Vital Statistics

Do you agree with When Saturday Comes? The magazine claims Vital Football`s sites lack original content, but the Colchester space does not concur...

"Independent commentaries, fresh insight and cutting prose are in short supply" on the Vital network, according to this month`s issue of the football magazine when Saturday Comes.

Writer Ian Plenderleith recalls the tale of how the network was one of the first to break away from the Rivals parent webspace when it first formed in 2005, saying it is a copable for recycling too much old news.

Vital Colchester, one of the most active representatives of the Championship, does not agree - since this column`s arrival in October 2006, the site has almost quadrupled its average number of hits.

I`d observe one of my personal favourite sites to be Vital Spurs, which always strives for independent news and views.

The main problem - and I pose my best personal effort at an article down the bottom of the page - is attacking a regular readership, and also getting contributors to sign up and submit news; especially when you`re talking all things Colchester United.

It`s been a good few years, with the U`s winning promotion, challenging for the playoffs and signing Teddy Sheringham under the Vital spotlight; this correspondent was lucky enough to be present at the press conference when he signed.

Another one of the most-visited spaces on the network, bar Aston Villa which is run by co-founder P.J. Fear, is Vital Portsmouth. Pompey contributor Chixy compiled a list of the hits on sites from the past month, January 2008:

1. Aston Villa - 30035
2. Millwall - 28539
3. Spurs - 20416
4. Chelsea - 12936
5. Sheff Wed - 12486
6. Portsmouth - 11753
7. Blackpool - 10629
8. Arsenal - 9936
9. Bournemouth - 8127
10. Swansea - 7228

Colchester`s Vital site does not sadly even feature in the top twenty; but if you like better than average comments on the U`s, the Championship and football in general, then stay tuned online at the site!

Sheringham Snub? Click Here
(He proved me wrong!)

Sheringham signs! Click Here
(Great day for this column, and Vital U`s!)