WE ARE FIVE

Today Snooker Scene Blog celebrates its fifth birthday. Doesn’t time fly when you’re having what may loosely be described as fun?

And haven’t things changed in the lifetime of this blog?

Back in 2006 we’d just had a frankly poor world final and the game, though still as fascinating as ever, had fallen off the radar due to fewer tournaments.

We’re now poised for what will be the busiest season in a generation and there is a great mood of optimism around the sport.

The blog was never intended to be political but I could hardly keep quiet about some of the things that were happening in the game.

With Barry Hearn’s arrival and the instant progress he has made we have now gone from thorns in the side of the establishment to broadly supporting them.

As long as Hearn continues to unlock snooker’s potential then he can count on that support.

This was the first snooker blog, as far as I know, which gave me the chance to describe it as ‘snooker’s no.1 blog.’

I don’t make that claim any more. There are now plenty of others, including many in languages other than English, and that is entirely as it should be.

It gives snooker fans wherever they are in the world a range of opinions, outlooks and viewpoints.

I think the importance of blogs is overstated, usually by bloggers. The internet is crawling with them on all manner of subjects but they aren't going to replace newspapers any time soon.

But what is a blog for? To break news? Comment on the news? Provide and share opinion? To rant and rave? To entertain?

Answer: all and any of the above. The truth is, they can be for anything. All you need is a computer, some fingers and a few thoughts. Blogs are instant and they are interactive.

And find a blog that chimes with your interests and worldview and it can be a daily treat.

At the end of the day, you pays your money and takes your choice, except you don’t because blogs are free to access and, for that matter, free to ignore.

I have made no concessions whatsoever in terms of design over the years. I’d like to say this is because it’s ‘all about the words’ but basic laziness would be nearer the mark.

However, I enjoy blogging and shall continue to do so as long as that enjoyment remains.

And to all those who still read this blog, you have my sincere thanks.

When I started writing here in 2006 the game was going nowhere. I now look forward to providing comment on what promises to be a golden period for snooker.