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There was a time many eons ago where the internet was merely a toy used by those happy crazy fellas in the US. Nowadays, thanks to technical advances on our side of the Atlantic, (unstable) cable operators and ever-cheapening PCs, Internet Providers and phone calls, now every man and his dog has access to the Internet, and even some birds too (wouldn’t want to leave egg on my face in the Political Correctness age which we live in). And in recent months, all of these users have appeared in some shape or form on jackarmy.net, thereby increasing the ever-widening array of colourful locals….and not-so-locals. I for one wouldn’t have been able to follow the turbulant season of a South Wales Club in distress if it weren’t for Jackarmy.net and similar sites. But luckily these sites have kept me extremely well informed when it comes to events at Ninian Park, and also events at The Vetch. On a serious note, the passion, brains, and sometimes downright stupidity that is abdundant on forums such as Jackarmy.net has breathed a breath of new, fresh, not-at-all-like-Port-Talbot-on-a-really-smelly-day air into the whole concept of football supporters. For sure, the terraces provide you with a glimpse of individual characters, and The North Bank is no exception: there’s the guy who swears throughout the entire 90 minutes, the freak who sidles up to you and starts speaking to anyone next to him while staring straight out at the pitch, then the guy who has an unhealthy tendancy towards Stuart Roberts…. But hasn’t it been great to get to know other fans a little better? To help build a common passion and fight for a common cause? One thing’s for sure, a lot of the fans I have "spoken" to over the web, I certainly wouldn’t approach during a game. And that, my friends, is what "they upstairs" are often scared of. In our splinter groups we are relatively powerless, concentrating our efforts in the only way we know how, but together, well that’s a different story. During those P times, we showed how a simple bit of computer programming (AKA a "forum") can form a strong bond between victims and a springboard for ideas and demonstrations. OK, it’s not always fair play and fair weather, and disagreements and ego trips do surface from time to time, especially when Mr X decides it’s a top idea to switch on his PC after getting bladdered on Wind Street. And the "friendly banter" between us and the biggest team in the UK is a more than welcome addition. Can you imagine what the message board would be like if you supported a club which didn’t have a local rival? Doesn’t bear thinking about……. So to those of you who knock us and people like us, let me just say you don’t know who you’re messing with. Fan power is the future, and a forum such as this, where regulars at the Vetch can share views and opinions with ex-pats in England and around the world can only be good for the network of fans at home, fans abroad, and ultimately the club itself. Just hurry up and get an 18 Certificate on the photo page of the posters….! |
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