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Luis Suarez - I Just Can't Get Enough

A blog post written by Stephen from SC1 Sports Blog.

Uruguay have just won the 2011 Copa America, beating Paraguay in the final 3-0. I was so impressed with their work rate on and off the ball, to levels that have made people drool over Barcelona. A real team, they play together, and have such an understanding of each other. Diego Lugano and Sebastian Coates (named Young Player of the Tournament) at the back are so dominant in the air, strong in the tackle. Arevalo Rios reminded me of Javier Mascherano, harassing the opponent in midfield and not giving them a second on the ball, chasing every lost cause. Alvaro Perreira surged down the left wing like a stallion, supporting the forwards in every attack. Diego Forlan was on a 13 international game drought and ended that in style in the final with two sublime finishes. I’m sure he could still do a great job for someone in the Premiership, and I bet he would love to prove some people wrong after his spell at Man United. That brings me to one man. A man who’s attitude and mentality epitomizes the mantra of Uruguay. He led the team to success in this tournament, finishing second top scorer, with one goal and one assist in the final…and I am delighted he is a Red! Take a bow Luis Suarez.

It is often thought that foreign imports to the English Premier League take some time to adjust to the frantic pace, the hard-hitting style of the English game. When #LFC sold their golden boy, Fernando Torres, to Chelsea for £50 million in January 2011, the arrival of Luis Suarez from Ajax was slightly forgotten. Now, I think it is safe to say, and I speak on behalf of all #LFC fans here when I say…”Fernando who?!”. In the 2010 World Cup, ‘Lil Luis’ blocked a Ghana shot on the line and Uruguay ended up victorious with a place in the semi-final. He was lambasted, called a cheat, every name under the sun. But that is how much of a winner Suarez is, he will do anything to win for his team. Luis Suarez arrived from Holland with an excellent record of 81 goals in 110 games, and an impressive number of assists too for the buck-toothed assasin. After half a season at Anfield, he has wowed the English audience with his movement, his close control (like his twists and turns inside the box against #MUFC) and moreso, his work rate. He is a winner. His work rate sets the tome for all of his Uruguayan teammates, he is a leader, and gets the fans on their feet. His touch inside the defender for his Copa America Final goal was incredible, his knock down to Forlan to kill off Paraguay was genius, and extremely generous.

Liverpool fans must be licking their lips for the season ahead. And the rest of the league should beware. This little Uruguayan is on his game, and with his winning mentality, The Kop are sure to see some South American magic from ‘El Pistolero’ in 2011/2012. Playing under Kenny Dalglish’s free-flowing attacking system suits Suarez to the ground. ‘The rebel’ likes to roam. He played in all 3 attacking positions at Ajax and can fit into each position easily. Now that Stewart Downing has been added to the ranks at Merseyside, and with spells on the left and right side of midfield at Aston Villa, the two attackers will hope to bamboozle defenders. Suarez has said recently how Dalglish gives him confidence: “The biggest thing is the trust he puts in his players. He trusts us 100 per cent and that makes you want to return that trust and pay it back.” King Kenny allows Suarez to express himself on the field, and that is exactly what he needs. His movement would be wasted if he was stuck on the wing, or in a rigid formation (a la Woy Hodgson).

Again I say, take a bow Luis Suarez, Copa America 2011 champion and Player of the Tournament.

I Just Can’t Get Enough!

The Benefit of Sports Drinks

A blog post written by Conán from SC1 Sports Blog.

It has been well documented that the ingestion of “sports drinks” has a positive impact on exercise performance. Global products such as Powerade and Lucozade have dominated sporting preparation this century, with similar drinks such as Gatorade having been introduced as early as 46 years ago. But to what extent do these isotonic fluids benefit an athlete? And can drinking a bottle of Lucozade actually help sport-specific skills?

