May 07
Allow Me This Indulgence…
… yes, dear readers, indulge me this day. Today I will talk about myself.
It was one year to this day that this site was launched.
So here is wishing this site a very happy anniversary (bloggiversary?)
It’s amazing when you look back and realise how far this site and the community has grown in such a short period of time. Honestly, I had never imagined that I would run a Manchester United fan site that would facilitate some good, (at times, heated) discussion on our great club.
It was a year ago when I approached Ahmed of Soccerlens who was looking for people to help start fan blogs, and along with him this idea of setting up a United blog was conceived. Thanks to him for his support both, at the back-end tech stuff, or his articles on here.
Over the past year, this site has seen 428 posts and about 14,700 comments (300 shy of the 15k mark). So that says enough about the involvement of the community to make this site what it is today. So a great thanks to all commenters. I’ve got emails from people giving words of encouragement, and it makes me all the more motivated to keep this site going.
Oh, and I know there are a lot more of you that read this site regularly but may feel a little shy to comment. I’d request you all to kindly participate and rant to your hearts’ content on this site — and as long as you play fair, you’ll do good.
Looking ahead, I’d like to continue this labour of love (and my passion for writing, in general) to keep going and improving. I hope to encourage United related discussion and will try to improve the quality of articles posted here as much as I can. I may still continue to have a one article per day routine, although on other days there could be more than one. But I promise never to flood it with five or ten articles. That would be too much to digest and discuss, in my opinion, and will result in fragmented discussion.
Hopefully, we can continue on this journey [I know I am using all the tiring cliches that accompany such 'thank you' speeches] and make this one of the best Manchester United fan blog/community in the internet.
Thank you once again, and please send in your suggestions for further improvements by email.
- Red Ranter
Related items from Red Rants:
- The Best Manchester United Blog Right Here, Right Now
- On Drunk Orgies and Transfer Speculation
- A Television Themed Round-Up
Tags: Site News
May 7th, 2008 at 10:11
Great work so far, and happy bloggiversary!
It’s been great to be involved, and even better to have been permitted to contribute some articles.
Red Rants is firmly set as my homepage!
May 7th, 2008 at 10:29
Fair play Ranter, very enjoyable site with generally level headed discussion. Congrats & keep up the good work.
May 7th, 2008 at 10:35
Legendary site! Keep up the work and come on United! Suggestion for the summer and transfer windows would be an article on who we are linked to separate to your usual topical articles….
J.T. (Not the Chelsea one but the United one)
May 7th, 2008 at 10:50
Happy bloggiversary dear Red Ranter. This blog has been an inspiration. Well done.
May 7th, 2008 at 10:59
its been a good journey for us here as well red ranter
Keep up the good work and let us all keep walking together in redrants wonderland
Thanks to ahmed and all the backroom staff and guest authors on keeping this site up and running
May 7th, 2008 at 11:16
Congrats RR! Have always enjoyed reading your blogs. Love your humor. Thanks to all those who comment regularly to keep this blog lively. I would say this blog has made me a ManU fanatic. Carry on the good work.
May 7th, 2008 at 11:28
congrats Red Ranter…
i have been reading this blog for almost an year now, which make me one of the first ones to come here
Checking this site is the first thing i do when i come to office everyday, even before checking my emails
although i haven’t contributed a lot in the comments section but i do enjoy reading them…
keep up the good work…
May 7th, 2008 at 11:48
Cheers!!
May 7th, 2008 at 12:28
congratulations to redranter and Ahmed!i had been reading soccerlens regularly so i was one of the earliest visitors of this site when it was launched and I have always liked it since.
May 7th, 2008 at 12:32
Grats man, You’ve done a great job, and the blog has really developed over the past 12 months, keep up the good work.
May 7th, 2008 at 12:41
RR, Ahmed and other contributors: Congrats on the 1-year anniversary. Thanks for your good work in facilitating the exchange of information and opinions on our favourite subject.
