People’s Blog is a site with the kind of slick quality Everton manager David Moyes would like to see from his side.

The day’s headlines, from a team of writers, scroll on the front page in an attractive widget and you can also watch videos from YouTube direct from the site.

Editorially the site sensibly splits ‘real’ news from the Rumour Mill, though everything is written from the perspective of passionate Everton fans. They also hunt out the funniest Everton-related videos and songs to brighten up the day of fans.

From the horse’s mouth

We spoke to People’s Blog editor Dan Taylor to get the inside story.

When did you start Peoples Blog and what was the site like back then?

I started Peoples Blog back in Feb 2008 and it was basically after getting bored of all the moaning and backstabbing on other Everton sites. The site design was pretty basic, and as the name suggests was in the format of a blog. Just a place for one fan to air their thoughts.

How much time a week does the site take up on average?

On average is a pretty hard question to answer as that depends on what part of the season we are in, in the transfer windows and towards the end of the season it can be a few hours a day, but during normal season time probably a few hours a week.

Do you blog about anything else or is it pure Everton?

I did have other blogs to do with web design but I have since closed this as I use Twitter and micro blogging systems for this now.

Where else can we find your work / thoughts?

Nowhere at the moment as the company I work for has a exclusivity clause in my contract to do with design and development work.

What does the future hold for bloggers and blogging?

Blogging has grown massively in the past few years and it is becoming harder and harder to make in impact, certainly in sports blogging. I think the future for a new blogger could be to join up with a current site, as we are always looking for quality writers to come on board. There are some benefits too, I took some of our writers to Wembley for the semi-final last season as a thank you for their hard work. If anyone is interested in writing (we need opposition guest writers too) please email dan.taylor@peoplesblog.co.uk

And finally, how do you rate Everton’s season so far?

Indifferent/injury Strewn – not really been able to pass a judgement because of our threadbare squad being decimated by injuries to key players. Hopefully in the next few weeks we can see some of these returning and a push for the top 5 again this year.

• People’s Blog has been listed on OmniFootball since May 2009. Add your site to our listings to stand a chance of being ‘Blog of the Week’.

Australian blogger Miles is probably still smarting from England’s triumph in the Ashes at the weekend, but at least he’s got somewhere to vent his fury.

Deep Fine Leg, a spin-off from the Ashes history site 334 Not Out, has been providing commentary on the whole series thanks to Miles and fellow writer Thomas Rooney.

As well sharing their views on the latest cricket news, they also review cricket related products such as history books and computer games. Occasionally they diverge into other sports, covering anything from “football to waterpolo”.

The gallery section contains treats for the eyes of connoisseurs of both paintings and the IPL Cheerleaders!

From the horse’s mouth

We caught up with Miles and asked him bowl us over with the ins and outs of Deep Fine Leg.

When did you start Deep Fine Leg and how did the site get going?

I started the blog in November of 2007. The idea behind the blog was to accompany the main www.334notout.com site (History of the Ashes) giving me a more relaxed style of writing and format, somewhere to allow me to post on all forms of the game rather than stick to a rigid Ashes theme.

What’s changed since then?

I have a couple of writers who write a piece every now and then, I like to try and keep it ticking over so if anyone out there wants to contribute let me know, there’s plenty of room! Apart from that, the style changes as it suits – I do like changing the themes!

How much of your time does the site take up?

Nowhere near the time the main site takes, but as the blog is still in its infancy it doesn’t take up too much time. Very manageable!

Do you blog about anything else or is it pure cricket?

Although it’s predominately a cricket blog I do blog other sporting news such as F1, Swimming and Athletics. As I mentioned earlier it’s a very relaxed blog and if I come across anything interesting I post it.

What does the future hold for bloggers and blogging?

The future looks good, blogging is on the up and tends to encourage feedback in a bigger way than websites do. From my experience readers are more likely to interact with a blog and that in itself makes it a more powerful and immediate tool.

PS. We did ask Miles for some predictions for the final Ashes test, but felt it would be cruel to post these after the event.

