So what news from the local clubs on transfer deadline day?

Better late than never!

As I'm still in South America and barely keeping myself sober, please forgive me if I've missed anything!

Bristol City have managed to hold on to Nicky Maynard and will now be hoping that they can get him to sign a new contract so that he is worth something rather than seeing him go n the summer for nowt. Either way, this is as good as a new signing for the Robins. Nicky is a proven goalscorer and has proved he is as good as his word – he always said he was happy at the club, maybe the board should make him a little happier now.

Manchester City youth product Ryan McGivern, 21, has also joined City on loan until the end of the season. The lad has already picked up 13 caps for Northern Ireland despite only turning out for the light blue City once. However, he does have leagu experience and has played on loan for Crystal Palace, Leicester, Walsall and Morecambe. It proved to be a good signed by manager Keith Millen especially as Jamie McAllister now looks set to be sidelined for around eight weeks with an ankle injury.

In League ONE, Wycombe pretty much kept btheir heads down yseterday. Manager Gary Waddock had already stated that his bbusiness was done for the summer and s it was merely a case of pulling the plug on the fax machine and turning off the mobiles to ensure no-one left.

It seems that Cheltenham and Mark Yates were in the same boat and, again, nothing much happened n Gloucestershire – no change there then :-) I suspect that Mark will be happy with that though.

No-one came in at Bristol Rover, but Paul Buckle has allowed midfielder Ben Swallow to go out on loan to neighbours Bath City. Not a bad move for either Ben or the club. Swallow is a bright prospect, but needs experience and Buckle has brought a few players in this summer and so an early Bath beats playing in the stiffs.

And striker Jo Kuffour looks to be on his way as soon as the emergency loan window opens next week. Buckle has been quoted as saying: "He's definitely in the departure lounge. It will have to be a loan now the window has closed, we were confident he would go yesterday but sometimes players are not willing to compromise.It's a very small market for Kuffour as he wants to go back to London. We've had interest from League One clubs around the country but he's not interested."

I can’t help but feel that Hereford fans might be sorry to see striker Stuart Fleetwood go to Luton and at the same time wonder whether it is a good move for the fella. You could argue that Luton are a bigger club than Hereford, but the Bulls are a league side whereas the Hatters seem to be stuck in the Blue Square and are not finding it easy to get back to where they undoubtably belong. Only time will tell on this one and Stuart’s a decent guy and I wish him well.

Oxford boss Chris Wilder has signed Jonathan Franks from Middlesboro’. Striker Franks, 21, has appeared for Boro on 28 occasions. He’s also represented England at U-16, 17, 18 and 19 levels.

Finally Swindon have let midfielder Michael Timlin join Southend until January which will allow him to get his career back n track and ensure that he isn’t assaulted by any deranged Italians.

Kevin Amankwaa has also left the club after being given a free transfer and so the former Bristol City and Swansea defender is a free agent and can sign for a new ooutfit at any time.

And it looks like striker Leon Clarke, who only joined the club from QPR 12 days ago, will be allowed to leave emergency loan window opens next week following his bust-up with manager Paolo Di Canio after Tuesday's game against Southampton.

Chairman Jeremy Wray told the local paper: "I have not had chance to speak to Leon but I have spoken to his agent and it has been agreed by everyone that a loan move elsewhere would be best for everyone."

Incredibly di Canio has admitted he was informed that Clarke wanted to leave the Robins on Sunday and is quoted as saying: “I thought during the night whether he did what he did because he wanted to make a big show to leave the club. After the game I discovered that two days before he had asked to leave. I didn’t know this before the game because I will never allow a player to wear a Swindon shirt who asks to leave."

The obvious question being: "Why didn't you know? You are the manager after all."

The more the Swindon saga builds, the more I feel that their fans deserve much better than all of this.

Despite everything, some Swindon fans are managing a good stab at gallows humour and I salute them. While the messageboards were full of gloom, one wag pointed out: “ … if you look close enough you can see a fight at the end of the tunnel ;-) “.

Sir, you are a true football fan and I salute you and your humour – that would be a regular salute by the way and not a di Canio style salute.