Loyal readers please read: an important change to the AFCB

Hello to all. Andy here.

You’ve surely all realised in recent times that I have not been contributing much at all to the blog.

It’s been a huge disappointment of mine that I haven’t been able to do so, but the simple truth is that work has got the better of me of late and I haven’t been able to put the same energy into the blog that I would like.

So all things considered, I have decided to changed my role on AFCB.

After discussing things with a good friend of mine Mark, a terrific Arsenal supporter who I met during my time in Berlin, I have decided to step aside and let him take over the reigns.

As he will tell you in his welcome message below, Mark will be handling the day-to-day happenings on the blog, news updates, match reports and all the stuff that recently, I simply have not had the time to do.

My input will be scaled into an editorial: managing the content on the site and contributing feature articles and opinion pieces on an irregular basis.

It’s been a tough old season for Arsenal fans, by far the toughest since I started this blog almost five years ago. But over that time we’ve forged such a great community of supporters on this blog and I don’t want that to be lost just because I have become a little bit too busy.

With Mark now on board I sincerely hope we can reignite the joy within this community and you as loyal readers can once again get the great content and interaction that you have come to expect.

As a final comment, if you are in any way inclined to check out the new online + design business I am now co-directing, which has been taking up most of my time, poke your head in at Moonshine Madness and take a look around. Most appreciated.

— Andy

Introducing Mark

Hey all,

My name is Mark and I was lucky enough to be asked by Andy to join the blog.

I’ll be chipping in with reports, news and all things Arsenal, so I’m using this post to introduce myself and tell you all a little bit about me so you don’t think someone’s jacked the site.

Until I was 11 I went to school only a goal roar away from our beautiful old stadium of Highbury, one which we never heard because only weird kids are at school on Saturdays at 3pm.

I’ll never forget the time Arsene Wenger kicked our playground ball back over the fence as he was on his way to lunch. Anyone who could kick a size 4 plastic ball with such technique as he displayed was destined to go on to achieve greatness.

Now I am living and working in Berlin, where Andy and I met, slowly losing my hair from ripping out chunks of it during the games as my Iraqi Goals stream freezes every time we play.

Apart from the dedication and hard work Andy puts in to run this page, what drew me toward wanting to be part of it was his tagline: Arsenal, with Love.

Right now supporting the team can be hard work, what with so many of the fans divided and throwing online invective at each other, coupled with poor performances and results.

The blog reminded me that even if you want Wenger out now, or if you’re willing to blindly follow him off a cliff, or even if you’re just this guy, we’re all bound by one thing: we love the Arsenal.

So I’m happy to be a part of it.

— Mark

Loading...

Comments

  1. Welcome aboard, Mark. Good luck with the writing, you have a properly angry and feisty audience to placate at the moment!

    And Andy, even if it’s sporadic, you better be back you big-hearted bastard.

  2. Welcome Mark. We expect you to do a good job. Arsenal is not as bad as people make it seem and all hope is not lost yet. I am an optimist and always hope for the best. God bless you and help resurrect the Arsenal spirit

  3. First off, Thank You Andrew.
    Your time,energy and vision has made this blog the gathering place for too many of us to mention these past couple of years I’ve been here. Best of luck in whatever you do.Get rich,quit work, and come back and do the blog again!
    Secondly,Welcome Mark. We’re a motley lot and just as likely to disagree as anything so as you know what you’ve got on your hands. You have big shoes to fill (I think actually I’ve only seen Andy in a T-shirt) O.K then you have a big T-shirt to fill so bring you best stuff.
    @1-nil Dude I know Canadian winters are tough but are you stuck in a snowbank or what?
    @ The Flyingdutchmen Hey Dutch. I put $20.00 on us to beat the Villans Sunday so none of your guff.

  4. Hey Andy,

    Its been a long walk all these years. I am delighted to have been touched by your humour. Great to learn you will be chipping in once in a while.

    Mark, I can’t wait to read your mind.

    Long live Arsenal, though I still think AW has lived passed his sell by date at Arsenal. No offense for those who still believe in him.

  5. @everyone Thanks for the welcoming comments. I’m really excited to be a part of the page and as Andy is a good mate and a really dedicated Gooner I’m aiming to not let him or any of you down in terms of what you’re used to. I’m just sorry that right now it looks like I’m the only new signing in January.

  6. yaaaay! good luck marky mark. see you in about 5 hours for more hair-pulling-streaming-fun times. and andy, thank you for bringing the arsenal love into my life!

  7. Mark – All the best, looking forward to what you bring to the blog. I expect you will bring your own style, but I do hope you can continue in andy’s vein and pull some positives out of even our worst performances.
    Andy – hope to catch ya soon, you out for Blackburn game

  8. Welcome on Board Mark.
    Be part of us and i just hope you have a big heart like that of Andy, when faced with adversity, emotional pain, sadness you show resilience and some moments of sudden exitement that does not last long you embrace the moment and all the opportunities it comes with.

    Andy,
    Good luck in all your endevours and don’t take long to peep in and see how Mark is faring with us.

  9. Andy & Mark,

    I regularly follow the blog, but stopped after the posting became infrequent, so I’m just kind of catching up now.

    Look – it’s amazing to me that you’ve had the time and dedication to publish this at all – it’s one of the best Arsenal blogs of current times – and I am very glad it will continue as a going concern at least for now.

    Congratulations on a job well done, Andy and welcome Mark. As they used to say in pre-digital days: Keep those cards and letters coming!

    Warm wishes from cold Toronto, Canada

    1NTTA

  10. I am one of the regular reader of this fantastic blog until recently. But now with this change I hope this site become a great blog again. Thanks you Andy and welcome Mark!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.