May 7th, 2008 at 12:56
Happy bloggiversary! Ive been reading almost all articles since the site started, and I must say that this is one of my favorite sites! Its great to have a place to talk to all the people in the world about football, and most important, Manchester United. I hope you continue with this fine work! Cheers
May 7th, 2008 at 13:05
I started following this blog since the time when a search for Red Rants on google would turn up the link http://redrants.wordpress.com. That would be around this time last year as it turns out.
In my opinion an ideal administrative system is one that can allow free expression without letting the system drift into chaos. This blog is one of those rare instances where this balance has been achieved.
Hats off to red ranter for creating such a balanced, sensible yet passionate blog. Hats off also to the commentators who have made this blog what it is.
I propose that a Red Rants hall of fame be setup on the blog to identify and celebrate the bloggers and commentators who have added real value to this blog and new members inducted on a yearly basis.
May 7th, 2008 at 13:05
brilliant blog. congrats on everything and hope there’s plenty more to come!
May 7th, 2008 at 13:32
cheerio
more sun style masala stories please..
Not..
The best united blog along with republikofmancunia…..could you start putting up links to highlight videos on torrents/rapidshare?
May 7th, 2008 at 13:35
This is a great site,read it every day.I promise I’ll comment more often.Keep on going!!!Glory Man United!!
May 7th, 2008 at 13:44
Congratulations! Though to be honest I really didn’t know that this site was only one year old, as I only started posting here since last July. I thought it has been around for much longer! But anyway kudos to RR, Ahmed and company for setting up this fantastic website (without meaning to sound like an arse-licker, this truly is the best Man Utd blog on the web, hands down!). Keep up the good work guys. And to all my fellow commenters/ranters: KEEP ON RANTING GUYS/GIRLS(?)! The site wouldn’t be what it is without those passionate rants from everyone, which all have one common denominator: the greatest football club in the world aka Manchester United!
May 7th, 2008 at 14:05
Great job, keep the good work!
May 7th, 2008 at 14:20
Congratulations for the great blog! Since I know my love for the Red Devils I know that they really love us,too. (Do they really know us?)
Anyway , I’m here for
CONOR
Conor, I’m happy we agree. Nobody stole yoor idea , cause I don’t really have an acount for that site.Anyway,what we say is very logical. We can’t have Mark Hughes or Steve Bruce as assistants cause they are already proved managers. But , we can have Keano cause his heart still belongs to the red devils and he can leave Sunderland for Manchester. Then he will be the assistant manager,cause if Queiroz isn’t the first the portuguese will leave plus the portspeaking players will be unhappy. Then , keano will have to create his own atmosphere in the dressing room. Well, “his atmosphere” seems to be like SAF’s mentality.
That’s why SAF let him take some half time talk few years ago.
May 7th, 2008 at 14:33
Thanks redranter for walking the manchester united talk.
Keep up.
May 7th, 2008 at 15:12
United eye trio: http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11667_3533163,00.html
And this is cool: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qafb6AP3hS0&watch_response
May 7th, 2008 at 15:22
this is my first post…good time to start off i guess on the anniversary day…..i have been followin dis wonderful blog for the last few months….today this post made me to post….
gr8 work guys…keep it up…
the idea of keepin one article a day…is pretty good..carry on with that…rather than havin in clusters of articles…
cheers…”NEVER DIE”
May 7th, 2008 at 15:23
Well done Red Ranter, great blog with lots of intelligent discussion…this is the longest week ever, unbearably long…
Don’t be shy to give your opinions people…it’s just a bit of fun…just words
May 7th, 2008 at 15:39
Great blog man.One year?Shocking!Its like u have been on it 4 like decades.All the best 4 all your sincere efforts
May 7th, 2008 at 15:52
HAppy Anniversary Dude!!!This is a great blog uv got out here,hope this blog lasts for a long time..
May 7th, 2008 at 16:29
Happy anniversary.
