It's funny how life gets in the way somehow. When I confirmed the site closing on 22nd April, I had full intention of a few reflective articles over the past month that looked back on some memorable moments on the site (and with the Swans in general) - circumstance (nothing bad) has meant that hasn't happened and this morning I reflected on something that has paid such a big part in my life for 25 years being "no more" in a week's time. Well, not sure it's totally no more but it will be in a read only site while I decide what will happen to the content and how I archive it.
There are moments on this site that will long stick in the mind. The night the club came "home" when Petty left - it was here that released that to the world and the party went on for hours. It was also here that I first read about the 9/11 attacked - the severity of which will be remembered by me for the poster who wrote "Tragic accident it's not some b*****d has just flown a plane into the second tower". There were the days when the forum heading changed every week and I remember the banner Dave did the day after promotion to the PL which simply said "Dreams do can true when you believe" - that day after we recorded more than 400,000 views. Incredible when you think about it.
I have met may friends on here and probably fallen out with an equal number (or at least disagreed with them) but ultimately I will always remain proud of the community that was created and the feeling of belonging that it generated. What has always amazed me is how people pull each other through tough times in their lives and how this forum is sometimes just the distraction that people need.
If it wasn't for this place I would never have got involved in the Trust nor led that organisation for the best part of 15 years. Whether that is a good thing or not I have no idea but what i do know is that this place and the Trust is responsible for some of the best times of my Swansea City supporting life. And also some of the most draining ones but as I said before, I am proud of the way we fronted every decision, such a shame that the current incumbents don't have that bottle and whilst my legacy there was not perfect it was never the one that caused so many people - myself included - to let a membership expire to never have it renewed again. How can you support a leadership so dismissive of the wishes of its members. Personal gain, personal gain.
However, that's the Trust but this is JackArmy. I mulled long and hard - probably for more than a year - whether the time was right but there has not been a single pang of regret since I publicly made the announcement of my decision. That tells me my timing was good for me and no doubt next week it will feel strange to wake up on 1st June and realise that there are no more posts. I can't estimate how many posts we have had on this forum over 25 years but it will run into the tens of millions. The page views will run into the hundreds of millions. That isn't just a website, it is part of Swansea City history and a decent sized chunk at that. Shame it didn't make the vanity project that was Jack to a King but I have said my piece on that before.
It's good to see a new forum emerge from my decision adding to the options that Swans fans have to discuss things online. For all the years I have been here I have always believed that the more places that discuss Swansea City, the better.
I am taking some level of a sabbatical from online life for a while - probably just to enjoy the summer and the World Cup but maybe one day the urge will get the better of me and the keyboard will be pounded again.
My final reflection today is that for all the Swans have been poor over the past 5 years or so we are a massively different football club to the one that we had when this site went live in 2001. We are long established in the top two divisions, we had 7 years in the Premier League and we had a European journey that I will never forget. I have seen us win at Old Trafford, the Emirates, Anfield, Stamford Bridge and Wembley, places that always seemed a distant dream. Even writing that I think Wow.
But even though the club is different, many aspects remain the same and that keeps us all interested (on varying levels) - after all it is, and always will be, Swansea 'till I die.
This isn't my last hurrah on here but the start of the last week and I want to finish the post by raising a virtual glass to a guy called Richard Lillicrap. If you were here 25 years ago you will know why. Rich sparked a curiosity in me that made me look at the club governance much deeper than I had ever done before. He got me involved in the Trust but he also made me to an extent the cynical person I am now. An owner can buy me a pint, they can give me information, they can try and set my narrative but ultimately most of them are here to try and make money and that should always come with a healthy dose of mistrust even in the good times.
What are your favourite memories from the 25 years? Let's make the last week on here a week where we remember