Awards dinner this Thursday could see Swansea blog named best in the land!
It says something about how media-savvy I am that I didn't promote this when voting for the "people's choice" award was open! A while back I had an email informing me The Swansea Way had been shortlisted for the accolade, and that I should attend the awards dinner in Cardiff Chapter Arts Centre this coming Thursday, the fifteenth of May. Slightly ironic perhaps, that a Swansea City blog could again claim the prize (after ForzaSwansea previously picked up the award) in Cardiff shortly after their own team has been relegated from the Premier League? Sadly I don't think I'd get away with wearing a Swans top to an awards dinner.
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| Cheapest banner image ever. I already had the photo. Done on paint. That's how I roll. |
In all seriousness though, I am made up to have been nominated for this award. I must thank the other fine people who've contributed to the site - Keith Haynes has done a couple of outstanding evocative pieces, Jon Trew has started contributing articles with a forensic eye for tactical detail, while Andrew McGlashan & Bobby Gardiner have both made excellent debuts in recent weeks. I've also got another new contributor or two lined up, so there should be plenty more for the Jack Army to read over the coming months and beyond.
Since I started the blog in the buildup to the Capital One Cup final last year, it's grown slowly and surely to the point where it's now receiving over one thousand views a day on average. I started the site as after years of using forums and growing tired of infighting, bickering and nastiness, I figured there must be other people out there who, like me, predominantly want to discuss football, as opposed to the rumours circulating in the red tops. Ok, I have been guilty of commenting on rumours fairly regularly, but if it's a rumour I say it's a rumour. The site came as a natural progression for me, as I'd for a long time produced match previews on forums which, truth be told, are in exactly the same format as those which I produce today.
Some say too much information is a bad thing - I say that you don't have to read it all! Better to have and not read, than to not have? I try to be objective, but I know I'm biased so in order to maintain a level of neutrality I attempt to factor in my bias to my thinking, to see if perhaps I'm looking at things through a wonky pair of glasses (which, in fact, I literally am - contact lenses coming stat). The reaction I've had to the site has almost always been overwhelmingly positive, and I like to think that in time a community of fans will develop who can comment on, contribute, and discuss quality content about their beloved Swansea City.
So it is, that on Thursday I'll be accompanied by my girlfriend, mother and grandmother (I'd better win if my octogenarian grandmother has made a trip to Cardiff that late at night!) to the bash in Cardiff, and fingers crossed I secure the award! I'm up against two other blogs - "Run My Own Way" - a chap writing about his experiences as a runner, and a very good read - and Girl On The River - a well written blog about a lady who rows a lot. If it was just down to content posted I'd definitely be nailed on favourite but who knows how the judges will decide - especially as the award has previously already gone to a Swansea blog in ForzaSwansea, as well as another football website two years prior in Ffwtbol. Will they be able to get away with giving it to a football blog again? Who knows, but it should be a good laugh finding out!
So, this Thursday I'll probably be tweeting nervously, then tipsily, then in capital letters, then - depending how it goes - I'll either be grudgingly congratulating another worthy winner or taking lots of photos of me with the award in tow.
Fingers crossed for the latter! Thanks to anyone who has shared, commented on, tweeted, facebooked... you get the picture. I wouldn't still be doing this if I didn't feel it added something to the online presence of Swansea City, and if I can help fans create positive debate about Swansea City I think that's, quite simply, job done as far as I'm concerned.
Not that I've any intention of stopping any time soon, mind you.