So, a while back I, along with many opinionated football lovers, wrote Kevin Keegan's return to Newcastle off as nothing more than a smoke screen by owner Mike Ashley. For a while it appeared true as thumpings and a goal droughts swept over the Magpies. In February alone the Geordies managed to concede a whopping 10 goals, they only played in three games!

However, the script writers for the Premiership seemed to of had a change of heart and since mid March the Toon Army have really kicked on. A large piece of the jig-saw at Newcastle has always been the need for a top-class striker to counter some thing leakier than British Customs, the Newcastle back line.

Hands up those that started to doubt Michael Owen! The 4ft striker has returned to form to steer King Kev's men well clear of relegation and has bagged himself 6 goals in as many games. Two against fierce rivals Sunderland will go along way to cementing Owen into the hearts of the passionate Geordie fans.

Either side of Owen sees two more players that have taken it upon themselves to start to deliver the goods, better late than never I suppose. Mark 'chunky' Viduka and Obafemi Martins have had nothing better than a quiet season, at best. Keegan has seen fit to play all three forwards together and is now witnessing his idea bear fruit.

Martin O'Neal has already had what is considered a good season at Aston Villa but the former Forest favourite has had to turn his men back around after seeing them go on an awful run in Feb. The brilliant Irishman, who one hopes will grace the managers chair at the City Ground in the future, saw his team pick up just 1 point from 12 in the month, albeit that against a shoddy Boro. February also included a 4-0 thrashing by Manchester United.

A round of applause for his people skills though, O'Neil has transformed his Villa team into possible European contenders once more. And I don't just mean the Inter-Toto-Cup. 3 games in April have seen them score 15 goals whilst conceding 1. Admittedly they have Faced Bolton, Derby and Birmingham but never the less you have to beat each team on the day, regardless of what position the take in the table.

That moves me neatly onto our boys in Red, who frequently fail to deliver against lesser placed teams. But not this time. A real air of optimism has swept over the Trent as Forest fans young and old start to think the unthinkable. Automatic Promotion.

A few weeks ago we needed to beat Bristol Rovers, mid table at the time, to put real pressure on second placed Carlisle. Victory's over Carlisle away and Cheltenham at home meant that a home victory against the southerners would of lifted the red's to within 3 points, all we needed was a third successive victory. A feat we had yet to manage all season and failed to gain that Tuesday night either.

So, this leaves me with a quandary. Forest have won two on the bounce again whilst Carlisle and Doncaster have faulted more than Pete Doherty's rehabilitation course. Within 3 points again is what fans can see in their papers on Monday morning, with no games for any one concerned in midweek next Saturday becomes immense.

We have once again been faced with one of those silly dangling carrots. The one we saw when we had two games in hand, the one we saw in last season's play-off's and now we look at the garden vegetable in envy once more. The only thing we need to do?? win three straight games!

Ah, there seems to be a problem. Now even if we win both remaining games we know it could mean diddly squat, on the other hand it could mean not having to sit through the Play-off fiasco again and lord knows I endured it enough last season. Hartlepool should offer no real obstacle for Colin Calderwood and his men but I fear this years curse more than any of the Pool's strikers.

I never know if I'm superstitious or not, I don't walk under ladders, I know how many Magpies bring luck (Not many according to the other side of the Trent), I don't own a black cat so it can't cross me and I still believe in Santa, at 26! So what I'm saying is, cross everything. Fingers, toes, arms and legs and if you're blessed in this life, tie a knot in it. We'll need a clean sheet, a goal and serious amounts of steady nerves next week but less we forget. We can play our part, but remember the cast of Carlisle and Doncaster must play theirs.

For the sanity and dignity of English football the people deciding the fate of Leeds United must play their parts equally well. To grant Dirty Leeds their points back makes a mockery of the F.A, then where do we stand. Can we contest every yellow or red card in the court of law, because we don't believe in the games governing body? Can Jeremie Aliadiere claim compensation for being banned for 4 games if it's overturned in court? Where does all this end,? I'll tell you my solution. The F.A take drastic steps and confronts Ken 'bloody' Bates and spells it out to him.

The F.A are the ruling body in this sport and if Leeds United, or any other team for the matter don't like what rulings the F.A give then don't play under the F.A banner. Go and ask the Welsh F.A if you can play in their league or up sticks and move North of the border and play in the Mickey Mouse league every week. Tell Mr. Bates that these are the rules and if you don't like them then push off.

If you're not happy with what the F.A and every other self respecting football fan thinks was a fair deduction of points, then tough. Don't keep crying about it, either get on with it or clear off to another league and take your dirty football team with you.

Alan March
Commentator for Visually Impaired spectators at Nottingham Forest and Wembley Stadium.