Happy Anniversary to Our Blog!!

By: Inara | April 4th, 2008

It’s the Lyon Offside’s one year anniversary! It was on April 4th, 2007 when I published my introductory post, “Lyon Re-Cap.”

Wow, so much has happened since then. We cheered as Karim Benzema came into his own. We watched the decline of Juninho and the emergence of Jeremy Toulalan. We couldn’t believe the resurgence of Sidney Govou. We were proven wrong about Fabio Santos and Jean-Alain Boumsong.

And yet, it’s also like nothing has changed. Last April, Lyon were out of the Champions League, booted from the French Cup, and had lost the Coupe de La Ligue final. Gerard Houllier was alienating players, Fred and Hatem Ben Arfa were benched, the title was wrapped up, and transfer rumors abounded.

Sound familiar…?

Looking back, it makes me so proud to have been a part of this wonderful little blog, and after 350 posts and 6,500 comments, I hope that the Lyon Offside continues to grow. I’ve enjoyed your comments and the spirited discussion on this site, and I’ve had a great time getting to know many of you. To both devoted readers and lurkers alike, thanks so much for accompanying me on this year long voyage (and for putting up with my Jeremy Toulalan obsession).

I’d also like to know what else you would like me write about, if you’d like to see more of a certain feature or topic, or if you have any ideas on improvements that can be made. Don’t be shy because it’s in all our interests to make this blog a better place. If you have questions, comments, or concerns, shoot an email to lyon[at]theoffside.com.

I just love you guys!!!

Category: Supporters

Tags: Supporters

« Lyon Among Top Ten Future “Super-Stadiums” | Home | The Second Battle of the Olympiques: Marseille vs. Lyon »

Subscribe   The Offside RSS Feeds

Print

Share

Comments   |  Add your comment

Displaying the most recent 25 comments from a total of 34 comments.
Read the rest of the comments



• Le Zèbre |  April 4th, 2008 at 8:37 am

  
  
  

  Inara, this is my first post here but I have been reading your OL blog since its creation, exactly one year ago! Thanks for sharing your passion with us: as usual, it is delightful to read your posts. Who knows, maybe JMA, one day, will hire you as the new OL representative in the US ?

  Posted from United Kingdom

  

• Jo |  April 4th, 2008 at 9:12 am

  
  
  

  Inara,
  You exactly know what I think about your blog, and your work. I won’t write it again
  BUT… you still surprise me more and more each day !
  Huge talent, don’t stop to use it !

  Wish you (and us !) un joyeux anniversaire, and I follow Pride of Lyon :
  I want you to write at least ONE article in French. That will be your present for us, every readers like me who are not so good in English but are making efforts to read it.
  You cannot know how difficult it’s for me to write what I wanna say here !!!
  But this blog REALLY deserve it.

  Thank You and… waiting for the french article !!!

  Posted from France

  

• Sam |  April 4th, 2008 at 9:33 am

  
  
  

  Congrats Inara. Check this site everyday!

  Posted from United Kingdom

  

• Jan |  April 4th, 2008 at 9:58 am

  
  
  

  Happy Anniversary Inara! Time flies.

  Posted from United States

  

• Inara |  April 4th, 2008 at 10:58 am

  
  
  

  Thanks for all the kind words, everyone!

  Also, I just wanted to say that I got the Offside stats this morning, and after Roma and Italy, Lyon is the third most read blog on this website. This month alone we had over 24,000 visitors! Truly, you guys are just wonderful

  Pride of Lyon, Jo: I promise I will do a post in French, though you may find it far more difficult to read than anything else you’ve ever encountered before. I’ll try though because my French skills gotta improve. But don’t be surprised if my tenses, plurals, and genders are all wrong!

  Posted from United States

  

• Storm |  April 4th, 2008 at 11:25 am

  
  
  

  So what are the Roma and Italy numbers? We need to know what we have to beat!

  Posted from France

  

• lefutur |  April 4th, 2008 at 11:25 am

  
  
  

  I’m a big fan of Inara and her blog.

  Joyeux Anniversaire!

  Posted from United States

  

• Ian |  April 4th, 2008 at 11:27 am

  
  
  

  Happy blog birthday, Inara.

