3 Effects Technology Has Had On Football (Soccer) And Its Fans

The evolution of the connection between football and its fans

A Football Club is more than a set of players and staff. Arguably, its most important aspect is its supporters.

Traditionally, supporters were exactly as the term described them. Passionate fans of the sport, working-class people who took to the sport and their club for distraction from the hardships of life. A more accommodating and patient bunch with a penchant for the activity of fandom.

Over the years, technology has made not just the live viewing of the games more accessible, but also the mountain of data about the games.

Add social media as a platform open to voice all kinds of opinions and we have an evolving nature of football supporters that take the fandom out of it and become more experts without the teachings and luxury of stewardship.

Here are 3 ways technology has changed the relationship between fans and football -

Prejudice based on the legacy stats

The amount of data that we have to deal with regarding our favourite players, teams and tournaments, is insurmountable.

There are experts and tools that allow us to make sense of it but more likely than not, even before a game has kicked off, we tend to develop a prejudice based on our limited understanding of the stats.

Divided opinions about reliance on technology to fix errors

The undeniable fact about any sport is the aspect of human error.

The advent of technology has allowed us to not just curb but fix the majority of these human errors leading to undesirable results that leave a sour taste in the mouth of the fans.

A modern fan might welcome this change while a traditional fan might need some time to get used to it. No doubt it has created camps in the fanbase that lead to friction and difference of opinion.

A sense of entitlement about being a know-all and an expert

An average supporter today is more informed than a supporter, say, 30 years back. It does not make today's fanbase any better or worse than those from the past.

The importance of context still holds a higher place in the world of sports. We cannot reduce a player, team and fanbase down to just numbers and predictions.

A sport is unpredictable in nature and that's what thrills an average fan.

Technology is not all bad and it is not ruining the beautiful game. The effect of it on fans, present and future, though is something to be studied and monitored.