And The Winner Is...

THE LIVER BIRD!


How utterly brilliant is that?! For those of you sitting there thinking, what the hell have you won? I find myself staring back at you asking where the hell have you been?

If you follow me on Twitter there is no way you will have escaped the knowledge that I was in a list of nominees for the best Female blog category in the Football Blogging Awards.

Being on the short list and never one to turn down an invite to a shindig I managed to circle up two guests (a farcical amount I know) and off we headed on Saturday afternoon to Manchester.

We'd booked two hotels both on the outskirts of the city, usually in these sort of posts I'd have a strategically placed jolly anecdote to do with our travels but nothing happened, not even traffic on the M6, mental.

My good mate Josh drove me and the fella there and back and it's a fair drive from Wolverhampton so cheers for that!

Anyway...

We eventually grabbed a taxi and headed out to Stockport for the event I have been getting nervous and excited for this past week or so - The Football Blogging Awards.

After getting myself a Bucks Fizz I ended up choosing a table right at the front of the soddin' room, the only real plus side to this was that Josh and Rich had plenty of snacks for themselves! Pretzels went down a treat.

There were 8 categories in the awards ceremony covering a vast section of the football blogging world. Awards for best blog were up for grabs in - Male, Female, New, Veteran, Club Specific, Podcast, Comedy and Videos.

The awards kicked off about 8 o'clock ish and it was interesting to see how the night was going to pan out. I began to get more and more nervous as time ticked by because I knew just how close it was within my category.

Winners of the first category "The 4th Official" were unwittingly setting the tone for the night, when asked whether the winner wanted to say a few words a response of something along the lines of "Cheers!" meant we wouldn't be hearing any essays this evening.

Barely time to have another sip of my drink and up pops the rather cheesey drum roll sound that indicated the next category would be "Female".

I was shaking like Jerzy Dudek in the Champions League final!

After the other nominees were mentioned - Miss SW6, YICETOR, Girl On A Terrace & ScouserLaura it was time for the winner to be announced.

I think I looked down at the table, I kind of figured if I hadn't managed to win, it wouldn't give me any grief.

But it was all fine and dandy as The Liver Bird was announced as the best female football blog of 2012! I was bloody chuffed to bits! I tried to stay classy but I must admit a clenched fist would have been viewable a hushed "get in!" would have been heard.

I collected my lovely and might I add very posh certificate with a big grin on my face. I figured I should say something despite preparing literally nothing and so made what I thought was the wise decision to start of with a joke, yeah, always a fool proof idea that Kirsty you nervous wreck!

Trying to say a few words...
My explanation that I basically wanted to be quick for fear of "doing an Andy Murray" seemed to get a couple of chuckles though. I tried to thank everybody that voted for my blog and explain how I thought the Football Blogging Awards were a fabulous idea whilst praising the charity (The Justin Campaign) that they had linked up with and then finished by wishing everybody a good night. At least, I think that's what I did, it's all a bit of a blur now!

Readers of my blog or followers of mine will probably be reading this thinking there was no need for me to worry but as I said earlier, I knew voting was tight and after speaking to Anthony one of the co founders of the awards later on in the night it was revealed I won by 50 votes, phew! Lol.

I posted a quick snap of the award on Twitter and Facebook immediately because without the aid of those social networks I wouldn't have won this award, my readers helped spread the word and I know I've said it a million times but I seriously can't thank you enough for your votes and support!

Congratulations soon started to pour in and I'm never one to blow my own trumpet but as the night went on I did begin to feel a sense of pride, it's so nice to be awarded for doing something that you love!

Anyway, enough about me!

The winners of the other categories were:

New - My Old Man Said
Veteran - Six Tame Sides
Club Specific - Anything Palmeiras
Podcast - Chelsea Fancast
Comedy - Fitba Thatba
Videos - The League Of Ireland

By far the best acceptance speech was from a man called Mike who accepted the award for Six Tame Sides who won best veteran blog. He was just quality! Pulls out a massive piece of paper acting like he's written a speech then he gets another one out and proceeds to tell us what he's got to get from Tesco's on the way home haha!

Mike also later on with myself was asked to present an award to one of the other winners and he warned us that perhaps he shouldn't be opening envelopes what with having been a postman haha!

I was caught off guard but agreed to present the award for best Club Specific blog on the basis that it was only a sentence, I reckoned I could manage that. Anything Palmerias won in this category and sent in a video all the way from Brazil.

I was quite smug with the fact I was now a winner and a presenter within the space of 5 minutes yet I'd walked in as some Black Country lass who writes a Liverpool blog.

On the subject of that, one thing I knew would happen if I won the award is the raising of eyebrows...

3, 2, 1... "Hang on, that ain't a scouse accent!" and so the questions proceeded from several people all night, I didn't mind though, it was a conversation starter! And if you don't know by now the reason of my love for Liverpool it's due to growing up with a brother who was mad on them, I've supported them all my life, throw the local club nonsense at me all you like, if it was THAT important then why didn't a family member, friend, neighbour, local yob? Persuade or force me to follow them? Because they aren't arsed that's why! So why do they act like it years down the line? Pfft!

One of the people baffled by my Black Country twang was the lovely Laura from "Yes I Can Explain The Offside Rule" she was also in the female blog category but has only been blogging for 6 months or so. I wish her all the best for next years awards because her blog truly is unique, go and check it out!

As R-Kelly once said - "After the show, It's the after party." and this show had finished.

Whilst we waited for taxis kindly pre-organised by the founders of the awards (Anthony and Richard) me, Rich and Josh managed to mingle with a few of the bloggers and guests and I must admit everybody that came to say hello was lovely!

The only bit of banter was when we got chatting to some Chelsea fans, they were pulling out the old Champions League win so I figured the best response was a simple hand in the air with five digits on show haha. Your lads have got a lot of catching up to do yet you smug bunch! Lol.

Some of the Chelsea lot and the organisers and a few other bloggers and guests attended the after party at Baa Bar on Deansgate Locks which was quality! We got free entry and a free shot with each drink... well in!

Some more mingling and extremely terrible dancing on my and possibly everyone else's part made it a class night out, I won't be forgetting this weekend in a hurry!

Josh, myself and the fella.
My certificate had to be left with the organisers because I kind of figured a Bulmers stained award would be less impressive but it's going to be posted out to me soon with a bit of luck, I think then it will finally sink in because this is truly a great accolade to have.

I'd just like to say a massive thank you to @TheFBAs for organising everything it was a brilliant night! And it was lovely to meet some of the bloggers too! If any of you are on Twitter and I haven't followed you please just give me a prod or drop us a comment!

To finish I want to thank the best fans in the world - you Liverpool lot! I couldn't have done this without your continued reading of the blog and your support! Thank you so much! #LFCFamily

Now roll on next season for more match previews, reports and general nonsense from The Liver Bird - Best Female Football Blog 2012!!!