An apology: and the year ahead on The Big Feller

Dear all,

First, profuse apologies are due for the lack of activity on this blog over the past month. While many people's festive periods were, I trust, full of glad tidings and good cheer, mine involved tending to some extremely difficult family circumstances which are now, I hope, on the mend. And with those dealt with, I'm at last able to begin refocusing both on this website, and on finishing my PhD.

My aim is to update this blog at least twice a week, and I have plenty of pieces planned: one on Rangers which will follow later on today, an article on the inimitable Jose Mourinho and the current difficulties of his Chelsea side, and also a feature on Wealdstone, the non-league team I followed in my youth. We will also be dipping into the Six Nations and Rugby World Cup, reporting on how the cricketers recover from the Ashes debacle, and keeping a close eye on the progress, or possible lack of it, of Steve McClaren's England side towards Euro 2008. Plus, of course, there will be the usual regular updates on the goings-on at Carrow Road and Tynecastle.

Huge thanks to all who've logged onto this site and read or commented on my articles so far: your feedback, whether positive or, ahem, not-so-positive, has been massively appreciated. Particular apologies are due to the select band who, I know, frequent this site particularly regularly, and have been greeted for the past month with an article dated December 10: such tardiness may be typical of a student, but is hardly ideal for a budding journalist! I promise to do rather better from now on.

Best wishes to all for the year ahead: whatever team you follow (even if it's Ipswich or Hibs!), may it prove a successful, points-laden and perhaps even silverware-adorned one. And may we all continue to be entertained, infuriated, uplifted and deflated by whatever sport we hold particularly dear: the debates that it engenders are, surely, what it's all about, and it's a pleasure to be able to engage in a few such discussions with people from all over the world on messageboards, in chat rooms, and even on this very website.

Have a good one, everybody: and now (and not before time), it's on with the show...