Happy Birthday to Us - Four years old

By The Site Eds
August 10 2006

Your site celebrates its fourth birthday today. Whilst it had been in existence a little earlier, the name was decided upon at our Henley gathering on 10th August 2002. That was the day we decided on as our birthday.

In those four years we have not only survived, some predicted we wouldn't, we have thrived. Pretty well since its inception The Craic has been the principal online meeting place for London Irish supporters. That continues to be the case. Each year has seen growth, the last one being particularly spectacular. The four quarters to June 2006 were, in terms of hits, 73% up on the previous year.

It has to be said that measuring hits on their own is a pretty meaningless process. Where it does have some relevance however is in comparing like for like statistics, as shown by the graph above. Put simply, visits to the site in the last year are now running at almost three times the level they were in the first year of its existence.

We are well aware that the 2006 Q2 figures were distorted by the events surrounding the Jack Wakefield tragedy. That said, given the trends we were already seeing and the fact that our club made both the play offs and the ECC final, we would have expected it to be a record quarter.

Last year it was reported that 98% of rugby supporters have internet access, in terms of our community is now a pretty mature medium. Where a portion of this growth no doubt comes from is the increased use of broadband. That does not however account for all of it. The Craic has always been one of the most visited rugby sites on Sportnetwork with traffic running substantially higher than other, often larger, clubs. Last month your site was, yet again, the top rugby site on this network.

Those of you old enough to remember the year long Times newspaper strike in the 1970's may recall the headline it ran, about itself, when it restarted publication - 'Unchanged but ever Changing'. Such is the nature of this site. In some ways it is a different beast to the one that stepped nervously into cyberspace four years ago. It is also in many ways the same.

If we have any job as site editors it is to try and make this place interesting and welcoming. The truth is that this work is mostly done by yourselves. It is you who make this place what it is. We do however take great pleasure in knowing that increasing numbers of you, London Irish supporters or not, posters or lurkers, are popping in. You are all very welcome.

A new season beckons. No doubt it will have its share of ups and downs both on and off the field. One thing you can be sure of is that, however the season goes, there will be a community here enjoying The Craic.