Soccer is leading the way

I’M sure by now most of you readers have discovered the recently launched Football NI app.

The free app provides users with information about fixtures, results, team line-ups, match events and other statistics for all affiliated football in the country.

It can be used to track teams, players, matches and competitions. It enables players to check their individual profiles and users to receive notifications whenever match events related to their chosen favourites are recorded in the Irish FA’s Comet football management system.

Once referees complete their post-match administration the app will automatically populate the relevant information, however there is also functionality available to enable clubs to update match events in ‘real time’ during fixtures.

Clubs will have the ability to insert goalscorers, substitutions and yellow or red cards, however it will remain the responsibility of the referee to complete the reasons for any disciplinary sanctions.

Appointed referees will also be responsible for checking that any match information inputted by clubs concurs with their own records before declaring the status of the match as ‘played’.

At the launch of the app a few weeks back Cookstown man Andrew Johnston, Head of Competitions and Player Status at the Irish FA, said it was a genuine first for football in Northern Ireland.

“The Irish FA is embracing technology in a way that is aiding the football community here. It will provide greater access to results and match information whilst games are taking place,” he said.

“The launch of Football NI reaffirms the association’s commitment to being a digital first organisation as outlined in A Roadmap for Football, its current corporate strategy.”

Sounds great and I’ll be the first to admit that it’s a great bit of kit for everyone with an interest in local football and if you haven’t downloaded it by now then hesitate no longer.

In this field there is no doubt the IFA – yes the same organisation that we all criticise from time to time – is leading the way.

As a local sports reporter, who spends a fair bit of time on the side line, I have to say that soccer authorties, club officials and referees have been so much more accomodating when it comes to providing team-sheets than all other sports bar none.

Even before the arrival of Comet right down to the lowest level of the Fermanagh and Western clubs were supplied with pre-printed booklets that included a copy for the media.

The arrival of Comet has taken things to a whole new level and I would suggest that the GAA, rugby, hockey and other leading sports should take a serious look at this all-singing all-dancing technology that has transformed this aspect of local soccer. Comet and the new app has made life much easier for everyone involved and I would suggest it has also made it much more difficult for a team to play ‘a ringer’.

It has been nothing short of a revelation although it does come with a word of warning – the system is only as good as the information that’s provided.

I recently covered a local Fermanagh and Western game and later that evening I went on the app just to double check the time of the substitutions.

To my disbelief, a lot of the information populated on the match card was way off the mark. The game was delicately poised 1-0 at half-time before the leading team scored a second goal just before the hour mark. However, according to Comet and the information provided by the match official, that second goal was scored in the 35th minute – I can categorically state that was incorrect.

I’m afriaid to say that this hasn’t been an isolated case either. Nearly every week I have discovered anomalies here and there and nine times out of ten it’s the name of a scorer – a pretty important detail – which is wrong. And it has to be said that most of the errors are on match cards from games at intermediate and junior level.

So I would suggest that as part of refereeing courses going forward there is some further training on the use of Comet and the importance of making sure that information inputed is correct and accurate.

In truth that is my only criticism of the new technology and from a purely professional point of view the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.

It’s certainly something other sports need to have a good look at. The days when someone scribbles down a team sheet on a piece of paper has to be long gone.