• Deep Fine Leg joined OmniCricket in May 2009. Add your site to our listings to stand a chance of being ‘Blog of the Week’.

Le Grove is a site that will make other bloggers green with envy. As we go to press, an article about Arsenal’s Champions League opponents Celtic posted two days ago has 1,318 comments. 1,318!! Most blogs don’t get that many responses in a year!

Le Grove is a hotbed for debate about Arsenal football club with (occasionally heated) debate going back and forth between regular readers and the authors themselves. Or, as they themselves say, “we are a shelter for bloggers and a haven for Arsenal fans”.

The site is updated daily without fail by Geoff or Pedro who write eloquently and often with good humour. They also have a presence on Twitter and Facebook.

Choice cuts

I found out today that Ronnie Biggs is an Arsenal fan, well welcome to the list, we all know that Osama is also a Gooner.
- Geoff, August 7, 2009

Geoff has informed me via pigeon courier that due to a lack of summer signings he has taken it upon himself to do some pro bono scouting work for the club. At the moment he is tracking a 12 year old suit case stitcher from the Himalayas, I’ll report back on his findings.
- Pedro, August 5, 2009

At least we’ll start the season at the top of the table, so make the most of it Grovers.
- Geoff, July 31, 2009

From the horse’s mouth

We asked Pedro to give us Le Low Down on Le Grove.

When did you start Le Grove and how did the site get going?

The site started when I decided that Geoff and his prolific blogging on other sites should be channelled into a site of his own. I set the site up, hooked us up to the news feeds and got Geoff to supply the site with content. As time went on, I took over the role of match reporting… then the long slog for blog dominance began!

What’s changed since then?

Well, I believe our first post received 39 hits and 3 or 4 comments. Now most posts receive 10,000 plus hits and over 1000 comments. We’ve got ourselves a fantastic community of die hard Gooners from all over the world, we’ve gained many friends from the site. I believe we’ve given a voice to a section of the fan base that previously struggled to be heard online.

How much of your time does the site take up?

The site takes up a lot of time. We moderate the comments section to make the experience of blogging a respectful and enjoyable one. This caused a lot of uproar at the start, but now everyone knows the rules, it’s not such a problem. We post 7 days a week, every week of the year. We also participate in our own comments section… so it can be quite time consuming. We love every minute though… it’s all worth it.

Do you blog about anything else or is it pure Arsenal?

We don’t blog about anything else. There were thoughts of writing a political blog, but the subject gets pretty heated and I think it would be almost impossible to manage it. Our passion is Arsenal… I don’t think we could motivate ourselves to write about anything else long term.

What does the future hold for bloggers and blogging?

A very interesting question. I believe that quality blogging is slowly replacing standard journalism as the first point of call for football fans. I think the depth of knowledge and the passion blogs have for their chosen subject makes for a much more enjoyable read; than say, an article written by a paid for journo who has hits on the mind.

Blogging is the same as anything… the quality blogs will go from strength to strength… and the poor ones will fall away. The market place for readership is becoming more and more competitive but the great thing about blogging is there are virtually no barriers to entry… so with hard work and good writing, you have a chance to become a voice.

So the future is bright, the future is blogging.

And finally, how do you think the Gunners will get on this season?

I’d be keen for us to sign a quality centre midfielder before the season starts and maybe another centre back… but even if we don’t, I am confident of a challenge this year. I think we have the most exciting player in the Premiership on our books, we have Rosicky and Eduardo back from injury and everyone is a season more experienced. If Diaby, Ramsey or Denilson can make a Flamini like jump this year… Arsenal fans really could be in for an exciting nine months.

My hopes… a cup, a top two finish and a Champions League final. That’s not too much to ask for, is it?!

• Le Grove joined OmniFootball in May 2009. Add your site to our listings to stand a chance of being ‘Blog of the Week’.

Dear Mr Levy began as a series of open letters to the eponymous Tottenham Hotspur chairman, Daniel Levy, posted on a Spurs forum. It became a blog in 2007 and now it provides comprehensive coverage of the latest news from White Hart Lane from a somewhat cynical and forthright supporter’s slant – the site’s strapline compares following Tottenham to purgatory.

