Ok, been thinking about my post here for a few days and mentally re-written it so many times it's a joke so I'm just gonna say what this site means to me and how it's changed my life .(that is not an overstatement).
I first joined as a lurker, used it for info only but gradually got drawn into posting and never looked back. I can see what Neil means when he said how he felt about Paul's criticism of the site because I'll defend this place to the hilt, it's given me so much more than a place to gather Meat info. I can recite a virtually endless list of names of people I've met off here and can honestly say that I've made very close friends here (even though I've met Smoggies and Mackems). I've looked back over my pics of meet ups and events over the last few years and god they've made me smile, remember rock for three days in May? SamCat's 40th birthday at the Ibis after a concert? The karaoke night to replace a cancelled Meat gig? Dozens of us at Bath and getting absolutely bloody soaked? The Montana mob at the RAH? Meat's charity football at St James' Park? And the list goes on, I really believe that you'll get out of this place exactly what you put into it.
Changed my life? hell yes. I met my partner here in the days that the chatroom was popular, as a result of us getting together check out this thread for who was known as the forum baby
http://www.mlukfc.com/forums/showthr...hlight=arrival (Jasmine got gifts from all over the world, no joke, we got parcels and envelopes from nigh on every continent) and if I ever pull my finger out and sort it I'll be heading for the third site wedding, yes the third, this place really has changed peoples lives. For me it seems that the growth of facebook has somewhat killed the community side of this site which is sad, seems like we've forgotten that we're all here for the same reason and despite our differences are more than capable of interacting in an acceptable manner.
And now the bit that'll cause uproar, I joined for the info but got drawn into the community, I truly appreciate the fact that Meat and now Paul post here (brilliant Production thread by Paul) but I would be hurt more if my friends didn't post here anymore as over the years I've seen a few leave and not come back, took me a while to appreciate that this site was set up as a site run by the fans for the fans and whilst it's one hell of a bonus Meat posting here I really don't think it's the be all and end all and by saying that it is is detracting from what this site has to offer and the quality of the forum members here.