2015 kicks off with a bang as gridiron stakes hot up

There’s no knowing what 2015 will serve up but it will start with a bang tomorrow in the US.

It isn’t too difficult to take comfort in the bright side of January when an overwhelming volume of football — both fake and Association — makes these dark days bearable.

I’ll let others glean whatever romance is left out of the third round of the FA Cup — although clubs like Dover and Blyth Spartans definitely caught my eye during the last week or so of Christmas-lazing with Sky Sports.