Tag Archives: Online

Spring Clean Your Body

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Christmas may be a mere memory now but some of us are still in need of a spring clean for our body. I know I certainly do. So with spring on the way I started to finally detox myself and get in the best shape of my life. Here are some of the things I kick-started the spring clean with.

Pukka Wheatgrass Juice Powder

Wheatgrass?! Yes, I know it is very LA, but not only did it make me feel energised and healthy, but I also liked the taste. Wheatgrass is one of the most nourishing foods in the world and you can tell when you are drinking it. It just makes you feel instantly better. It is health in a glass.

Wheat Grass Juice naturally supports the body’s ability to cleanse itself due to its high chlorophyll content. It is one of the most nourishing foods in the world containing an easy to digest broad spectrum of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, proteins and antioxidants, but daily juicing can be a real pain – who really has time to pick and juice fresh Wheat Grass every day!?

Why not try Pukka Herb’s easy-to-use Wheat Grass Juice Powder instead? Unlike many other wheat grass products available, to ensure optimum potency, we use only concentrated fresh cold dried organic wheat grass juice, and now, for the first time, it is even available in a hand handbag friendly sachet for juicing on the go!

Pukka Herbs’ Fibre Plus

The fibre plus, like the wheatgrass, is in a handy sachet. You just add it to 250ml to water and you are good to go. It doesn’t taste as good as the wheatgrass but still leaves you feeling cleansed. It is a brilliant idea and has a lot of goodness in a condensed form.

Overindulging rich foods and alcohol can often result in indigestion. Pukka’s powerful new Fibre Plus sachets can help alleviate your digestive dramas. Containing a powerful blend of soluble and insoluble organic fibre blended to support and maintain a healthy and regular digestive system, its high fibre content lubricates the bowels, heals inflammation, and replenishes gut flora.

Clean Greens

Drinking this just gave me energy. Instantly. It made me feel healthy. I am inspired to buy these in bulk along with the wheatgrass. You can read below to find out exactly what it does, but I swear by these now. They just leaves you feeling cleansed and healthy. I have been trying to find a natural way to get more energy and I really think I have found it. They get the Frost thumbs up.

Alkalises & Oxygenates: Helps carry oxygen to the blood.

Mineralises: Minerals in these super-green foods help reduce food cravings.

Detoxifies: Removes unwanted substances causing stagnation, congestion from the body channels, organs, tissues and cells.

Reduces inflammation: Reduces inflammation throughout the digestive tract and liver.

The chlorophyll rich ingredients in Clean Greens helps carry out all of these vital functions and acts as a potent food based antioxidant that is intended to reduce premature ageing and bring you lasting vitality.

Pukka Herbs are available from Amazon UK and health stores.

After looking after your insides it is time to give your skin some attention.

 

As Jameela Jamil lands her dream job presenting the Radio One chart show, she also reveals the secret to her glowing skin and guess what?… It doesn’t cost a bomb!

Jameela credits the Dr Organic Manuka Honey Skincare range to her glowing skin and when asked what her top beauty tip is, she describes how “I throw on my Dr Organic Manuka Honey Rescue Cream, and go about my day”. She also loves the Dr Organic Manuka Honey Skin Lotion stating: “It smells so delicious I could eat my face!”

Dr Organic’s Manuka Honey Rescue Cream provides deep nourishment to skin leaving it feeling protected and intensely hydrated. Apply a small amount to the face, gently work into the skin and enjoy the gorgeous scent of Manuka Honey that will leave your skin silky and soft. Available from Holland & Barrett.

White Tea

Super healthy white tea is best brew for 2013 detox

Health-conscious shoppers have began searching for healthier alternatives to the morning caffeine hit or post-work pint.

This ‘detox January’ trend has driven brands like Tetley to launch green tea ranges, plugging the health benefits that the lower-caffeine and antioxidant-rich alternative to black tea is known to possess.

But east London tea entrepreneur Joe Kinch is backing a different, whiter horse – he knows that white tea is the perfect way to kick-start a healthy 2013.