Congrats RR and Ahmed.
May 7th, 2008 at 16:37
Ah. The dreaded anniversary. Kudos Rantyboi
May 7th, 2008 at 17:05
I found this blog by accident just to find some info on our summer signings and can truthfully say it is one of the best sites on the net and the most well written, designed and commented United site out there. Only 1 year? Keep up the good work.
May 7th, 2008 at 17:08
redranter can you tell us your age? just curious…
May 7th, 2008 at 17:37
A heart felt congrats to you Red Ranter. You have done wonders with this blog and you are to be praised for your management and fairness as well. Keep up the great work and may this blog be around for years to come. I know it consumes large portions of my day. Once again congratulations to you and actually to all the great Man Utd fanatics that have helped make your blog a must in their daily lives.
WELL DONE!
May 7th, 2008 at 17:46
congrats redrants.always look forward to the blogs everyday.keep up the manchester united blogs for the loyal manchester united fans.
May 7th, 2008 at 17:55
Cheers RR, a great contribution to the United community with this blog.. Love discussing with you guys for years to come, hope we can have some United players join us here =P anyway congrats man..
May 7th, 2008 at 18:08
I think I visited this site through a link from Soccerlens… and since then I can’t remember a single day that has gone without me checking out the goings on at Red Rants! The views and debates (which as RR rightly points out, are heated sometimes) are all very entertaining and along with all the commenters, RR should be commended well for managing all this. Kudos man! Way to GO!
May 7th, 2008 at 19:31
congrets on it and keep up the good work
May 7th, 2008 at 19:32
Figures, my first comment would be a congratulations one.
I found your blog about a month ago and it’s been a great read. Happy anniversary.
May 7th, 2008 at 20:54
Happpppppy Bloggiversary
Definitely the best Manchester United blog out, just edging above Scott in the best Manchester United blogger too. Ahmed deserves a lot of credit too for his excellent advertising of this blog because like me, many fans found out of it because of him. Well done to you both.
May 7th, 2008 at 20:56
Congrats! Found out about this blog via Soccerlens, and got hooked immediately. Like Groggy said, this blog has also been consuming ample portions of my social/personal/professional life
And I have no complains! Keep it going!!
May 7th, 2008 at 21:18
Congrats RR…keep up the great work. Very much enjoy reading your and your readers opinions.
May 7th, 2008 at 23:04
congratulations RR, good site, lively debate from a varied and widely scattered audience, what more could a United blogger want.
Just out of curiosity, how do the post and comments stats compare with other fan sites.
May 7th, 2008 at 23:07
I know this stat has probably been posted here before but I might as well post as I’d take any omens going into Sundays game!
La Liga Premiership Year
Madrid Man United 2001
Valencia Arsenal 2002
Madrid Man United 2003
Valencia Arsenal 2004
Barcelona Chelsea 2005
Barcelona Chelsea 2006
Madrid Man United 2007
Madrid MAN UNITED? 2008
on that same note is liverpool is probably paired with deportivo! lol
May 8th, 2008 at 0:01
[Everyone]
Cheers for the words of encouragement and wishes. So I believe I am in fact doing some things right with this blog.
[John T]
Well, the summer will be one long period of boredom. But hey, this site was launched during the summer, in the first place. At least we have the Euro’s to talk about. I will have transfer related stories for sure, don’t worry.
[Aravind]
My blog has been an inspiration to a Chelsea fan? I hope I’m not doing something wrong.
[Shreyas]
Hall of fame is an interesting idea but I wouldn’t want to single out people. Plus, it’s not a competition here. You comment on your own free will, so I wouldn’t want a hall of fame, personally.
[Nagraj]
I could put up videos but I’d rather direct you to forums and websites that actually do that. I don’t want to mention those forums on the site publicly because I’d preserve the underground nature of these sites so that they don’t come into prominence and get taken down. If you want links to those sites I can point you out to them via email.
