic season with the Conference title, but we'll also be looking forward to league football for the first time in the club's short, but successful history.

Thanks to NTM (BoroPics)

A David Bridges goal in the first half was enough to see off York and finish Boro's last season in the Conference on a winning note. The goal came courtesy of a mix up between Josh Mimms and Danny Parslow and Bridges was there to head the ball in the empty goal. There was a party atmosphere in and around the ground and that seemed to get to the players on the pitch as the game lacked any real intensity or competitiveness.

You're not singing... well, at all as it happens Blue Square Premier outfit Histon have entered the record books for unwanted reasons by becoming the first club ever in the top five tiers of English football to take no supporters to an away match. The visitors seats (the blue block in the photo above) for [.

You're not singing... well, at all as it happens Blue Square Premier outfit Histon have entered the record books for unwanted reasons by becoming the first club ever in the top five tiers of English football to take no supporters to an away match. The visitors seats (the blue block in the photo above) for [.