I think after 22 (20 as a moderator) years on TSF. I deserve a good bye message.
After to many complaints I was removed as mod.
But thanks to all those who I have got to know over the last 22 years, my posts have often been caustic and have run afoul of the rules a few times. The only poster still posting that has been here longer is possibly @Donsteppa ?
I have been on beers with nearly 40 Ferners, watched rugby with them at various stadiums around the world with them, in Ireland, Wales, England, Aus , SA and Scotland. Played golf with them, played rugby with them, the last time I pulled on the boots was in a TSF selection team at a Whangamata tournament with the true godfather of TSF Bartman. I have met some fantastic memories and have never refused a meet up even with people I disagreed with most vehemently such as @MajorRage , I always had the attitude that if you talk shit on a forum you should be able to meet up face to face with those people... and I did.
Congrats to the complainers, you win. I am sure things will be more harmonious around here without me, but I think some ideas will go a lot unchallenged now, maybe that is for the best to.
Special mention to @Donsteppa @taniwharugby, @JC, @JK, @KiwiPie , @Smudge (who doesnt much like me, but I still know he is a good egg)bloody great guys who I have known for a very long time now. And of course @BartMan , PDP (my favourite frenchman and who I spent some good nights in London sipping cognac and talking shite), Irish Richard, and Gailimh who shared my wifes 30th in Dublin at a great little pub. A lot of them are not around any more, and they were great.
@Rembrandt @TeWaio (I like to think I actually changed some minds which is a minor miracle, (I think I got cancelled via sheer volume of complaints like a Fox news host though.....) )
Even all the my detractors I wish well, I actually never really paid attention to who posted contrary views and would suddenly get an 'out of the blue' angry post towards me from someone whom I must have annoyed months earlier. I didn't keep any grudges.
I think 22 years is long enough and I think being demoted makes staying on as poster a bit to hard.
I would like to act like I don't care, but I am actually pretty disappointed. But the new management @Duluth @Kirwan is not like the old management, and I firmly believe if you put the time in and you run a site, you decide who posts and who does not. And the new management are what keeps this place ticking. If it wasn't for them TSF wouldn't still exist.
So long and thanks for the fish.