This is TheFootyBlog’s 1000th post! So I thought I’d use it as a platform to say a few thank you’s and also wish all the readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

The blog started just over three years ago (So no the photo above isn’t the start of the blog on that typewriter) and I still love doing it, hence the 1000 posts.

The website has been extremely successful. It’s won and been nominated for awards, its growing each month with more an more people viewing it and coming back. It has given me the chance to write for foreign websites, being involved in a few radio shows and podcasts and has even generated me some money.

I am proud that the site welcomes its readership to get involved and to either praise me or have a go. Only this week I wrote a piece that received over 80 comments. There was also an article that saw over 100 responses from readers. Out of the 1,600 plus comments I can count on one hand the amount that I have had to disapprove, the fact is only comments that are personal attacks against others or are illegal will be disapproved.

I would like to start by thanking my parents. Not just for having sex in the eighties and producing me for their efforts but also for the support they have shown me in this venture.

My father is also my employer. He gives me plenty of time to work on my articles and for that I am very grateful. It was also his idea for me to start the site. He passed my details on to Graeme, who designed and set up the website, so thank you Graeme. My dad is also the one who has helped me out with the videos and lets me use his professional production equipment.

You can see our football videos HERE. I hope to have two new videos early in the new year.

My mum wouldn’t appreciate any photos of her on here and I don’t think there are any with us in it that is football related. But my mum has been a huge supporter of my writing and often reads the blog. When I write anything important or possibly contentious she will take a look give her opinion and check the spelling. (Yes I could do with her doing that for every article).

Paul, my brother, and his wife also help me with advice and ideas. Paul also pesters his friends and even mere acquaintances to read the blog, so I know he must think its at least half decent.

A huge thank you has to go to my grandpa.

Yes he (On the far right) gave me a superb interview in which he told me about his wonderful life as a Glaswegian bookie who met the great and good of world football including the likes of Puskas, Eusebio and Sir Alex Ferguson. That two part interview saw me interviewed on BBC 5 Live and also made it into the Guardians favourite things for a few weeks.

You can read my grandpa’s story HERE.

But what I really have to thank my Grandpa for the most, is that its down to him that I got into football. He gave me the passion I have for the sport. He is a truly amazing man!

Then there is Andrew Gibney. Through our writing and Twitter we have became great friends. He will tell me when he likes an article and equally he will be critical if he thinks something is utter pish. Andrew has also let me write for his site French Football Weekly even after I told him not to start it as it wasn’t a great idea (Yes he proved me wrong!).

Andrew, myself and 3 others are walking from Sheffield to Lille in April 2013, raising money for an MS charity. You can donate HERE.

Tom Hall from the Scottish Football Blog has also become a friend due to the blog. I love Tom’s writing and don’t believe their is a better blogger on Scottish football.

I have had over 50 contributors to the site over the three years. All of whom enhanced the site. Some were journos, are journos and some will become journos. Some were/are fine bloggers. All are huge fans of football, just like me and that is the main thing. So I thank them for helping create a buzz about the series and the site.

I am very proud of the ‘My Team & I’ series which saw many of those contributors write about why they loved their football clubs. You can view the series HERE.

TheFootyPod podcast has been so much fun to do. I have to thank Brent Atema for co-hosting and doing a fine job keeping me entertained. Its great fun for us to do. We’ve had the pleasure of having various fantastic guests on; some tv personalities, journalists, top bloggers and former players. I would like to thank them all, especially Chris Mayer as he always comes on when we need him.

In fact one of our shows actually had over 10,000 listens, an amazing achievement for an independent podcast.

I would also like to thank such sites as The Guardian, STV Sport, Back Page Football,  the Scottish Football Forums and In Bed With Maradona who have all helped the site, supporting the blog in various ways.

I have to thank everyone who is reading this just now and who has ever read TheFootyBlog. I am delighted that I get a few hundred hits a day even if I don’t write anything, it shows people care to check back. The fact ‘Garrincha’ is the top searched term to get to the site is a huge thrill for me.

If I have forgotten to thank anyone, then I apologise. Its just an oversight, I don’t hate you… Honest!

I believe I have improved since day one with my writing. I also know that I can still vastly improve on so much more and hope to do so in the future.

I have been prolific in the three years and its been a blast. I do it because I enjoy it and hope others do.

So let me say thank you, Merry Christmas and I hope everyone has a fantastic 2013!

Posted on December 24th, 2012 by scott
Filed under: Article