Lesson 9: Successful Packages
1) Send a link to a feature story or a news report or advertisement and say what ideas for an feature (which you yourself could write) it suggests. Explain briefly the reason for your suggestion(s); and outline, in note form, the treatment you propose. (Up to 300 words.)
My choice of story is David Hillier’s feature article, ‘Will I be happier if I erase football from my life: How I went cold turkey and quit the beautiful game.’
The article was published by The Guardian on the 1st April 2023 and can be found in the link below.
My feature would look to discuss how supporters consume football and what impacts this has on their social and personal lives.
Historically, football supporters would attend matches as a means of supporting their local clubs.
They would meet friends or family, be part of a community and perhaps more importantly escape and vent the pressures of their everyday lives.
Outside of matchday, football conversations or ‘banter’ with rival fans were held in pubs or at work.
However, football fandom seems to have changed dramatically since the birth of the information age.
24-hour Sky Sports news feeds, television, podcasts, newspapers, and social media has meant that we are more connected to the ongoings of our clubs and other tribes at just a few clicks of a button.
I want to discover if this change has been good for football or if the game has moved beyond its traditional values.
To do this I will:
· Conduct a roundtable debate with three or four ‘legacy’ fans aged between 40-50.
· Use research to support or challenge opinion.
· Ask how they consume football and for how long.
· Investigate how their consumption has changed since the beginning of social media.
· Discuss tribalism and how this has changed since the beginning of social media.
· Ask if football and social media can affect mental health.
· Discuss the importance of going to live football – socially or mentally.
Further notes:
2) Write a feature of 600 to 700 words on your idea put forward in (1).
FOOTBALL. IT’S A HABIT, MAN
Luke Richards
Word Count: 699 (not including standfirst)
In an era of social media and 24-hour news reels, Luke Richards conducts a roundtable debate into whether the information age is turning ‘legacy fans’ away from the beautiful game.
“It’s terrible.” Mike Dwyer tells me as we discuss modern football.
Much has changed for the 48-year-old Arsenal fan that witnessed Michael Thomas’s last-minute winner at Anfield to win the 1989 Division One title.
“If you wanted to watch your team, you really had to go to the games,” he explains.
“Match of the Day was sporadic, and Sky didn’t exist back then. So, to get what they were about you had to go to an actual game.”
“Once you had been a few times, the excitement of sitting in the Clock End or the North Bank was massive. It was fun, and we had wicked times. I don’t think it’s like that now.”
Surely football fans have similar experiences all over the country, I ask. “I know it’s an old man thing to say,” he responds.
“I don’t think football fans now have the mad tribal experience that we had. It’s all been cleansed by social media and money.”
However, research by Oxford University in 2017 found that tribalism is stronger than ever amongst football fans.
Supporters - regardless of attending games – spend an enormous amount of time and commitment to their clubs.
“I watch most games,” says Billy Davies, 48, a Spurs fan. “I’ve got BT, Sky, Amazon. I will watch every televised game. Even if I’m working, I will put it on in my office.”
“I reckon I spend 10-15 hours a week,” he says confidently. “That takes up a lot of my time when you have responsibilities.”
For others like Claudio Costello, 48, an Arsenal season ticket holder, social media accompanies his football consumption.
“Saturday or Sunday is a football day for me,” he explains of his matchday ritual. “I meet up with my mates. You have a beer to soak up the atmosphere and talk about the game. Then do the same after.”
“I’m quite big on Twitter during transfer season,” he continues. “On the train to work and back, so that’s another two hours.”
Instant access to journalists such as Fabrizio Romano has become a ritual for supporters, so it was interesting to divulge into the negative influences of social media.
I’m told that the rise of fan channels and instant opinion has influenced traditional radio and television coverage and become too clickbait.
I ask if this information bombardment has affected their mood. “After the game it doesn’t affect my mood. During the game, definitely,” Billy admits.
“If you put little patches that read my brain activity and my heart rate, there is a definitely psychological effect when your team is doing well and not doing well.”
Claudio acknowledges he feels worse if Arsenal lose to their rivals. He also confesses that he is banned from watching Arsenal when he’s at home.
“My misses hates it. I can’t help but act like I’m on the terraces. So, it’s better for me to be out of the house watching football.”
“It used to bother me a lot more,” Claudio continues, “but now, I can forget about it by the time I get home. It’s probably having kids.”
“When you’re 18 or early 20’s it’s different,” Billy emphasises. “When you have children and a mortgage, you can’t act like an immature kid anymore.”
The debate later digresses into ticket prices, Super League and sportswashing. Issues that challenge the traditional values of football and value a new generation of supporter.
As our discussion ends, I ask these ‘legacy fans’ if they could ever give up the club they love?
“It’s the constant in your life,” Claudio explains. “It’s the weekend, it’s going to football with your mates and screaming and shouting, getting it all out and having a good time.”
“You can’t beat the atmosphere of being at a game,” Billy reminisces.
“Getting involved in the singing, at half time having a chat to a stranger you don’t know. There’s that collective togetherness about football. It’s community.”
“It’s a habit man,” says Mike. “I don’t think about it, it just happens. It’s like eating. I can’t imagine not doing football.”
“It annoys the shit out of me, and I hate what it’s become in many ways. But I can’t help not being totally absorbed by it.”