After all, there are as many as 8,000 indigenous sports and sporting games on this planet – it is difficult to believe that just one drink can improve performers in each of these, simply due to the introduction of 6–8 grams of carbohydrates. Besides, how many tips have we been given down through the years about how to prepare for match day? Personally, as a team-sport, endurance based player, I’ve heard it all:

- The caffeine in tea is great for mental energy… But don’t drink tea – it’s a diuretic and causes dehydration

- Alan Shearer feasted on chicken and beans prior to every match… But shouldn’t football players eat more carbs and lighter portions?

- Recovery sessions: Ice baths are the way to go… As long as you’re not ingesting protein and other recovery diets… What about jacuzzis?

- Always drink as much water as you can… But you don’t want to over-hydrate of course

Sadly, most sportspeople – amateur or pro – are interested to know what they are putting into their bodies - especially if their nutritional habits can give them an advantage for physical and mental performance - but with so many conflicting ideas on so many hot topics, it’s hard for us to be exact and to establish a reliable routine. I was genuinely baffled when, just a few days ago, someone asked me, “So this Lucozade nonsense: Do you recommend it?” Things have got that bad.

Now I know (hope) that the majority of readers realise the benefits of such fluid intakes like Coca Cola’s Powerade, but it does no harm to be exact and unanimous – words which are unfortunately missing in a sportsperson’s language these days. As already stated, a “sports drink” contains between 6-8 grams of carbohydrates. Crucially, as well, the likes of Lucozade contain electrolytes that enable a working body to take on-board more fluid vital for the rehydration process which we are constantly inundated about.

As most people are aware, carbohydrates are essential to help prolong exercise performance. Many published papers in the field have already identified that the depletion of your body’s glycogen stores can result in fatigue and reduced performance – it is therefore an absolute necessity that an athlete is taking his/her carbs which can be used as glucose to continually replenish your energy stores. But, I know from my own past experiences, that it is easy for a consensus to emerge that the carbohydrates available in a fluid solution could hardly be adequate to sustain energy levels.

Thankfully, I have had my own opportunity to study the effects of Powerade (carbohydrate-electrolyte: CHO-E) on team-sport player.

The above table highlights how the ingestion of one bottle of Powerade (500ml) can have an important impact on the level of glucose within a player’s blood. The experiment which we carried out at undergraduate level involved a Gaelic player, a Footballer, a Rugby player, and a Volleyball player taking the “sports drink” 20 minutes before a tested exercise. Already, from the post-drink results, it is clear that isotonic solutions have massive nutritional benefits to be taken within the last hour of match preparation – a time in which I, personally, find it almost impossible to eat anything solid.

The unpublished study also concluded that the intake of a carbohydrate-electrolyte solution such as Lucozade was absolutely vital for maintaining blood glucose levels during exercise.

The CHO-E based drink allowed athletes who were running at 70% of their V02 Max to start with greater glucose availability which was then evidently used a lot in the first 10 minutes of exercise – such energy which wasn’t available to runners who drank the water solution. Drinking an isotonic drink before exercise also proved pivotal for the exercising body to replenish energy during exercise – and after 30 minutes, the available glucose for athletes was still significantly on the rise.

Interestingly, too, after 30 minutes of exercise your body will naturally lose its efficiency to use carbohydrates as an energy source. The ingestion of a “sports drink” is vital then for sports where topping up energy stores during a match are not possible. The 30 minute window, however, is perfect for a sport like Gaelic Football where players can literally refuel at half time and sustain their glucose levels.

Lucozade has also been proven to directly maintain central nervous system functions. This helps maintain actual technical performance. I’ve been there – when you’re tired, when energy is sapped, out goes your concentration and out goes your skills. But when your physical and mental energy can be sustained, as provided by Powerade or Lucozade, then your passing ability, ball control, and all-round technical proficiency is also upheld.

With all the uncertainties, all the divided opinions, all the techniques associated with improving modern day sporting performance, it is refreshing to know for certain that there is one solution that can sustain our physical, mental and technical abilities and not let the treacheries of fatigue drag us down too much. It is good to know that, as a sportsperson, there is something out there which will solve my problems of eating before and after games – and do this in an effective manner. It is good to know that we are at long last on our way to certainty when it comes to nutrition, performance maintenance, and recovery. It is good to know that we are finally eliminating unnecessary questions like whether or not we support this “Lucozade nonsense”. It is good to know that we are now demystifying the age-old questions of what makes our bodies tick.

