July 2010
A Website is Born
Cut & Paste - How the site was built
So…it’s been a long time coming, just over a year. But after about 400 hours, some blood, sweat, tears and more tears it’s finally… pretty much… done.
So why did we need a new site?
I don’t think we really did. Our site was voted the best club website in Middlesex not too long back and it’s done us proud, filling its purpose. A lot of the content on the new site is taken straight from the old, just with a bit of added jazz. But after a bit of peer pressure, I decided to apply my trade as a web designer, to help enjoy a more successful club.
Most of all I wanted to clean up the front of shop and create a window into everything that is Hammersmith & Fulham. On a rugby level we cater from the serious to the social with up to six mens teams, vets, ladies and a thriving mini and youth section. Off the pitch we have a very active social culture, often involving some sort of fancy dress and we are proud to sport the line ‘the friendliest club in London’. The hope is this will attract more players, more sponsors and raise the profile of the Hammers in both the rugby and local community. Am I expecting too much from a website!!!
What did we try to do with this site?
Form follows function, so the first port of call was to find out, from you, what we needed. Without boring you too much about the process, we’ve gone from discovery, information architecture, design, build, testing and uploading content to get to the finishing line. Hopefully this site will help with the function of the club, its profile and be the envy of clubs from grass roots to maybe even the professional.
Whats new?
Other than the obvious look of the site there are a number of new pages and functionalities. The calendar page will hopefully help to put your social diaries in order and possibly a chance for your better half to know when you will be other wise pre-occupied. Can’t put a name to a face? The members search should help you find out the competition for your place and the name of that guy you were drinking with all night. Our online clubhouse shows you all the committee and award winners, as well as the clubs honours and history. With the news room, fancy dress/social index, club shop, extensive match reports and a little more, there is lots to keep you busy. Actually, just go and explore.
We have our own Facebook page stacked to the rafters with match photos from our resident photographer and secretary Chris Cuthbertson. Facebook will act to host the majority of the banter and images. If you ‘Like’ the Hammers facebook page you will also receive news from hfrfc.co.uk straight into your feed, how’s about that! Our Youtube channel pipes our vids into the website.
Also check out the video on the mens homepage. It’s a sneak peak into the Hammers, showing that the club goes beyond just playing rugby.
Whats coming?
Soon you will be able to log your availability for games online, hopefully cutting the need for captains chasing players. You also wont be able to change this Friday night! A HTML email to deliver the latest Hammers info with a bit more Jazz and the ability to sponsor any Hammers Game.
My thanks go to Hugo Lowry and Chris Cuthbertson for their help with early site development, also for Chris’s abundance of pics, Sylvester Olutayo for his help with social content and we owe a big thanks to Nick Dunn, the developer on this project (believe me, a big thanks). There is more to come, and I’m sure the site will evolve over time. Don’t forget, we’re looking for new sponsors this year including a replacement for our main sponsor Six Physio who sadly are leaving us this season. Your comments are welcome to help develop this site further.
So, play with it, give us some feedback, send it to all your friends and most of all, enjoy.
Ryan (Son of Chuck) Dilley
Not sure who I am? Find me on the members page
