In a world of bland football punditry, tired and cliche-ridden post-match interviews, and public relations’ brochures extolling the virtues of the brand integrity of this summer’s aging free agent striker, the recent surge in footballers creating Twitter accounts has been refreshing. It now seems unusual for a younger player not to have some sort of presence on the site. The appeal of Twitter, of course, lies in its immediacy. There always hangs in the air a possibility of disaster– the chance that a player might reveal some questionable views on the day’s news stories. We’ve already seen several players get into trouble– Ryan Babel, Darren Bent, and Wayne Rooney have each experienced the ways in which the power of the Twitterati can backfire.
Twitter gives us a window into the everyday lives of players. People who normally only appear as galloping pixels on our TV screens are rendered as more complete individuals with lives, problems and time to kill like the rest of us. It’s fascinating to be treated to the DIY woes of Kevin Davies’ household, and Jack Wilshere tweeting pictures of his breakfast (coffee, toast, and a surprisingly bourgeois-looking strawberry jam). Unsurprisingly however, Michael Owen appears to be as boring and robotic on Twitter as he is in television interviews.
As with any burgeoning new medium, the possibilities are endless. It will be interesting to see how long these players stick with Twitter– will they soon tire of the novelty and go back to photo shoots in their underwear and crashing Ferraris into walls? As we’ve seen with Darron Gibson’s recent aborted foray, some players simply will not tolerate the “banter” that inevitable comes with the fan contact Twitter facilitates. Those with a brave heart, however, will surely reap the benefits. Twitter enables players to directly market themselves to fans, establishing a rapport that is otherwise lost amidst the large sponsored billboards. Perhaps too, we could get referees on Twitter to explain their decisions or deride players for their obvious lack of respect. While this may sound like a free-for-all, this is the kind of interaction leagues around the world have been crying out for and finally technology has given us the opportunity for it to happen.
There is already a palpable sense that a backlash is coming, however. Several national teams forbade their players using Twitter during last year’s World Cup in South Africa. Murmurings are also abound that Sir Alex Ferguson is considering banning his players from using the site. This would be a great shame. Obviously, some players ought to exercise more caution when discussing the performances of referees or engaging with particularly forthright fans, but the vast majority of footballers’ tweets have been enjoyable, insightful, and fun.
This is what fans crave. There is an opportunity for leagues around the world to make use of this. Instead of attempting to increase the Premier League’s fan base with the rather ludicrous proposed 39th game, why not encourage, or even contractually stipulate, players and managers to take part in Twitter? Imagine Jose Mourinho getting involved and expounding his wild conspiracy theories and mind games, directing them at his rival managers– perhaps with an increasingly exasperated Pep Guardiola trying to respond. Technology and football have long had an uneasy relationship, but here’s hoping they continue to coexist here.
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