Packed with antioxidants that boost the immune system, improve brain function, and can help prevent diseases like cancer and heart disease, and with very little caffeine, white tea is green tea’s healthier younger brother.

Both white and green teas come from the same tea plant, Camellia sinensis, but white tealeaves are harvested at a younger age than green tea leaves.

Because white and green teas are treated gently and not overly processed, they retain most of their beneficial antioxidants. White tea is the least processed of the two, as it isn’t fermented at all, but is simply steamed and dried. Since white tea is less processed, it retains a higher amount of antioxidants.

The antioxidants found in white tea have many health promoting properties from boosting cardiovascular health, helping to lower cholesterol, and enhancing weight loss.

In fact, a 2009 study by Kingston University and Neal’s Yard Remedies, found that white tea not only boosts health but can also combat age-associated wrinkles and other signs of ageing.

While green tea contains around 20g of caffeine, white has around 15g, making it perfect for people trying to avoid the less pleasant side effects of too much caffeinated stimulation.

White tea is considered rare and is usually more expensive than green, as it can only be hand picked during a few days of early spring and has to be handled with such care. But Joe’s Tea Co’s is set be the first tea company to make the health benefits of white tea available to the average Joe. Health-conscious shoppers can get a box of ‘Whiter than White’ online or in Harvey Nichols’ stores across the UK for less than a fiver.

Joe Kinch, owner of Joe’s Tea Co, said:

“I’ve been drinking white tea this January as I returned to work after a few days of over-indulgence – I hope people embrace it for its great flavour and super health benefits!”

Pharmacy-assured bespoke vitamins at the click of a mouse

A new way of taking vitamins has been launched which will change the way millions of people can access this important part of the health market, using innovative new daily vitamin pouches.

thrivevitamins.co.uk tailors the supply of vitamins to the user’s own lifestyle and brings pharmacy assured service to the online marketplace.

The service, established by retail expert Alan Beesley and pharmacist Brian Duggan, with support from Peter Batty, the chief executive of one of the North of England’s largest pharmacy groups, provides a personalised 28 day supply of vitamins unique to the customer’s own lifestyle and health and wellbeing needs.

The daily pouches instil a regimented approach to taking vitamins, which is both convenient and portable.

Using state of the art robotics, alongside the company’s professional experience in pharmacy and e-commerce, the vitamins are sealed in convenient teabag sized daily pouches, each printed with the customer’s name and the contents.

Brian Duggan said: “Prior to the launch of Thrive Vitamins, the marketplace could not cope with the requirements for individualised vitamin programmes, but we have developed a system which learns about the customer and recommends vitamin plans to suit their lifestyle.

“Rather than a bottle of one specific supplement, such as Zinc, the bespoke packs contain the mix of vitamins needed at regular intervals, meaning the service is efficient, removing the over-selling of products, which are in excess of the customer’s needs.”

Alan Beesley, who created the Thrive Vitamins brand, said: “We wanted to provide a more convenient, personalised service to compliment a customers lifestyle. So, we created an easy way to ensure customers receive the supplements they need, when they need them and in handy daily dose pouches.

“Our team includes pharmacists, retailers and even has a former member of the Royal Logistics Corps, whose organisation skills were utilised for 13 years ensuring the British Army had the equipment it needs. All together, we have developed an unique, professional and simple system which we believe will be popular with individuals and families alike.”

 

Watch Live Gael Garcia Bernal Q & A Today.

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TODAY – FILM STAR GAEL GARCIA BERNAL TAKES PART IN LIVE Q AND A AHEAD OF UK LAUNCH OF OSCAR-NOMINATED FILM ‘NO’

Gael García Bernal, the star of the Oscar-nominated film ‘NO’, will take part in a Q and A with Amnesty International to be broadcast live on YouTube at 3.45pm today, ahead of the film’s UK launch on 8 February.

The film documents the fall of the Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet and stars García Bernal as René Saavedra, an advertising executive who devised the campaign that brought democracy to the South American country in 1988.

