Striking the right balance – It’s Not A Funny Old Game

I’M all for sporting clubs being an integral part of the local community but sometimes I can’t help thinking that they over step the mark.

Some will blame social media and there is no doubt that Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and God knows what else have a lot to answer for. Some clubs will post anything and everything on social media.

For example how many clubs would actually go to the effort of posting a match report on their Facebook, yet they can’t wait to tell the world about Francie and Fanny’s engagement or post a photo from Jack and Jill’s wedding.

And what about Timmy and Tammy? Didn’t you hear? They had another child last night……..little Tommy who weighed in at 5lb10. Mother and baby are doing well, according to FB!

Honestly this kind of thing does my nut!

These are sporting clubs – the clue is in the name – they are not community clubs. In this part of the world I appreciate that the two are inextricably linked but shouldn’t everything on social media be relevant? Surely clubs have to draw the line somewhere.

Where does it stop? Today it’s weddings, engagements and births; tomorrow it’ll be confirmation, graduation and incineration!

What next are we going to see a post about the manager’s cat Fluff – it had to be didn’t it – having a litter of kittens or the star striker’s dog Nip a litter of pups.

Nip and Fluff! You can tell how ancient I am! In my day it was Dick, Dora, Nip and Fluff; in the more up-to-date version apparently its Chip, Biff, Kipper and Floppy.

Anyway back to my point. Are we going to see news feeds that congratulate players on passing their driving test, purchasing their first car or getting their very first job.

For youth players maybe it’ll be confirmation, exam results, their school formal or perhaps their very first kiss; where do we draw the line?

Why stop there? Surely Fionnula deserves a mention for losing five stone in as many months, as does Fiona for walking 10, 000 steps yesterday.

What about Gerry who got his free bus pass no further away than Monday, Mickey and Mary who got engaged at Dergfest or Sammy and Sally, who completed their divorce just last week.

And for the farmers why not post the weekly weather forecast!

Of course some people will argue that this kind of thing is very relevant and shows the club is indeed very much part of the community.

But I just can’t agree. When I click on a club’s Facebook (or noseybook as one of my friends calls it) or Twitter I want to get information about games completed, forthcoming fixtures and players being signed or others that may be departing for pastures new.

A match report and a few pictures every now and again would be good, travel arrangements for the weekend and information about Friday night’s fund-raising quiz would be useful and worthy of it’s place.

As indeed would the occasional interview with the manager, video clips of goal action and links to relevant features and updated tables……that sort of thing.

You do, of course, require a community aspect but in my opinion that shouldn’t go much further than providing the funeral details of someone who had been connected to the club or notices of events that may impact on the local community.

Social media is a great tool for clubs and it’s relevance shouldn’t be diluted by posting things wily, nily; basically everything that moves!

Let’s face it, outside of their own family who really cares if today was wee Jonny’s first day at school or that last night Big Mandy lost her Virgin credit card at the cinema – see what I did there!

More often that not social media is about tittle-tattle and community gossip but from a club perspective that shouldn’t be the case. It’s a fine line but clubs need to find the right balance and differentiate what’s relevant and what’s not.

I’d say some clubs just haven’t quite worked out where that line is yet!