Top 10 Unusual Sports (Part Two)

A blog post written by Stephen from SC1 Sports Blog.

This is the second in our two part feature (view Part One here) from SC1 Sports, bringing you 10 of the most outrageous and unusual sports played around the world. Concluding this feature, we bring you some sports consisting of holding your breath, blowing your breath, and even science explained through sport.

This sport is common in Thailand, Malaysia and Philippines and other countries in the Far East. It is basically foot-volleyball and translates in Thai and Malaysian as ‘kick woven ball’. Players use their feet, knee, chest and head to get the rattan ball over the net to score. The game can date back as far as the 15th century and is played in the Asian Games, in which it made its debut in the 1990 Games in Beijing. There are two types of games; regu and double regu. Regu has three members in each team, and double regu has two players in a team.

Kabaddi is an ancient Indian sport played by two teams of seven players on a field half the size of a basketball court. A member of a team is sent to the opponents end to tag members of the other team. If you get tagged, you are out. Sounds simple so far right? But hold on….literally. The player tagging the opponents have to hold their breath and prove it by chanting “kabaddi”. It was played at the 1936 Olympic Games at Berlin.

Did anyone ever have a table-tennis table, and got a bit bored of playing table-tennis, and then made up their own games? Just me? Well blo-ball seems like that. It is basically table-tennis without the paddles, and the table is netless and has sides. Players blow the ball and score a point by blowing it past their opponent. Scoring is similar to volleyball in that it is first to 11 and players can only score on their serve. Bizarre!

Danish artist Asger Jorn invented this game to explain his notion of triolectics. It is played on a hexagonal pitch and the team that wins is the team that concedes the least goals (not who scores the most). The game was first played in 1993 and a few games have been played since. It would be interesting to see some Premiership teams take part in this, especially if defense is the key to victory.

Skin kicking is a game played in England in the Cotswold Olimpicks. The aim of the game is to kick your opponent as hard as possible on the shins, and each time they hit the ground you get a point. The winner is the person who has the most points after three rounds. Players can pad their shins with as much straw as they want.

GP Sports: Tracking Technology

A blog post written by Stephen from SC1 Sports Blog.

Today saw a lot of the Premiership teams put through their paces back at their training grounds as the first day of pre-season began. Being an #LFC fan, I was eager to check up on my teams progress on their first day, and also to see what kind of shape Big Andy Carroll was in after his Ibiza and ‘Glasto’ adventures. Apart from the excitement of Christian Poulsen and Paul Konchesky being back at Melwood, I noticed each player wearing a black bra-type bib.

So what is GP Sports? According to their site (http://gpsports.com/gpsports_website/), GP Sports Tracking and Analysis Technologies are being used to improve the performance of elite team sport. They have revolutionised how team sport athletes prepare and manage themselves. For decreased injuries, weekly planning, allowing more time to be spent on speed and power activities, and more game specific programming. As well as Liverpool, their clients include Man Utd, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Barcelona. It is used by teams from other sports as well, with the South African Cricket team using it, and Australian rugby team St George Illawarra Dragons Football Club. A full client list is given here.

The most common product used is the SPI Pro X. This offers more in-game analysis. An impressive feature is showing the work load of each athlete, and how close an athlete is to injury. This means, if you have a target for training, for example, a body load score of 980, they can train until they hit exactly that point. This means feedback can be given on workload throughout training. There is an iPhone app for collecting the information.

I know from experience in tough training, certain people are quick to call the bluffers and say who isn’t ‘putting it in’. This technology would be great to try out. Also, playing an amateur sport (Gaelic Football) and having gone through the rehabilitation stage of injury, it would have been brilliant to be aware of my limits when attempting to strengthen my injury. I must have re-torn my quad muscle 3 times after the initial tear. It would also get rid of this "it'll tighten ye" attitude, where people are pressured to play through pain at their highest level when they only make an injury worse. However, do not...i repeat...DO NOT...tell the world for weeks you are in fighting shape, the fittest you have ever been, and then when you crumble, stand on the table at your press conference and show the world your injury.