The character René Saavedra is loosely based on the real-life advertising executive Eugenio García, who will join García Bernal in the live Q and A. They will be taking questions from the public submitted to Amnesty on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AmnestyUK and on Twitter using the hashtag #AskGael.

The film features many of the individuals who were banned from appearing in the Chilean media during Pinochet’s era. The critically acclaimed film also won the Art Cinema Prize in Cannes in 2012.

The Q and A will be broadcast live on this link from 15.45 today:

Chile, like a large number of South American countries, has yet to fully address the human rights abuses committed by the nation’s authorities during the 1970s and 80s.

In 1973 General Pinochet led a bloody coup that overthrew the democratically-elected government of President Salvador Allende. During his 17-year rule, Amnesty believes 1,100 people were people forcibly disappeared, more than 2,000 were unlawfully killed and several thousands were tortured by the military forces.

Hundreds of people are still awaiting justice for the human rights abuses committed against them.

5 Tips for getting a New Year Date

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5 Tips for getting a New Year Date by eHarmony.co.uk’s relationship expert, Jenni Trent Hughes

 

Whew! You’ve successfully navigated your way through the Christmas office parties and endless array of pre and post Christmas gatherings with your dignity intact. Now we must face the next social hurdle – the dreaded ‘New Year No Date’ scenario. We are told this is the most important date night of all, the one in which we must have a kiss on the stroke of midnight to welcome in 2013 or….. Luckily we have plenty of time to take action to avoid a kiss less end to 2012. Here eharmony.co.uk provides five great tips to help you on your way.

 

Have you made plans yet for your New Year’s Eve? Will you be heading to your local pub with friends? Or maybe you’re going to a big party, glitz, glamour and all? Whatever you’re doing, if you’re single you might be wondering if you’ll be getting a kiss at midnight. Now is not the time for procrastination – if you’re set on getting a New Year’s date, it’s time to take action! Here are some tried and tested tips that should help you welcome the New Year with someone on your arm:

 

1.    Become the person you’d want to date

The post-Christmas blues can leave you feeling deflated, dejected and just not in the right frame of mind for dating. But if your goal is to get a date for that New Year’s bash, then it’s time to give yourself a kick up the behind. Pick out a great outfit, have your hair done or simply draw up your New Year’s resolutions to get yourself energised about the year ahead. If you’re feeling really ambitious make concrete plans to do try something new in the coming months such as booking yourself on a climbing course, or planning a holiday to somewhere you’ve never been. By heading to that party with a spring in your step and an air of confidence you’ll hugely increase your chances of getting a kiss at midnight.

 

2.    Get online – or get better online

You might need to get a move on with this, but dating online unlocks a whole world of potential partners – and New Year dates!

 

If you’ve already got an online dating profile, it might be time to refresh it a little. Take a look at the photos you’ve uploaded and what you’ve written, asking yourself these questions:

 

•    Are my photos varied, and do I look happy and relaxed in them?

•    Do I sound happy and positive?

•    Do I convey the kind of person I’m truly looking for?

•    Is this the best possible representation of me?

•    Does my profile stand out from the crowd?

 

3.    Get set up

Your friendship network is a powerful tool for meeting new people. Perhaps the old theory about there just being six degrees of separation in the world isn’t necessarily true, but your friends know people, who know people. This is no time to be shy – put yourself out there, and ask if they know any suitable singles. They might know someone looking for a New Year date too. One caveat, meet them first, just to make sure you can stand them for more than 5 minutes!

 

4.    Throw your own party

As long as you’ve got the space (and perhaps lots of coasters) why not throw your own party? Open up your doors, and ensure that friends are actively encouraged to bring along people they know (who are hopefully also single). The thing about being single is that you have to grab every opportunity to meet new people, expand your network and hopefully line up dates. Sitting on your sofa hoping the dates will come to you just won’t cut it.

