As a result of the success of Aston Villa Life, and in order to expand the influence of the concept we have established over the past 8 months, I have decided to broaden our horizons.

In keeping with this transformation, Aston Villa Life will become part of a new concept called Football Unity. This new concept will aim to deliver the same experience as Aston Villa Life, but for multiple football clubs.

I will still be the owner of Football Unity, just as I have owned Aston Villla Life, so don’t worry about the site suddenly becoming a faceless corporate organisation owned by some invisible people. I intend to continue my involvement just as I have since its inception.

The structure of daily posts and other functionality of Aston Villa Life will remain the same. Every day, there will be an Aston Villa post up – the only difference between now and our early 2012 launch will be that it will be listed in an Aston Villa section of a larger community website.

Once Football Unity is launched in 2012, the URL astonvillalife.com will then redirect to the Aston Villa section of Football Unity so, don’t worry, any existing bookmarks will still take you to the best in Aston Villa news.

A New Look

Part of the transition to Football Unity, means a facelift and a cutting edge user experience. In order to keep up with the latest technology standards, and deliver a consistent experience across both desktop and mobile platforms, Football Unity will utilise a full HTML5 based design as well as using the latest CSS3 technology.

Football Unity won’t just be about looks though, as we will still remain committed to delivering a solid and dependable technical framework focused on the best possible user experience.

We understand that any transition obviously means a change in format, but we will do our best to keep you posted on progress, and will be looking for beta testers to help trial the platform prior to launch.

A New Concept

Because Football Unity is aimed at the wider market of football rather than just Aston Villa, the success criteria for the site will develop in line with this change. Aston Villa Life has gone from opening in late March 2011 to become the fastest growing Aston Villa blog on the planet.

Expectations have been met and exceeded at every stage, and this is partly down to the excellent team of writers who have joined over the life of the site, and their commitment to providing excellent content.

The other side of the success has been our readers and those who take their time to comment on our daily posts. Without readers this site, like any other, would be nothing. Therefore, I would like to take the time to extend a heartfelt thanks to those that read the site, whether you were here from the beginning or are reading this post as your first one.

A New Scope

With the wider opportunities that a football network brings, the new site will offer considerably more as time progresses. Whilst we can’t share all the details of what we have in store, we can tell you that Football Unity will become central to the fans of football, no matter their allegiance, and no matter their location.

In an era where fans feel apathetic as corporate cash has funded the sport to dizzying heights, Football Unity is dedicated to the grass roots of football. Therefore we actively encourage contributors to write about their local team whether they are in the Premier League or one of the many semi-professional/amateur leagues.

A New Set Of Targets

We know what we are planning is ambitious, but I’m a steadfast believer in aiming for the stars. Many people, myself included, would never have predicted the meteoric rise of Aston Villa Life, so instead of letting that impetus slow over the coming months, I want to ensure it is directed to doing more for fans of football, no matter their team.

I’ve loved every minute of creating a community where fans can feel at home, no matter their opinion. Now comes the next stage, and I’m delighted to know you will all be here from our new beginning.

Here’s to the future. Your contribution is integral to the success of this project, and I look forward to reading your comments both now, and as we transform into Football Unity.

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