Focus should be on the field for county’s clubs

WHETHER social media is a good thing or a bad thing is, despite the relative infancy of the subject matter, already an extremely well-worn debate.

For a number of women’s football teams in Gloucestershire, however, the question is not the usual one about online hatred versus positivity, but whether their whole approach to social media is working or not.

Some of Gloucestershire’s most ambitious clubs have boldly set out their aspirations and exploits across their various social media platforms, and yet in doing so they could be in danger of holding themselves back.

In many cases, social media is propaganda for the modern age, such as individuals highlighting only the fantastic parts of their lives with their filtered selfies, while in the case of football clubs - and this applies to almost any team anywhere with an online presence - it involves relentless cheer with little or no scrutiny.

Women’s football in this country is on a journey with the ultimate aim of being given respect and prestige equal to that of the men’s game, but with that must come a similar level of scrutiny and assessment.

Certainly among some of the more social media savvy clubs in the county there seems a tendency to concentrate on style over substance, attempting to ensure that things look fantastic regardless of the situation in reality.

Perhaps that is the role of the person in charge of the social media accounts, who is probably not the person in charge of coaching the team, but brushing over or outright ignoring the bad results is not the way that the women’s game will earn the recognition it is looking for.

From each club’s point of view, the Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts are there to promote themselves, but there are certain aspects of this strategy that could easily backfire.

For example, consider some of the women’s operations attached to higher-ranking men’s clubs and the extra resources they possess.

Their social media platforms can highlight their excellent facilities or offer a level of exposure equivalent to semiprofessional or even professional men’s teams, but is that necessarily a good thing?

Some of the clubs in question are not currently matching their ambition with achievement on the pitch, and one has to wonder whether part of that is down to the hunger of the players?

Where is the desire to improve and kick on to a higher level if the club’s social media is making them feel like they are already playing at an exalted standard?

Another questionable feature promoted on social media is the notion of the pre-season ‘open trial’ when anyone can rock up and attempt to earn a place in the squad.

However, while for a player on trial at a men’s club this scenario is almost always make or break, there appears to have been no such jeopardy at the county’s women’s teams last summer.

Was it really a ‘trial’ at all if, as has been admitted, no-one was actually rejected?

That would just make it training, like every grassroots club.

And while the ‘open trial’ may unearth a few decent players, it is much more likely to attract youngsters with pushy parents and others who possess an inflated sense of their own ability.

One County League club expanded on the theme by naming ‘Triallist A’, ‘Triallist B’ and ‘Triallist C’ in their pre-season line-ups and then revealing signings with memes on Twitter, and if that was not a case of playing at being proper footballers then who knows what is.

Social media can be a great tool for the promotion of women’s football in the county and beyond, but a sense of perspective must be exercised to ensure the focus is kept on the field of play.