Blasphemy! Pelé Questions Messi

A blog post written by Conán from SC1 Sports Blog.

When it comes to dishing out criticism, I’m right up there with the most controversial of sports fans. Show me the perfect player and I’ll point out the most dramatic flaw. My own blunt self-analyses have, in my biased opinion, improved my performances on and off the field and they have also given me a green light to suggest that it’s okay that I nit-pick at other sportspeople’s contributions – especially those lauded as the greatest talents of their generation (or even further back).

My critique habits had gotten so bad (well, I prefer ‘precise’) that even football’s very own golden boy Lionel Messi was not spared. In fact, I had actually been planning – for quite some time – to complete a blog outlining the weaknesses of the Argentine and undermine his apparent immunity to censure. However, after being advised by numerous friends (or any football fan for that matter) not to pursue the blog entitled ‘The Myth That is Messi’, I thought I should stall the idea. And, in hindsight, after watching Barca’s ace claim another treble – and helping out a little bit with 53 goals and 24 assists – I think my blushes (and reputation) have been well and truly saved. Besides, once I heard someone else steal my thunder, I thought the contrarian in me would appreciate a good argument.

And, just to uphold my outrageous nature, I thought I’d have a pop at Pelé for good measure. Because, speaking on Wednesday night after being asked about the magic that is Messi (I said it), the Brazilian defensively claimed, “Messi better than Pelé? To get there he needs to score more than 1283 goals” (But who’s counting, eh, Pelé?). And whilst I’ve accepted that Pelé was a decent footballer (heck, he was good), I think it was rather bold of him to play down the achievements of Lionel Messi and, at the same time, carelessly big-up his own record.

Spouting out those misleading facts of over a thousand goals with no regard for competitive fixtures, one of the greatest ever players sounded a bit childish and, if I’m honest, desperate. Plenty of people won’t like the criticism I’m aiming at Pelé, but when you’re trying to play down the current claimant to the former king’s throne, it seems more like a case of an old man sitting on a bar stool reliving glory days.

I also don’t want to misquote Pelé because he has obviously, in the past, spoken of what a terrific player Barcelona’s number 10 is, of course he has. And he has done that on more than one occasion. But setting the 2 times Ballon d’Or recipient unnecessary gauntlets to prove his greatness is harsh and unfair – and when you look at it, it is coming from someone who, as ridiculous as this sounds, is relatively unproven. The key word there is “relatively” and I don’t want anyone ignoring that!

When I say that Pelé is relatively unproven, I compare it to some of Lionel Andres Messi’s exploits. Obviously, Pelé has won 3 World Cups and it’s hard to argue with an athlete who has conquered the world consistently for 12 years. However, he is too quick and repetitive at pointing out that Messi is yet to really turn it on for his own country. Having failed to set the world alight in South Africa, the Argentine seemingly failed one of Pelé’s acid tests – one of his bench marks. Funny though, I didn’t notice too much of Cristiano Ronaldo at the World Cup, I didn’t see Wayne Rooney’s potential come through. Times have changed. Cup competitions are generally more difficult in this era because teams realise it is a knockout scenario and thus go out of their way to avoid defeat. Football has changed. Look back over those old footages and tell me how many untrained defenders are falling on their asses, how much space there is in behind. I don’t want to take too much away from Pelé - he is after all an undisputed legend. Similarly though, I don’t think it is right to write footballers off because they haven’t replicated what someone else accomplished 50 years before.