  Posted from United States

  

• Evilo |  April 4th, 2008 at 1:02 pm

  
  
  

  Have a good one!

  Posted from United States

  

• Steve |  April 4th, 2008 at 1:32 pm

  
  
  

  Congratulations on your first year! This blog is great and is the only one I read. The information is of high value, the analysis is good, and the subjectivity (your Toulalan obsession among other things) adds a nice personal side.
  I am looking forward to much more ahead.

  Posted from United States

  

• Salieri |  April 4th, 2008 at 3:54 pm

  
  
  

  Congratulations, and thank you so much for these great articles!

  Posted from France

  

• Nicolas |  April 4th, 2008 at 4:56 pm

  
  
  

  Inara, as a person who doesn’t speak French at all (but I’ll learn one day!), I was more than delighted to find this blog of yours, and I’m reading it on a daily basis ever since! Sometimes I even check it several times per hour, and yes, it is how much I’m eagerly anticipating every post and every comment. And no, I’m not exaggerating!

  About the future, I just hope that you would find the time and energy to continue writing like this, not only are the worldwide Lyon fans delighted by your work, but I’m sure this blog makes their number rise every day! Hell, even people who hate Lyon can’t help but read your blog, who knows, they might even get converted! Not that they need to, some criticism would certainly do us good!

  All in all, happy anniversary, let there be many more!

  Posted from United States

  

• Magnusson |  April 5th, 2008 at 4:27 am

  
  
  

  On any other day, I would wish for a win so you can celebrate properly. But let’s say your year here is enough celebration. I hope you get a draw…., no actually I hope you guys lose.

  Posted from France

  

• J |  April 5th, 2008 at 5:52 am

  
  
  

  Bravo Inara!
  Joyeux anniversaire and thank you!

  Posted from United States

  

• Ronald |  April 5th, 2008 at 10:37 pm

  
  
  

  Sorry i was soooo late.

  I’ve only been part of this blog for only alittke while, and found it by accident on the Big soccer forums. But each day that passes, i get even happier that i found it.

  Thank you so much Inara for your insight, statistics and your ( Quirky ) Direct opinions of the club and the opponents.

  Happy Anniversary and hopefully many many many many more to come.

  Posted from United States

  

• chad |  April 6th, 2008 at 3:44 am

  
  
  

  i discovered your blog 1 years ago, an you speak right, nothing wrong, you think as me, you understand as me i’ m one of your best fan

  Posted from France

  

• Son |  April 6th, 2008 at 3:51 am

  
  
  

  Happy birthday to our blog!!! It seems to me this blog has most posts and most replies in the site. That’s entirely thanks to you Inara.

  Posted from Australia

  

• laurie |  April 7th, 2008 at 6:05 am

  
  
  

  Congratulations, Inara! You’re always one of the best reads on The Offside. (And you share an anniversary with my youngest son’s birthday. Good day.)

  Posted from United States

  

• Son |  April 7th, 2008 at 6:58 am

  
  
  

  BTW what am I supposed do to embed imoticons as in the above reply? Using the tag doesn’t work…

  Posted from Australia

  

• Inara |  April 7th, 2008 at 1:59 pm

  
  
  

  Thanks for the kind words, everyone

  Son, just try using a colon + a closed parenthesis for a smiley face. : )

  Also try:

  : (
  ; )
  : P

  Just no spaces in between.

  Posted from United States

  

• Son |  April 7th, 2008 at 11:34 pm

  
  
  

  :(http://lyon.theoffside.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif;)P

  Posted from Australia

  

• Son |  April 7th, 2008 at 11:35 pm

  
  
  

  :(http://lyon.theoffside.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif:)

  Posted from Australia

  

• Son |  April 7th, 2008 at 11:35 pm

  
  
  

  :(http://lyon.theoffside.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif.:)

  Posted from Australia

  

• Son |  April 7th, 2008 at 11:38 pm

  
  
  

  I give up. What a stupid man whose name is Son!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  Posted from Australia

  

• Son |  April 7th, 2008 at 11:43 pm

  
  
  

  Inara, would you kindly send an usage on diplaying imoticons at carrerra@naver.com preferably with some examples? Sorry for the inconvinience.

  Posted from Australia

  

Leave a Reply