 

 

5.    Go it alone

Feeling brave? In a mood to grasp 2013 with both hands? Start the year as you mean to go on and go to an organised New Year event alone. There are hundreds of events across the UK especially for single people to celebrate the New Year, and it certainly is a great way to meet a ton of new people very quickly. Going alone will be daunting  but it will force you to speak to new people and hopefully meet someone new. And if you’ve not feeling quite so brave you can always take a friend, but just remember the point of the evening is to meet new people, not to chat to your friend in a corner!

 

Whichever of these options you choose keep one thing in mind – 2013 is about YOU and working on making your life the life that you really want to live. Design your New Year’s celebration to reflect your hopes and positive attitudes for 2013. If it feels good then do it. Start the year in the way you mean to continue, onward and upward!

A Nation Of Pinocchio Daters?

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Brits are lying their way through the virtual world of

online dating to find a partner

 

·       Almost two thirds (57%) of online daters lie on their profiles

·       Almost half of Brits (47%) tell porkies about their body shape in their profiles

·       Nearly a third (28%) of us use profile pictures that are three years old or more

·       17% of supposed singletons on dating websites are actually in relationships

·       Nearly 1 in 4 (24%) lie about their profession and seniority at work to impress potential partners

·       13% of online daters don’t write their own profiles

·       For 64% of people, their biggest concern is that the actual dating sites themselves lie – using fake profiles,good looking people who aren’t actually signed up to the site.

 

Research today reveals that almost two thirds (57%) of online daters lie in their quest to find a partner. Commissioned by new dating website Would Like To Meet, the report reveals that a quarter (25%) of Brits lie at least four times on their dating profiles and nearly a third (28%) of us use profile pictures that are three years old or more. Even more alarming is that almost one in ten (9%) use profile pictures which are at least ten years out of date, with men being the worst culprits.

 

Mirror Mirror…

 

Even though pictures say a thousand words, over a fifth (21%) of Brits also lie about their age to go alongside their youthful photos, with men being twice as likely to subtract a few years.

 

When it comes to size, our computer screens really do shed a few pounds with almost half (47%) of Brits revealing that they lie about their dress size on their profile. Women are the biggest culprits with 10% also treating themselves to a virtual breast job by exaggerating the size of their bust by two cup sizes. Men take a different tact and prefer to add a few inches with a third (32%) lying about their height.

 

I Am A Millionaire…sort of….

 

It isn’t just physical attributes that Brits lie about; we also bend the truth when it comes to their professional status. Nearly 1 in 4 (24%) admit to lying about their job and seniority at work to impress potential partners. Surprising given the current economic climate, almost a quarter (24%) of online daters say they work in finance when they don’t.  The second most popular wish-list profession is in TV and music (18%), followed closely by a respectable career in law (17%).  Nearly 10% of us also give ourselves an imaginary PA in the hope of impressing the opposite sex. But why do so many online daters succumb to lying when there is such a high risk of getting caught out in the end?

 

 “Many people regard online dating as if it were a fishing expedition, and they want to cast their line into the pool with the best ‘bait’”explains psychologist Donna Dawson.“The bait is the qualities that they think will attract best potential partners – and if this means adding inches to their height, reducing a dress size, or pretending to be more senior at work, then they will do just that.Their hope is to make such a strong impression on the first meeting that any lies, will be overlooked. The trouble is that they rarely succeed, as the very first, ‘first impression’ will reveal them to be dishonest.”

 

Donna also suggests that the 13% of online daters who don’t write their own profiles, should start – or at least think carefully before choosing their ghost writer.

 

 

Marital Status Unknown

 

Although you’d imagine that all members on dating sites are single, an outstanding 17% of supposed singletons are actually in relationships. Furthermore, nearly a quarter (25%) lie about their marital status to cover up being separated or divorced – a habit which men are 10% more likely to adopt.

 

With all this lying at the touch of a keypad, the study reveals that rightly so, we are a nation of suspicious minds with over a quarter of online daters (26%) having suspected that a potential suitor was actually married or in a relationship.

 

 

You Only Want Me For My Money

 

Beyond the world of white lies – nearly two fifths (39%) of online daters have also been subjected to a financial scam or know someone who has. These scams are often carried out by other ‘members’ who trick fellow daters into giving them or ‘lending’ them money that they will never see again.

