Over the last couple of months, it seems as though the country’s professional footballers have been flocking to Twitter. There have been a few high profile players using it for quite some time now with the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Darren Bent and Robbie Savage ‘Tweeting’ on a regular basis. I’m a big Middlesbrough fan and the last week alone has seen three or four players join up to the micro-blogging service.
It's evident that Umbro worked closely with Darren Bent to establish his presence on Twitter. Bent carried is username on his boots for a number of matches
Unsurprisingly, footballers have been slow to jump on the Twitter bandwagon unlike their professional sportsman counterparts from the world of cricket, golf and athletics. Many professional sports people have identified Twitter as a fantastic vehicle to attract commercial sponsorship and endorsement – things that they rely heavily upon to make ends meat. Footballers rely less on sponsorship as the bulk of their income comes from the wages that they are paid by the clubs that they play for.
From a personal point of view, as a football fan, I’m delighted to see footballers join the ‘Twittersphere’ and I believe it can have many benefits for them and for their clubs: 1) It can attract sponsorship and endorsement, 2) It gives the player an unregulated voice which they can use to set the record straight on a given issue (something that I’m sure gives many a club press officer sleepless nights), 3) It gives people a glimpse into the world of what it’s like to be a professional footballer, 4) It makes a player seem approachable and personable – footballers are idolised up and down the country by millions of kids, Twitter gives them the opportunity to interact with a player without having to stand outside a stadium on a cold Saturday afternoon with hundreds of other people.
There have been a number of instances recently that will have given Twitter a bad name within the football world. Last Sunday, Liverpool player Ryan Babel ‘Tweeted’ a picture of the referee wearing a super-imposed Manchester United shirt shortly after the two clubs met in a FA Cup tie (many of the big decisions going against Liverpool), Babel also ‘Tweeted’: “And they call him one of the best referees. That’s a joke”. Ryan Babel’s actions have led to him being charged by the Football Association for improper conduct – the first time a player has been charged over something that they have said through social media.
The image that Ryan Babel 'Tweeted'
I’d imagine that it’s not long before the FA introduces rules/guidelines around the use of social media for people involved with the professional game. The NFL in America has already implemented rules regarding the use of social media on match days with players given hefty punishments if they break them – read about the guidelines here.
There are a handful of clubs out there that are social media savvy, but now that Twitter is very much part of everyday life, it’s time for all clubs to capitalise on this (and other social media platforms). Players shouldn’t be banned from using Twitter by their clubs and clubs shouldn’t be scared of them using this powerful medium – it can have huge benefits for them too! However, footballers need to understand the pitfalls (and associated implications) and ground rules need to be put in place) e.g. players shouldn’t be allowed to comment on tactics, injuries and unable to ‘Tweet’ for at least an hour after a game when they have re-gained their composure and thoughts.
