Many years ago, new frontiers hypothesised that City had a successful side once every 7 - 9 years.

Check out our promotions, 1959, 1965,1971, 1974 (breaking the rules coming 3 years after 1971, but at least it was the same management and the team was based on the same defence as 1971), 1984 and 1993.

Each time, the stars were in alignment, a decent manager was in the big leather seat and the annual summer lottery had turned up a few decent free transfers signings.

What does 2010 hold. 17 years after our last promotion? The next is overdue.

Our progress checked in the higher division when the side grew old and broke up and the new raft of free transfer signings let us down.

Something went wrong at the start of the millennium. Blame Terry Dolan, Neil Thompson, Gary Hobson or Colin Alcide if you want, but they didn’t hold a candle to Denis Smith, John MacPhail or Paul Barnes.

Now 16 years after our last promotion, could it be on the cards again.

Our recent form, including away wins against 3 of the top 10 teams, has seen us move into the play off places. Someone was saying we’re comfortably into the place off places, last time I looked, seven points clear of the sixth placed team. I’d say, look up, just nine points behind a stuttering Oxford.

We’re higher in the table now than we were when the October issue hit the streets. Brodie remains on fire but is Michael Rankine about to depose him as The King Of The Crescent. Having taken his chance when Michael Gash was injured, he’s proved to be a real handful. As Michael Gash returns to the team and full fitness, we’ve a strike force to be feared and reckoned with at this level.

Best since Walwyn / Byrne maybe? Goals win games.

The way they’re playing at the moment, I bet you can’t name a front three that have ever been more effective for City than Brodie, Gash and Rankine.

Meanwhile, Chelsea’s recent run has earned them a reputation as a powerful, never give up side who don’t stop until the final minute

Their power is grinding their opposition into submission. Their confidence is growing game by game.

Can you can see the similarities between Chelsea and City. Up front, we’ve dangerous strikers who are a handful, maybe not as pretty or effective in midfield, but a solid defence, backed by an impressive, if sometimes, slightly dodgy, keeper.

Gong back in time, was Keith Walwyn the original Didier Drogba? Keith’s power and strength caused problems for every team he came up against. Our own talisman who bravely lead from the front. Both were equally feared by their foes. The only way to tell them apart was that one was prone to being prone, the other played on through pain.

So invincible that even that the double whammy of Martin Foyle and Richard Brodie being announced as winners of manager and player of the month awards earlier in the day could prevent City from powering to victory late Tuesday at Rushden.

The only worry on the horizon is the January transfer window. Will someone be tempted to snap up Richard Brodie? Would we sell him? Would he want to go? When was the last time someone had scored so many goals for us before Christmas? Answers on the back of a £50 note to the usual address please.

My opinion, for what its worth. He’s improved this season. Some say, its down to Martin Foyle’s coaching. When I was a very wee lad, I remember the difference that Viv Busby’s coaching made to a young John Byrne. Has Foyle had the same effect on Brodie?

Foyle has also said he should stay at York and play first team football.

Much as I’d love him to stay, score goals and help us gain promotion, I’d wish him well if a decent move came along. He’s always struck me as someone who will listen and learn.

At our level, you can’t stop players moving on, We’ve found with the likes of Andy Bishop, Clayton Donaldson, Neal Bishop and Onome Sodje, if we hang on to them for too long, then its to our detriment when the player eventually moves on. A tantalising half a million turned into nothing but what if.

Yes, we’d mss Brodie’s goals,. But we’d by left with 3 strikers who can all score and make a difference.

If he does move on, all I’d ask is that he makes the move for the footballing reasons. Somewhere where he would be able to continue his football education. Donaldson and Sodje both jumped for the money and found themselves consigned, unwanted, to the reserves. As for Andy Bishop, yes he went up a division and straight into the first team, but I doubt if he’ll be able to retire to a millionaire’s lifestyle on his wages at Bury.

Martyn Woolford moved on for a decent fee in 2008. Scunthorpe had to pay a fee, for presumably someone they really wanted. Unlike Donaldson, Sodje and both Bishops, all of whom were out of contract and moved on without fee Their new clubs adding one to their wage bill at no cost. Not much incentive to get the best out of their new signing.

With City’s fine form, I can imagine there will be other players besides Richard Brodie who are being watched by other clubs.

I would hope City are preparing new, improved contracts for some of our players.

But, to add to City’s woes, we have an additional dilemma with our players and their contracts.

Do we offer new contracts at non league or league rates, I can imagine there is quite a difference in remuneration.

We can‘t win either way. If we offer our star players a "non league" contract, that might look small in comparison to an offer from a Division 2 club, say Bury or Bradford City.

But, say we offer a contract at "league" rates, then, if we don’t gain promotion, we’re lumbered with contracts more suited to a higher division.

Win some lose some. Let’s hope it’s a win win situation for City.