And to ignore what Messi has done for his club when being questioned whether he is one of the greatest is, likewise, out of order. I don’t need to get into stats like I usually would – it’s Lionel Messi! Besides, I don’t think I’d be able to tally the goals and assists that the adopted Catalan has recorded in friendly matches and dubious exhibitions which have, for some reason, always been considered when Pelé’s statistics are being compiled. What I would focus on more tentatively though is the fact that Messi has been lighting up the world from Europe for 6 years now; that he scored, this year, at the Emirates, the Bernabéu, and in the final of the Champions League all when his club needed the 23 year old veteran the most; that he has won, and starred in, 3 European Cups already, 6 domestic leagues and cups (in one of the best two leagues in the world) and taken home countless Player of the Year awards that have made me, someone who is actually slandering Pelé, withdraw my criticism of him. Meanwhile, Pelé spent his entire career concealing his talent within the Brazilian leagues and, oh of course, America.

The thing is, we will never know who is the greatest between Messi and Pelé – not without a Rocky-esque computer simulator at least. But even if Lionel doesn’t win a World Cup, even if he doesn’t score a thousand goals (notwithstanding 5-aside games), he should never be dismissed by someone who has partly ruined the debate because of his refusal to cross the Atlantic.

Top 10 Unusual Sports (Part One)

A blog post written by Stephen from SC1 Sports Blog.

This is the first in a two part feature from SC1 Sports, bringing you 10 of the most outrageous and unusual sports played around the world. In this first part, we bring you some sports consisting of inflatables, trampolines, and even a headless goat carcass. Also, the most physical and mental sport there is…

According to the British Octopush Association, “Octopush is underwater hockey and is a supreme aerobic game. It was invented in the early 1950s by sub-aqua divers in Southsea who got bored just swimming up and down pool lanes to get fit. The game is now played worldwide. Underwater hockey is fast, furious, and fun ...”. Players wear basic underwater gear, and then with their small stick, the size of a spatula, they hit the 1.2kg puck into the opposition’s goal. A 25 metre pool is used where each team has 10 players, although 6 players enter the pool at a time. A big part of the game is to judge when to dive underwater to make a play, as players come to the surface for air. Teams can be mixed or single sex.

The ultimate physical and mental challenge they are describing it as. The UK is currently the home of ‘chessboxing’, with London hosting the international tournaments since 2008. The game is made up of eleven alternating rounds. Starting with four minutes of chess, the competitors take to the ring for two minutes of boxing, before going back to the chess board again. You can win through knockout, checkmate, the judges decision or if the twelve minutes of chess time is exceeded. During the rounds of chess, players wear headphones so the crowd can’t influence them. In the result of a tie in the boxing, the players with the most black pieces from the chess wins. If the chess ends in a stalemate, the points from the boxing game are used to determine the winner.

The Basque government call this sport the fastest sport in the world because of the speed the ball moves at. It is known as “zesta-punta” in Basque. The court for a game of Jai Alai is similar to a squash court, except the walls are on the back, left and front. Players use their ‘xistera’, or ‘cesta’ to catch the pelota (Spanish for ball) and in one fluid motion, swing the ball back against the wall where their opponent must reply. As there is no wall on the right, all players must be right handed, or wear their cesta on their right hand. Because the ball travels at such high speeds, there have been many injuries in the game, and even some fatalities. The game is becoming a bit more popular after appearing in an episode of 'Mad Men'.

Buzkashi (or ‘goat-grabbing’) is a sport originating from central Asia, played on horseback. The aim of the game is to grab the carcass of a headless goat or calf and throw it into the scoring area at each end. There aren’t really any other rules, and is quite possibly the most aggressive game there is. Players can even use whips on opposition players and horses to gain possession. There are ten players in a side, each with a horse to ride on. The game can be dated back to the 13^th century, in the days of Ghengis Khan, and is the national sport of Afghanistan.

Moving on from the dangerous and quite scary game of Buzkashi, I bring you Bossaball. It can be described as a mix of football, volleyball and gymnastics. Any fans of Slamball may be interested in this also. The court consists of a trampoline in either half, with a player positioned on it. There are four players in a team. There isn’t much else to explain, as the teams aim to score just as they would in volleyball, except they can kick the ball. It looks really fun to play, and the video shows some outrageous overhead kicks to score after bouncing up from the trampoline.

Skinned & Lynched

A blog post written by Conán from SC1 Sports Blog.

Shame on me.