[Faizan]
I wouldn’t want to reveal my exact age or name or anything for that matter — I’d like you to judge me on what I write. But since I am in a good mood I can tell you that I am in my twenties.
[Conor]
To be honest, me edging Scott would be rather unfair, because I can never beat a resident Mancunian season ticket holder who gets to soak in to the OT atmosphere week-in, week-out. I always wish, by some quirk of fate, I get a brilliant job in the Manchester area. Oh well…
[Fred the Red]
) and rabidly followed fan site. The guy who runs it has even interviewed Peter Hill-Wood (Arsenal director/chairman), Perry Groves, Amy Lawrence of the Guardian etc etc. So one can hardly compare with such prominent bloggers. But he’s been at it for six years. So that is something.
I wouldn’t know about other fan sites. Of course, I could say Arseblog.com is perhaps the most commented (600 comments per post on an average
Anyway, thank you all, once again, for the responses and wishes. Regular service will resume tomorrow. Plus, I may have something interesting lined up in the coming weeks. So I will let you know when that happens.
May 8th, 2008 at 0:12
great blog and congrats on the anniversary. I think I was kind of the other way aroud than most people here because I found this site in May or June last year while in search of good football blogs due to my eventual instalation of broadband in my house and this site linked me to SL and since then they have become my most visited blogs so keep up the good work!
May 8th, 2008 at 0:54
Congrats dude and i want a long long article the day we lift the double
May 8th, 2008 at 3:17
u’re doing a brilliant job.
congrats on the 1 year anniversary. Manchester United will always be the best football club in the world
May 8th, 2008 at 4:48
[RR]
If you have actually seen the comments section on Arseblog it becomes apparent that almost 70-80% of the comments are not related to the blog content in anyway. Looks like its used as a sort of private message board by many.
Though have to agree its a well written blog.
May 8th, 2008 at 5:14
Congratulations RR, Everyday my life involves Manchester United, and your blog helps to quench that.
May 8th, 2008 at 7:20
Congrats RR..!!!..da Best Utd Bl0g..
just a thought occured..why doesnt Utd catch Sergio Aguero???
he is not at that interested playing in England, but United can brainwash people.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/7384547.stm
May 8th, 2008 at 7:23
In totally unrelated news- Real Madrid beat Barca 4-1 yesterday! Real dominated from start to finish.
May 8th, 2008 at 8:11
RR; Hm I’m not sure I agree. I think Scott is a better fan of Manchester United just because he has a season ticket and shows his passion for the club so often, but you run this blog better than his, in my opinion. He comes up with some very good articles every so often but you keep a constant flow of articles. Anyway, who cares? Both blogs are brilliant.
May 8th, 2008 at 14:46
with the amount of posters so far, i would not be surprised if we end up having 300 comments a day within a few months, ive been posting since late may, i think a few days after hargo joined, when i said we should buy anderson, then the next day, anderson was bought
, over the past year ive fell in love with this site, i just hope RR wont take the corpate route and starts to charge us to read this great site like others 
May 8th, 2008 at 15:07
I don’t know if this is already being implemented here, but instead of a Hall of Fame, its so much better to invite a commenter every week or fortnight to right an article as a guest author. The author can be picked by RR on the basis of the quality of their comments throughout the week.
May 8th, 2008 at 17:21
well i dont tend to respond to blogs…
but i as someone who discovered the blod 2-3 months ago…
let me give a 2 thumbs up frmo
Israel (would give more if i had any)
May 8th, 2008 at 21:23
[Muhozi]
That won’t happen. Charging people to read a blog is against the principles of blogging. It’s like charging someone money to breathe.
May 8th, 2008 at 21:57
A belated happy birthday to RedRants! Keep up the excellent work RR and good luck in thinking up stuff for the summer, we have no Gabby Heinze to argue about this year
May 9th, 2008 at 4:38
what’s that, another 5 years till you sell out?
Keep up the great work mate, you’re a fuckin celebrity now