Thursday, March 02, 2006
Sometimes you've just got to take the hint
Well I'm back in the fun revision mode, although so far I've not really found any sort of rhythm. And the next few days won't be much different. Friday I'm heading up to Oxford to have a drink with a few old friends and then to graduate from my Masters on the Saturday. Then Sunday I'm heading to Glastonbury for the second day of South West Outdoor University Ultimate Regionals, which should be good fun, but not exactly productive on the work front.
Ah well guess I'll muddle through. Normally do. Onwards and ... er.. flatwards.
Ah well guess I'll muddle through. Normally do. Onwards and ... er.. flatwards.
Monday, February 27, 2006
Website lovin'
Article from the game on 18th Feb 2006 against York City
For the last 5 or so years I’ve been using exeweb.com as my main source of City gossip and general chat on the Internet. It’s an “unofficial” site which means that it’s run by a fan and is not connected to the club in anyway. The focal point of the site is the message board where all sorts of discussions take place, and some bizarre rumours turn up along with the odd accurate prediction. The boards have over 2000 members which means you get a wide variety of viewpoints, from the eternally optimistic to the doom mongers who see disaster at every turn.
One of the site’s greatest successes was the legendary “Purple Away Day” at York a few years back. The club was facing its traditional relegation battle and were in desperate need of support from the terraces everywhere we went. Our away kit at the time was purple, one of the more popular away kits City have had (and certainly much better than the dodgy paint splattered one we had in the early 90s!).
Steve “Exeweb” Morris decided to turn one of our away trips into a special occasion to boost numbers and spirits, and it certainly worked. Everyone was encouraged to wear purple in some form or another. Many went for the obvious: wearing the away kit. Others, however, made more effort. There was purple hair, purple faces, purple balloons and, inexplicably, purple pineapples.
Not only did the fans come decked out in their best purple clothing, they also turned out in decent numbers for one of our longer trips of the season and made an excellent, positive noise for the whole game. This was, admittedly, helped by an excellent performance on the pitch and a comfortable victory, but you can’t be sure which came first. It’s the old chicken and egg debate!
While the message boards are the main feature of the site, over the years it has also had a number of other interesting features. One that sticks in the mind was the diary of two City supporting ladies called Emma and Anna. They were regular contributors to the message boards before being plucked from relative obscurity by Mr Exeweb and thrust into the limelight with their very own feature. The diary included interviews with players with slightly odd questions and general gossip and comment on all things City, all told in a slightly off the wall way.
But as I said at the top, the main purpose of exeweb.com is to provide a place for City fans to discuss all things ECFC. The message boards range from the absurd to the interesting in terms of topics discussed. And some odd rumours rear their heads on there. However, when I was exiled away at university I found it a vital link with ECFC as it kept me in touch with the mood of the fans. People from all over the world use the boards to stay up-to-date with the club, using the site as a means of keeping their love for City alive.
While it might be argued that some things said on the site are unhelpful, generally it’s an excellent source of debate and a useful guide to the general mood of the fans. So if you get a chance, pop along and take a look. You’ll find a diverse virtual community where you can talk about ECFC and get an idea of what other people think is going on. It can be an eye-opening experience!
For the last 5 or so years I’ve been using exeweb.com as my main source of City gossip and general chat on the Internet. It’s an “unofficial” site which means that it’s run by a fan and is not connected to the club in anyway. The focal point of the site is the message board where all sorts of discussions take place, and some bizarre rumours turn up along with the odd accurate prediction. The boards have over 2000 members which means you get a wide variety of viewpoints, from the eternally optimistic to the doom mongers who see disaster at every turn.
One of the site’s greatest successes was the legendary “Purple Away Day” at York a few years back. The club was facing its traditional relegation battle and were in desperate need of support from the terraces everywhere we went. Our away kit at the time was purple, one of the more popular away kits City have had (and certainly much better than the dodgy paint splattered one we had in the early 90s!).
Steve “Exeweb” Morris decided to turn one of our away trips into a special occasion to boost numbers and spirits, and it certainly worked. Everyone was encouraged to wear purple in some form or another. Many went for the obvious: wearing the away kit. Others, however, made more effort. There was purple hair, purple faces, purple balloons and, inexplicably, purple pineapples.
Not only did the fans come decked out in their best purple clothing, they also turned out in decent numbers for one of our longer trips of the season and made an excellent, positive noise for the whole game. This was, admittedly, helped by an excellent performance on the pitch and a comfortable victory, but you can’t be sure which came first. It’s the old chicken and egg debate!
While the message boards are the main feature of the site, over the years it has also had a number of other interesting features. One that sticks in the mind was the diary of two City supporting ladies called Emma and Anna. They were regular contributors to the message boards before being plucked from relative obscurity by Mr Exeweb and thrust into the limelight with their very own feature. The diary included interviews with players with slightly odd questions and general gossip and comment on all things City, all told in a slightly off the wall way.
But as I said at the top, the main purpose of exeweb.com is to provide a place for City fans to discuss all things ECFC. The message boards range from the absurd to the interesting in terms of topics discussed. And some odd rumours rear their heads on there. However, when I was exiled away at university I found it a vital link with ECFC as it kept me in touch with the mood of the fans. People from all over the world use the boards to stay up-to-date with the club, using the site as a means of keeping their love for City alive.
While it might be argued that some things said on the site are unhelpful, generally it’s an excellent source of debate and a useful guide to the general mood of the fans. So if you get a chance, pop along and take a look. You’ll find a diverse virtual community where you can talk about ECFC and get an idea of what other people think is going on. It can be an eye-opening experience!
