How New Media Has Played Its Part in Supporter Mutinies

We as football fans don’t take kindly to owners, managers or players who we don’t think are leading our club in the right direction. And, as much power as the mainstream media has in influencing the mindset of the fans, we have to consider the role of social media in the fan-based mutinies that occur often within football. The beauty of social media is that each individual fan has the opportunity to influence others and display their opinion in some small way. What is more, one person’s gripe can take on a snowball effect and create a mob mentality within social media. Suddenly you’ve gone from some loner sitting in bed with your laptop to the catalyst for major debate and unrest. So what is it about social media that harbours such enormous power and how can we use it.

Facebook

To consider that one in every three pages on the internet is a Facebook page goes some way to explaining the power of the organisation. Take Manchester united as an example; it says on Facebook that 20 million people are fans on Facebook alone. Then consider the fans ongoing battle with the Glazer family. What better way to indentify and reach 20 million fans than by simply going to the page and directing your arguments at fans that share your interests. Is there an easier way of finding likeminded people in such quantities than on a social media site that over 800 million people log on to and spend hours on almost every single day?

Blogs

The beauty of blogs lies in the attitude of their readers. Initially you might stumble across a blog or be recommended one by a friend, but the likelihood is that you are a regular reader of any blog you might be on. What does this mean? That you think it is worth reading. And why do you think this? Because it is entertaining, you trust the writer and presume them to be some kind of authority. If you thought that they had nothing to offer you then you wouldn’t waste your time with that blog. All of this means that whilst you may not get millions of hits on your blog, although some do, all of your readers are ready and waiting to buy into any sort of opinions that you may ordain to present them with.