 

Although meeting Pinnochio partners is a worry, our biggest concern (for 64% of people) is that the actual dating sites themselves lie – using fake profiles, good looking people who aren’t actually signed up to the site, to boost numbers and entice people in.

 

“From experience, it is clear that honesty and belief is the most important ingredient when it comes to online dating and this research confirms that most people feel the same,” says founder of Would Like To Meet, Eden Blackman. “With this in mind, I wanted to create a site without fake profiles, only real verified pictures allowed where members know the people they see are the people behind the profile. I have always worked on the ethic that if you hide behind a fake profile picture what else are you hiding.”

 

Applying to university or college next year? Read these top dos and don’ts

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Applying to university or college next year? Read these top dos and don’ts from UCAS.

 

Applying to university or college next year? Read these top dos and dont’s by Cathy Gilbert, Director of Customer Strategy at UCAS

Do – research your university and degree course choices carefully before applying. For me, that should include going to open days as well as looking at the online information. You’ll spend three or four years studying in higher education, so you should be really passionate about the course content and your chosen place of study.

Do – remember the UCAS application deadlines. The first date on the horizon this year is the 15 October deadline for applying to Oxford and Cambridge, and for courses anywhere in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and veterinary science. The key deadline for most other courses is 15 January next year. You’ll have to send your application to us by this time to be certain of consideration.

Do – make the most of the help available from UCAS on ucas.com. Working through our Six steps to applying will make the process much easier. You can also watch videos on UCAStv featuring students who have already started and been through big events like Freshers’ Week. If you have a burning question at any stage of the process why not ask our team of experts on Twitter (@ucas_online) and Facebook (/ucasonline)? You’ll get a clear answer back very quickly.

Don’t – forget that some universities and colleges will ask you to sit an admissions test in addition to the standard qualifications. The Admissions tests section of the UCAS website will help you understand some of these and the UCAS bookstore has guides dedicated to many of them.

Don’t – be tempted to submit a copied personal statement or one downloaded from a website. Thankfully, only one percent of applicants did this last year. UCAS is quite clear that personal statements should be an applicant’s own work, although we do advise that parents and teachers check them over. Our computer system has tens of thousands of personal statements on file and similarities will be flagged up to the universities.

Don’t – panic about tuition fees. There is a wealth of information out there to help you understand the costs of higher education – and remember you won’t have to pay anything upfront. You can visit the Student finance section of our website to find out more, or visit Moneysavingexpert’s Students section.

Popularity of cashback sites grows as more people shop online

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With the UK back into a double dip recession, many savvy families are looking for ways to boost their household incomes and Cashback sites are on the forefront of the online bargain hunt. They can possibly saving families anything up to £1000 a year. These sites pay members when they buy goods ranging from the supermarket shop to energy and even holidays, through their website.

Online shopping has been growing in popularity, this is shown by the fact that online spending in the first three months of 2012 grew by 13 per cent to £17billion[i]. One of the main reasons that online shopping grew so rapidly is because it can save consumers a vast amount of money. As well as vouchers and discounts codes which can be found online, consumers are frequently signing up to cashback sites. Cashback sites are becoming very attractive for online shoppers, with TopCashBack the most generous cashback site in the UK doubling the amount of members in the last 12 months alone. The site now receives approximately 4.5 million unique visitors per month.

Natasha-Rachel Smith, consumer affairs expert from TopCashBack, said, “The growth of cashback culture is a new phenomenon in the UK – it’s a great way for people to earn money from their spending. As online shopping is becoming an integral part of people’s shopping patterns, cashback sites are inevitably becoming the first port of call for people who want to save money.”

Natasha-Rachel concluded, “Cashback sites are a safe way to get more out of your spending. For people who frequently shop online it makes sense to shop through cashback sites as there are thousands of big name retailers and some niche shops, so there is always something for everyone. Sometimes people can get big cashback sums when switching their utilities or broadband through these sites so it’s recommended that people do their research.”

