Goodbye 2008

So here we are then. The end of another year. Where on Earth did it go, one has to ask?

So much has happened, so much forgotten and so much still fresh in the mind. Manchester United became World and European champions... Portsmouth won the FA Cup against Cardiff City, of all people... Spain won Euro 2008 (of all people)... Fabio Capello actually got England winning again while George Burley... well never mind.

Reading went down, Hull came up and went up, and up, and up... Teams lost their sponsors while others lost their managers on a regular basis... and at the end of it all, we find ourselves clutching onto those many disparate memories which soon will fade altogether. 2009 is almost upon us (at least here in the UK, in any case) and who's to say what we'll see next year?

All we know is this year has been one when SPAOTP almost came to an end back in May but has since been reborn, redesigned and rejuvenated - largely thanks to the two new friends I made back then who have joined me in writing the articles you see here every week. They are Duffman and Sp3ktor, and I can't thank them enough for all that they've done in helping to keep this particular ship afloat.

Not only have they worked their backsides off to produce so many wonderful posts, but they've given me more friendship, motivation and more often than not bloody good laughs to make me more proud of Some People Are On The Pitch than I've ever done in the two-and-a-half years this site's been running. Without them, this site wouldn't exist - of that I've no doubt.

So give them your thanks, but also give yourself a hearty pat on the back. You, our much valued visitors, give us the reason to write so much thanks to your comments, camaraderie and support. We love what we do because you seem to like what we do, and that makes us very happy indeed.

A good note on which to end 2008. I think. It's been fun, wouldn't you say? Let's all hope for more of the same in 2009...

To all our friends, visitors and co-bloggers around the world, we sincerely wish you a very happy, healthy and prosperous new year.

Best wishes,
Chris O.