The old saying of football without fans is nothing has taken a new meaning. In years gone by, fans would only be able to voice their opinion to mates in a pub or to ring up a radio station. Now though, the rise of fan channels has expanded the scope for fans to give their opinions after a game outside the stadium just like if it were an interview with a media outlet such as Sky Sports. This means that were not restricted to the opinions of so called experts on tv and radio and we get to hear match going fans thoughts.
Most Premier League clubs have at least one fan channel AFTV being the prime example, fans can give unfiltered opinions after a game but its not been without its fair share of controversy. AFTV is biggest football channel with over a million subscribers, however, it’s most viewed videos have been rants from fans after defeats. Rival fans of Arsenal would always be licking their lips on the back of a defeat to watch fans have an absolute meltdown after the game and has received criticism for profiting off the clubs failings.
However, close followers will know that some fans are much calmer and talk more roundly of their club on other channels including AFTV and there’s much more content than what they’re known for. Fans such as DT and Troopz are well known for their strong and controversial opinions on the channel, however, they are still passionate about their club and speak more roundly about the club and football in normal circumstances.
There are good fan channels around such as LFC Focus who speak more roundly about their club and football with concise content on match previews, reviews and occasional transfer rumours. All in all, I think football fan channels are good because fans have a say on a game like they would if they were on TV and connects fans of clubs globally who share their passion for the beautiful game. However, it will always be a controversial subject as some believe that regulars on fan channels are developing a personality on the struggles of their club but at the end of the day, every fan wants to see their club doing well and have a right to call out anything not right with their club.
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