WHISPER it quietly but it is only five weeks until the football season kicks off again.

Indeed, in Northern Ireland, their SSE Airtricity Premier Division began – wait for it – this Monday just gone when Dundalk were at home to Galway United FC and there is a full programme of fixtures starting on Friday night!

Forest Green Rovers will, of course, be playing in the professional Football League ranks for the first time in their history next season after promotion through the National League Play-Off Final where they beat Tranmere Rovers 3-1 at Wembley last month.

Their League Two fixture list was revealed last Wednesday and it was akin to all of their Christmases coming at once. Chairman Dale Vince was licking his lips in anticipation when I went to speak with him.

Just hours after those matches were released, he sat in a chair in their main bar area overlooking The New Lawn and could not get the smile off his face as his mind wandered to games against the likes of FA Cup winners Coventry City and big local derbies with Cheltenham Town and Swindon Town.

But unlike most football club chairmen or women, who stress on the finances of playing in a professional league, Vince is completely relaxed about that.

He does not just believe Forest Green will stay up next season but thinks they will thrive in League Two.

The chairman has a dream of playing in the Championship in a few seasons. Fanciful? Unrealistic?

Well, if a club like Swansea City, who nearly went bankrupt in 2001, can rise to the Premiership, why cannot Forest Green, with a visionary chairman who backed them when they were in financial trouble themselves in 2010, leap up the professional leagues?

Vince has done it already by growing his company Ecotricity into a global green business. He also shares a common bond with another worldwide entrepreneur, Sir Richard Branson. At the heart of both men's philosophy is having fun, whether it is business or pleasure.

So whatever happens at Forest Green in new season, Vince will sit back and enjoy the ride and, with someone like that at the helm, there is only one way that the club are going – and it is nowhere near a relegation dogfight.

Another man making his mark this summer is Rockhampton Cricket Club batsman Will Tyler.

He has been smashing the ball around the boundaries of the West of England League Prem 2 Glos/Wilts league and the National Village Cup with ease over the past months.

Now, he has been recognised and included in an invitation team from across the South West who will play Gloucestershire in a special T20 warm-up fixture at Clifton College this week.

Tyler cannot stop scoring runs and he will be able to now find out what it is like to face county bowlers when Gloucestershire’s Chris Liddle and Miles Hammond send them down at him.

Thornbury’s Chris Dent is included in the Gloucestershire side for the game and, if Tyler wants a template of how to go from club cricket to the real thing and making a living out the game, then he should ask Dent.

Tyler was involved in Rockhampton’s victory in the National Village Cup Knock-out stages as they look to reach Lord’s, where they were competition runners-up in 2013.

The circumstances behind Rockhampton’s victory, though, show that no matter what sport you play or whatever else you do in life, the smallest things can be the difference between winning and losing.

For the Rams went to Hampshire to play Liphook and Ripsley Cricket Club on Sunday and came away with victory – by just one run.

Rockhampton scored 211-8 and prevented Liphook and Ripsley from scoring the runs they needed to win in the final over.

So every run, from the nine the opposition gifted Rockhampton in extras, to the 68 scored by Will Tyler and the unbeaten one run from Jack Spence, meant everything in the final verdict.

Finally, it is very good to see the support the women’s cricket game is getting this month from fans and media as they play their World Cup.

Derby was a sell-out as England were shocked by India, with Western Storm’s Heather Knight hitting 46 for England.

Knight, who is her country’s captain, brings England to Bristol’s Brightside Ground three times next month, including a clash with the old enemy Australia on July 9. We look forward to seeing England in action and wish them well towards, we hope, World Cup victory.