You still can’t beat being at the game

IT’S good to hear the EFL are going to closely monitor the impact live streaming matches has on attendances at games this season. With 50,000 domestic streams of EFL matches via iFollow, their digital platform, this season, it appears there is a demand from supporters for this option.

If fans have not got the time – or money – to travel to the other end of the country in midweek, at least they can still watch their team in action – for a fee of £10.

EFL chief executive Shaun Harvey says the vast majority of fans who are taking advantage of the iFollow service are more than 25 miles away from the stadium, which makes it an additional audience.

The problem could come in the future if fans decide they’d rather stay at home to watch their team than go to their local ground to watch them, perhaps because of price.

And yet there is one saving grace. However good the streaming coverage is, you still can’t beat being at the match. There is something about going to a game that makes it special.

There are the sights, sounds and smells. There is the chance to see the action close up, to witness the real speed of the game, to release pent up emotion.

You can enjoy being part of a group of fans all wanting the same thing – to see your side win. You can have a bit of banter with the opposition fans.

It’s just not the same watching on your smartphone, computer screen or television. While there may be some fans who do decide to watch a stream, you would like to think that most supporters would still want to say ‘I was there’ on that day when their team played a blinder.

So, let’s not panic over the streaming impact just yet.