Matchstick Media

Task

To make young apprentice footballers, or scholars, aware of the dangers of using social media inappropriately for themselves, the club and their future. To highlight positive benefits of social media and re-establish trust between players and management regarding social media use.

Programme

Initiate and maintain an extensive education programme showing positive, and negative, aspects of social media use. Invite players to engage in social media positively through a series of tasks and challenges.

Results

A comprehensive education programme led to the scholars setting up their own Twitter account, @CAFC_TheAcademy.  Players took turns to manage the page and tweet appropriate and interesting content. Different campaigns were run to highlight key moments in the club’s history and an audience of more than 2,000 followers established. This page remains one of the most interactive, and imaginative, of all English Football Academy Twitter pages. Education programmes rolled out to older, and younger, players with separate sessions for parents and coaches.