The best football bloggers and websites have been honoured in the annual Soccerlens awards today, with Manchester United bloggers leading the winners.
Soccerlens, one of ITV.com’s recommended web reads, launched the awards, now in their second year, to highlight the best of the large amount of websites and blogs dedicated to the beautiful game.
The shortlist for the 20 different categories – covering everything from small non-league blogs to the best WAG site - were drawn up after two weeks of nominations by readers of the site, who spent the last week voting for the winners.
In addition, the site editors picked their favourite blogs and writers from the readers’ shortlist.
Manchester United blog The Republik of Mancunia was voted Best British Blog, while international footy site The Offside took Best World Football Blog for the second year running by both readers and the site’s editors.
In the Best New Blog category The Chelsea Blog took the title, with Soccerlens noting it had“established itself as one of the best sites for Chelsea-related news and opinion in a short period of time, no mean feat considering that they’re up against some of the best in Ole Ole’s Chelsea blog and Blue Champions.”
In the individual writing categories betting writer Gerry McDonnell scooped the Best Blogger award, while Best New Blogger went to freelance writer Chris Taylor, who runs the ranty FC United of Manchester blog It’ll Be Off.
Kickette, the female-orientated blog written by a “crack team of female journalists, fashionistas and debauchery-chasing champagne swillers” was a double winner after being voted Best Blog Design and Best Football WAG site.
Readers of the site also named Cristiano Ronaldo as Best Football Player of 2008 and Manchester United as Best Football Team.
ITV.com’s football bloggers Spencer Austin – aka the Gloryhunter – and Dean Windass didn’t make the shortlist this year, but there’s always next year for Dean to add the Best British Blogger Award to his Championship Play-Off winners medal.
You can see the full list of winners here, and check out ITV.com’s recommended blogs here.
