Shot Shahid Is Just Loving The National League Title Ride!

He’s not only running a football club, but there’s his business and family to look after, too. It’s a good job he hasn’t got the hours to get caught up in all that romantic stuff. He wouldn’t be able to get much else done.

On Saturday night, the day dream is being played out on national TV. BT Sport’s live broadcast comes from Dagenham & Redbridge, where Azeem’s in-form side pay a visit.

Just a point off the Vanarama National League summit with a game in hand on leaders Wrexham, you could forgive the EBB Stadium chief from thinking forward.

“Really, we can’t,” he told us this afternoon as we took a look ahead to the live game. “Honestly there’s little point. This league this year...well I have never known anything like it.

“Nobody has grasped it with both hands. A lot of clubs want to, but the grip hasn’t been tight. If fact, and you may or may not agree, but you have got to look at the top ten teams in the league and think they all have a chance of winning it!

“It’s a case of let’s see what happens. You never know in this league. I remember when we went through a period before Christmas of having a new leader every week!

“Personally I am loving every minute of it. The National League brand is so strong now, and with a very exciting race at both ends of the table I think we’re in for a great end to the season.”

The BT Sport coverage begins at 5pm and with Macclesfield, in second, up next weekend you get the feeling that this is their chance to stamp some authority on a division that won't be tamed if the next eight days go their way.

“We are punching above our weight,” Azeem added. “It’s unexpected really - I don’t think many people would have predicted us to be right up there.

“But we’ve got a great management team of Gary Waddock and James Rowe, the supporters have made sure the crowds are up and the players - although we have had quite a lot of injury problems - have done incredibly well.

“We’ve got a real fight on our hands at Dagenham. It’s always a difficult place to play and trust me, we won’t be travelling there with complacency. It’s how we deal with the challenges on the day.

“There’s more pressure on us than them, but we’ve won three of our last three away games - all very tough matches at Leyton Orient, Dover and Woking.

“We’re already in the ‘every game’s a cup final’ mode and we’re just hoping we can carry on the good form.”