The Independent reports today on a Championship Footballer whose use of social media is driving his Club Management to distraction. The article highlights the growing issues around social media use by sports stars. Many Team GB athletes, Premier League footballers and other high profile athletes have successfully used Social Media to get closer to their fans.
However as some of the Manchester United players have found to their cost, there can be problems when tweets and posts on social media provoke controversy if they are interpreted as being discriminatory or offensive in some way. Players, managers, officials and coaching staff can all be judges as bringing the game into disrepute which can lead to disciplinary measures or even job losses if they make sensitive tweets or posts – even criticising a match official over Social Media can have dire consequences.
The Independent reports that the Bolton Wanderers manager, Dougie Freedman, has revealed he is concerned with striker Marvin Sordell’s persistent social networking.
Bolton players were issued with social media guidelines after Freedman took charge in October, and the former Crystal Palace manager has pinpointed Sordell as a problem.
“It could be bordering on an obsession with Twitter and Facebook and all the things that go on with these kids,” said Freedman.
“We are trying to work with him – by taking his phone off him. We have just got to get him settled down and help him with some of the off-the-field antics.”
Sordell has faced racial insults on Twitter in recent months after a young Millwall fan was banned for racially abusing him in October.