Choice cuts

So basically, Newcastle have rejected a £10M Spurs bid for the lynchpin of their relegated defence [Sébastien Bassong]. I don’t know what’s funnier. Them possibly wanting more or us placing such a high estimation on the player.
- 2 August, 2009

I blame Richard Keys
- Tongue-in-cheek headline blaming the Sky Sports presenter for the decadence of Premiership football, 29 July, 2009

That didn’t feel quite right. Need to clear my head. Stick my finger down my throat.
- After listing five reasons why Spurs should sign ex-Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira, 28 July, 2009

From the horse’s mouth

When did you start Dear Mr Levy and how did the site get going?

“The blog was born back in May of 2007 on Google’s Blogger service,” says Dear My Levy blogger Spooky. “Prior to that I had a general football blog but found it a little draining having to comment on all things football rather than just about Spurs. My ‘letters to the chairman’ go back to around 2005 and were posted on the Tottenham forum Glory Glory. I decided I wanted to write more than just the letters, hence the blog. Since getting the feed onto NewsNow, I’ve had to tone it down a little bit. Last thing I want is a libel case.”

How much time a week does the site take up on average?

“I work on it every day, more or less. I try and write only when inspired, because there’s nothing worse than a forced effort for the sake of hits. If I’m not writing, then there’s plenty of admin work to be had. It’s addiction is writing. And knowing people anticipate the next letter or article means that I can’t slack.”

Do you blog about anything else or is it pure Spurs?

“Just Spurs. I think that’s plenty enough. Although if there is a particular thing going on (England, rival players, The Ashes) I’ll give it a mention. Going back to NewsNow, if you post something irreverent that gets listed on their feed, I find some people get abusive because they don’t quite latch onto the point being made or see the humour or actually appreciate that a blog doesn’t conform to the normal straight-laced standards of other football news sites. I don’t expect to please all people who browse into DML. But some people need to chill out a little bit if they do and don’t like what they read.”

Where else can we find your work / thoughts?

“Rumourwhores.com. My little football forum for all football fans who feel a little bit bored of the usual bloated football message forums. It’s not a Spurs forum. We’ve got fans from plenty of clubs. It’s all a little bit leftfield and quirky, which is why we are living under the radar. Which suits us fine.”

What does the future hold for bloggers and blogging?

“Blogging sites will continue to evolve. Everyone has an opinion (which isn’t always a good thing) but if you can get your point across with a bit of originality then people will appreciate it more than the alternatives (back page of the Daily Mail). Newspapers have ‘blogs’ on their online sites. Everyone’s at it. You just need to be a little bit different or just bloody good. It’s a fine way for amateurs to talk about the game. Although there are plenty of amateurs being paid to do just that by the tabloids. The future for bloggers will simply run parallel to what the Internet can offer. If you take a look at how Blogger and Wordpress have changed over the years, giving more features and options you’ll see that with each passing year the tools we have available are getting more and more powerful. But cosmetics aside, it still comes down to what you have to say.”

And finally, how do you think Spurs will get on this season?

“Nice impossible question to answer. Cheers. Hopefully 6th or 5th. I’m still a little nervous about the lack of first team transfers, but happy to see us get the two young Sheff Utd lads (let’s not destroy them) and I’m actually ok with Crouch (as a Bent replacement) – but we need a CB and another CM. Problem with Spurs (fans) is that we wear our hearts on our sleeves and thus set ourselves up for an easy fall. We want to see great football and we want to be successful – like most other clubs. The fact we are in a perpetual flirt with ‘breaking the top 4’ means we always expect the next season to be THE season. But it’s mostly a fallacy. We all know we are miles behind at the minute. We’d just like to see a progression rather than another transitional season. Miracles do happen.”

• Dear Mr Levy joined OmniFootball in June 2009. Add your site to our listings to stand a chance of being ‘Blog of the Week’.