Black Friday needs to have an effect in the UK

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The US Retail sector enthusiastically braces itself for a horde of bargain hunters

Today, Black Friday, so-called as it is the day when a vast swathe of the retail sector head out of the red and into the black, may make an economic turning point in the run up to Christmas. With half of the entire US population, some 152 million people, expected to hit the shops over the course of this weekend, up 10% on last year- the spike in trade could mean good news across the economy.

Black Friday usually sees shopping chains throw open their doors in the early hours. But this year that rush has crept into Thanksgiving Day itself. The effect isn’t limited to the US however, as Britain’s biggest and most well-known retailers have started “mega sales” early this year in an attempt to boost Christmas shopping amongst cash strapped shoppers. Amazon, in the run up to Black Friday is offering bargains for its ‘Black Friday Deals Week’ and Comet are offering a 5day Frenzy super sale. In effect this has turned black Friday into one of the biggest online shopping days of the year.

In the run up to Christmas consumers are expected to spend a whopping £7.75 billion on online shopping according to e-tailing trade association IMRG. An estimated £13 billion will be spent across all sectors online, however figures on the high street are expected to fall by 2.1 per cent in spite of so many sales starting early. It is clear that this year’s success stories will be told with a distinctly online lilt.

Kevin Flood, CEO of the leading social shopping website Shopow said, “Retailers that were desperately in need of a reversal of their fortunes have found that they now have an encouraging platform on which to build in the run up to Christmas. High street stores have had to pull out all the stops to make their shops attractive by reducing prices early and creating imaginative promotions to increase footfall and more activity at the tills. It is still far from plain sailing and there is still a lot of pressure on retailers and as long as business and consumer confidence remains low, the battle will continue to persuade shoppers to return in their droves.

“Online activity has emerged as a vital area that will only continue to grow in importance over Christmas. We are expecting a significant amount of Christmas activity online and those who have introduced innovative shopping tools that make shopping easier and more cost effective will take capitalise.”

For the past six years, a combination of increasingly early opening times and an array of discounts have helped make the day after Thanksgiving the biggest shopping day – and cement the term “black Friday.” It will be nonetheless difficult for chains that have struggled with sales declines lately, including the likes of Topshop, to see a benefit from thoroughly deep discounting. Many have opted instead to move into the social shopping environment in order to drive sales through peer to peer reviewing and sustainable discounting.

Social shopping has emerged as an exciting trend in online retailing as many of these high street stores look to engage consumers. It involves the use of social networking to share recommendations, share discounts, post reviews and ask for advice on products before purchase.

Mike Harty COO of Shopow (www.shopow.co.uk) said “Regular web shoppers are now empowered to talk about their purchases in an honest way. Social shopping enables shoppers to use their trusted networks to make informed decisions but also makes online shopping more interactive, enjoyable and indeed sustainable.”

Life of a Super Sports Blogger

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—Independent bloggers drive sports industry—Fortune 500 companies engage with the citizen journalists —

It’s the ultimate dream for many a football fan. Swapping the nine to five for a career spent posting on a blog about the sport you adore. No editorial limits, no suit, no boss. For Alan Spurgeon and his blog Footy-Boots.com, that dream is reality.

What started as a series of niche articles in 2006, Alan’s blog which focuses primarily on reviews of football apparel now reaches four million people worldwide, three hundred thousand of whom read his words on average every other day. It’s the sort of platform any of the major football brands would pay serious sums to control, but Footy-Boots.com remains independent, relying upon a small team of mostly volunteer staff and freely available publishing technology to engage the fans.

