Why reading footballers on Twitter loses some of the magic
Twitter is the strangest of strange beasts. Unlike any other social networking tool or resource it genuinely has the power to bring supporters a glimpse into the lives of a variety of sportsmen that we as fans may never have the chance to meet.
It is a rare view, and whilst the site has gone a long way to breaking down that wall between players and fans, is this a good thing?
When Danny Welbeck starts tweeting about the adverts he has seen on television, or Glen Johnson gives constant updates as to how much ‘24’ he has been watching, questions as to why we should take such a close interest in what these players think about the most mundane of topics, inevitably rear their head.
It is not simply what is written that frustrates. When you see men capable of such incredible physical and technical feats on the pitch, unable to understand the difference between ‘your’ and ‘you’re’ or spell basic words correctly, it is hard not to lose a little respect for them.
Whilst players are not there to be judged from a grammatical point of view, it is a surprise that in a world where image is paramount, that players are not advised to check what they tweet.
Obviously the content of any such post is heavily scrutinised – just ask Darren Bent or Ryan Babel about the trouble a post can cause, yet the actual way these tweets are written is not heavily guarded.
On the other side of the coin, you find yourself reaching a point where you become overly impressed when a player uses a word that an 11 year-old student should comfortably be able to incorporate into their written work. A lucid and intelligent footballer is, and should not be, a rarity.
Of course it can work both ways. Since Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere joined Twitter I have been impressed by his eloquence – his sensible, well constructed posts hinting at a maturity beyond his 19 years of age.
Wilshere’s words over the last two weeks have been particularly impressive. Despite hearing some Arsenal fans lament the players’ constant apologising for defeats, Wilshere’s carry on regardless attitude has given some Gunners followers a welcome boost in amongst a series of disappointing results over the last two weeks.
In fact, whilst his captain and manager have bemoaned poor officiating and a string of injuries, Wilshere’s tweets have been optimistic and upbeat.
Many top players still avoid the move into social networking territory. Perhaps wisely the extra scrutiny on what they write for millions to read is something a few could do without.
Nevertheless, the overall presence of players on the network provides something of a mixed bag. I might be in the minority, but I would far rather judge players on what I see on the pitch than what I read on the screen.
To get stuck into my powers of grammar, follow me on Twitter.
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Agreed with most of the article apart from that bit about Jack Wilshere were I really couldn’t disagree more. Jack Wilshere’s Twitter account is the complete opposite of maturity. After losing in the Carling Cup final and sobbed like a cry baby and tweeted: “Well Done to the BCFC player who slapped Koscielny.” – Is that what you call maturity?! Also have you noticed in recent matches that he starts squaring up to the more experienced players?! First Barry Ferguson in the CCF and then Abidal in the Champions League.
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j Reply:
March 16th, 2011 at 3:52 pm
are you suggesting that he should be bullied and kicked during the game by the so called experienced players and just take it? You seem to forget the circumstances that led to him squaring up to those two. At least he shows passion and that he really really cares about how the team is doing and there is nothing wrong with that.
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i fully support the fact that some footballers are on twitter. at the end of the day, they’re just lads who play football for a living. its healthy for them to have some sort of personal outlet to their fans. one that anyone can see in its originality and cannot be misquoted like it is possible for the press to do in conferences. it brings more familiarity with the players and i think can improve support for the club. it also leaves the players with a responsibility not to say anything out of line, as we have seen in many cases. the players respond with discipline and the large majority of them tweet harmless things like their favourite TV shows etc as you say. So what if they make the occasional spelling mistake? most of the time its so they can get the character count down! Looking through my own facebook feed right now, nothing is any different there either!
We all put players on some sort of a magical pedestal, we grow up watching them on the pitch and see them as just inaccessible beings, but with twitter its possible to break down those barriers. they’re only human at the end of the day.
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I take it your an Arsenal fan. I couldn’t disagree more with your comment that Jack Wilshere leaves mature tweets. Wasn’t this the same Jack Wilshere that was crying after Newcastle drew with Arsenal?
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Is this a joke? You should spend some time learning basic punctuation yourself before deciding to write an article criticising others. Sums up blogs. Written by wanneabes with no training for the undescerning.
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Johnny Trebec Reply:
March 16th, 2011 at 1:09 am
It’s ‘wannabes’ you moron.
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