First Million Hits Recorded for the LUFC Blog With Attitude – by Rob Atkinson

That magic millionth hit

At 3:23 this morning, Life, Leeds United, the Universe & Everything recorded its one millionth hit at the age of just under 18 months.  The success story is actually a little more meteoric than that for a blog which is a one person operation and which has managed to average over one article per day in the time it’s been going.  The fact is that, until #LLUUE gained the immense fillip of distribution on the NewsNow platform – a football news aggregator which opens up a world-wide readership – this blog was very small-time indeed, having gained only around 13,000 views in the first 9 months of its existence.  So it was rather a quiet gestation period – but then things really took off.

At the end of August 2013, NewsNow started to share the blog globally – and readership figures went through the roof, as can be seen from the graphic above.  In the 8 or 9 months since then, that paltry 13,000 figure has been left far, far behind as an average of over 30,000 hits a week were recorded – and that figure is rising.  I had been looking at sometime in June for the magic Million – but things have accelerated even more since the new year, so the landmark has been reached early.  I’m sure that Life, Leeds United, the Universe & Everything will continue to grow and I’m hopeful that the second million can be reached by Christmas, or shortly afterwards.

It goes without saying that I owe a massive vote of thanks to everyone who has supported the blog, whether that support has been simply by reading the posts, right up to those incredibly generous people who have made substantial donations.  In between are the people who faithfully follow the blog; who take the time and trouble to respond regularly and stimulate debate; the ones who share each post via Twitter and Facebook and the other social media platforms, those who have donated small, medium and large sums via PayPal – so many people who have helped me concentrate on providing a regular output of a quality acceptable to me as an aspiring writer.

Life, Leeds United, the Universe & Everything is here to stay.  I’m determined that it shall keep going and continue to grow, even as I’m working on other projects including a “Full Circle” book about my time supporting Leeds between the two Championship seasons of 1973-74 and 1991-92.   With a blog, you know you’re getting somewhere when you attract a good few ill-wishers, and I’m glad to say I have my share.  To those people, I’d say – carry on complaining about the blog, it gives me a good laugh.  One particular troll seems to feel he has enough influence to get Life, Leeds United, the Universe & Everything taken down altogether.  Good luck with that – but don’t hold your breath.  Well, not for more than thirty minutes or so. 

Please keep reading, responding and sharing.  The time ahead, I hope, involves a successful Leeds United for us to support, discuss and argue about – an enticing prospect.  The aim for the blog is to March On Together with LUFC, towards a brighter future and shared success.  Thanks for everything, all of you who form a part of that landmark first million for this blog.  Your participation and support are very much appreciated.