In a year which has seen every major sports brand jump on the social media bandwagon, Alan’s seen a shift in attitude when it comes to dealing with the marketing departments representing the kit he reviews—

“Our job is to review everything we can get hold of and when a product comes with an already established online fan-base that can explain the benefits in our terms, an invitation to meet the people who produce the product and a willingness to engage in feedback, there’s an obvious advantage. For years we struggled away ordering products as soon as we could get hold of them, crawling through the maze of PR departments to get comment or information and then taking the stuff to the field to run it through the paces before posting our opinion online. These days it’s a little different. Whilst we’re still just a couple of lads operating from their laptop, it’s not unusual for us to be invited to meet the people who produce the kit or to go down to the pitch to chat to the premiership players who are wearing it. The biggest names in the world like Nike, adidas and Puma have got used to the fact that if you want to sell your boots to a digital generation, it’s not just the print media and broadcasters you need to engage with celebrity endorsement, it’s the little guys like us. We need data and it’s in their interests to make sure we have it.”

Whilst the manufacturers are falling over themselves to accommodate the ‘super-bloggers’, some team brands have been better than others at adjusting to the social media era. Manchester United and Arsenal rule Facebook with 20million and 7million fans respectively. Arsenal in particular have embraced the digital revolution, recently hosting web chats for up to 2.5million international fans at a time. The players themselves are thrust into this world, somewhat dazed, to play their part. In May this year Rio Ferdinand posted on Twitter “Yesterday I’m signing a few autographs + a guy pulls out his phone + says ‘can you follow me’! A follow is the new autograph!”.

So what does it feel like being taken from your backroom office to the glorious highs of sports stardom? According to Alan, whose site is successful enough to “pay the bills”, some things will never change. “We are now considered de facto I guess in our niche, particularly for the Football Boot Awards we run every year where the public come to us to vote for the product of the year. That’s great and it’s astonishing of course to get to meet your heroes through your work as we have done when premiership players are lined up to take part in things like the awards sessions, but other things remain the same. We’ve not yet been able to get to some of the international product launches, not because of the cost, but because we’re a simple set up, a couple of guys and a few computers, we just wouldn’t be able to take the time for a long flight which would mean being offline for 9 or 12 or 24 hours. We miss out on that sort of stuff. We’re still geeks attached to our umbilical tech.” When asked if they would accept a private flight sponsored by a major sports brand, their reaction is typical of the new generation of citizen journalists— “No way, the fans of the blog would slaughter us. Our greatest asset is being unbiased. You can’t buy our opinion.”

Nobody at Footy-Boots.com has made a dot com million, but the site owners need an income. The key to success might be seen in the addition of sponsors and affiliates on the boy’s website which help to bring in stable financial support whilst they focus on reviewing kit and steering conversation in the forums. “We’re not salesmen, we never have been, never could be. We’re not good at going out there to find sponsors. I’m sure there are plenty of ways the site could make more money, but it’s never been about the money for us so we’re happy to just let a couple of sports shops link through the site as long as we get positive feedback about them. It’s a happy compromise between running a basic blog and being a commercial website.”

As someone who has tested every major boot released since 2006, Alan has a few pointers for those wanting to be on the Christmas list this year and next. “The best boot in the world is only good for one man. Reading our forums (especially the “ask geeks” channel), you know every player has their own strength, speed, accuracy, strength, ability and confidence to take risks on the pitch. No one cleat is going to fit them all. Just like social media has opened up a million different varieties of opinion, the manufacturers of the product are going to have to follow too. Bespoke might be the way to go. I’m sure the technology will exist to let players pick every aspect of their kit through an app very soon.” Which raises an interesting question- what will be the value of celebrity if and when every boot is customised not to the famous foot, but to every man or women on the pitch? There will be bigwigs in PR breathing a sigh of relief in some cases— we all know Football and Twitter don’t always a happy marriage make. Alan has a list of social media disasters on his site to tell that story.

So where next for Alan and his happy team of sports bloggers? “2011 was a great year, we saw some astonishing products hit the pitch and through our relationships with the brands, we felt like we were pretty much front row. We’ll continue to offer a space where your opinion matters and we’ll be bringing that to a climax with this year’s awards which launch online December 5th and we’re expecting tens of thousands of votes again.”

The one difference between this year and last for Footy-Boots.com, a 1765% rise in the number of visits originating from mobile phones. Let’s hope that Nike and co have their iPhone apps in order when voting kicks in.