On And Ever Upward

As Robert announced this morning, I have accepted the opportunity to continue the work started by he and Reno that ultimately became Coming Home Newcastle.  While largely we as people would rather things remain the same, I completely understand where he is coming from and wish him nothing but the best in the endeavors onto which he will be turning his focus.

I owe a tremendous amount to Robert as the man who gave me the opportunity to start writing regularly for a SBN site, as a mentor through the process of writing, working through bad ideas, confirming when good ideas have been executed well and turning me into a more responsible fan overall.  Most importantly, I would like to say that through it all I've gained a good friend.  Today, I am richer for the experiences we've shared and I've been honored to be part of building Coming Home Newcastle into what it is today.

Since my first post as an official author at CHN, I have experienced some significant highs, written some absolutely terrible things and learned exactly where the limitations of my knowledge are and how to accept them.  I have had some fantastic discussions with the other writers that have contributed, with members of the community and have received some insightful critiques from members who signed up specifically to communicate with me.  I honestly believe that I'm much stronger for all of the experiences that Robert's continued faith in me as a writer allowed me to see.

My intention is to give my best effort to build upon the roots that have been so capably planted to this point.  I would like to ensure the continued growth of the community at large and help the site be a destination site for all Newcastle United supporters and US fans in particular.  I have love (in spite of my better judgement) for this club that we have all come to support for one reason or another and love for this site which has given me so much over the years of my involvement.

To Robert,

thank you for everything.  I look forward to working with you as the site continues forward.  I wish you every success in your new projects.

To Jeremiah Oshan,

thank you for your confidence.  I will do my best to pay you back for it.

To the community:

I would love your input on how this blog could better serve you.  Please feel free to contact me through the comments sections, twitter or my personal email with ideas or suggestions about how we could provide a more complete, more inclusive experience for you.  My goal is to build the community of this site to where everyone who visits on a regular basis feels compelled to get involved in discussion about the stories surrounding our club.  There will rarely be a story on this site that will be intended to be a final word on any story or discussion.  Change brings opportunity, and I look forward to you all seizing on that opportunity along with me.