Just two days ago I spoke on our second podcast discussing why I couldn’t see anything other than an Armagh victory today at Clones. Our defence was weak; our key players were missing; Armagh had just too much in the tank for our relatively inexperienced outfit.

Shame on me.

I spoke volumes about this Armagh team. Charlie Vernon, Jamie Clarke, Steve McDonnell’s superlatives had bells hanging off them. What about the aptitude of Ciaran McKeever, Aaron Kernan, Andy Mallon? Need I go on?

Shame on me.

Because what I did briefly brush over, rather abruptly and disrespectfully in hindsight, was that Derry’s forward line had potential to hurt the Orchard county. And boy, did they wreck havoc today amongst the opposition backs in monstrous proportions.

Yes, the Oak Leafers still had a few problems in defence, as expected. Giving young and, for me, still unproven corner back Brian Óg McAlary the task of marking Jamie Clarke was particularly baffling. The Kilrea back works hard and no one can doubt his commitment to the cause. But, unfortunately, any time I have seen him, he has always proven too light, too loose and too rash to be playing in his county’s last line of defence. But I’ll give John Brennan a break this time – a nine point victory speaks for itself.

Besides, the selection policy of the boss, apart from that one glitch which was rectified with a first half substitution anyway, was undoubtedly on the money – so much so that odds-on favourites, Armagh, seemed less lucrative by the second. Throughout the week, we had heard speculation of a possible Kevin McGuckian return to the starting line up. I backed this idea but, again, said that I couldn’t see it happen because he hadn’t played all year. I had also spoken of my desire to see the inclusion of James Kielt back in Derry’s 15 – the reality of it too easily dismissed in our podcast. Thankfully, however, in John Brennan, Derry have manager who has been there and done it. They have a leader who will not shirk the responsibility of making the big decisions. They have a winner. And by reinstating Ballinderry’s corner back ahead of former Allstar Kevin McCloy; by recalling James Kielt’s thunderous left foot ahead of O’Boyle, Brennan made some bold and uncompromising moves which demonstrated that he too believes that there is no substitute for quality – and moves which paid rich dividends in his debut year as county manager.

Admittedly, I shamefully underestimated a manager whose appointment I rejoiced for. I undervalued a man who has won senior championships with 5 different clubs. Admittedly, I got it wrong. But having spent the last 13 years arguing blindly with anyone who would listen that Derry had talented individuals equivalent to some of the top counties, maybe I was just finally broken. Maybe I had cracked. Maybe I had given up like the rest of Derry whose loss of faith was all-too-evident in the thousands upon thousands of empty seats at St. Tiernach’s Park. But the team hadn’t.

And what was to unfold before my own disbelieving eyes for 70 glorious minutes was nothing short of a massacre.

From the outset, I didn’t like Armagh’s approach. I think the 2002 All-Ireland champions like to think that they are ahead of the game. They are usually the most physically tough team in the country – strong and robust. They are always amongst the fittest. And their psychological preparation has reportedly been perfected long before other counties even copped on. But strolling out of the tunnel - their shoulders back, their heads high – towards their pre-match photograph, they looked lacklustre. I spoke with a native who explained that this was all part of a new psychological routine of confidence and identity building. They are to walk from the tunnel, as opposed to run, to portray an alpha-male conviction. That this was their territory (even it was Monaghan) and they, the jungle cats, ruled. If this was the notion they were going for, then I recommend that they part ways with their psychologist rapidly - because their attempts to relay domineering confidence got mixed up somewhere along with casual lethargy. And things never picked up from there in their final pre-match preparations as the orange jerseys engaged in some static stretching (bizarrely before exercise) and lots of chit-chat whilst their opposite numbers built progressively towards match intensity. There is a very, very fine line between confidence and cockiness and, to their detriment, Armagh went wandering too much today.

(Another thought: Whoever decided not to deploy a sweeper in front of Eoin "Skinner" Bradley and his deadly allies today - not just from the beginning, but as the game wore on and the damaged worsened - needs to take a long, hard look at themselves. Brilliant, the media now say that they didn't witness "puke football", but to leave 40 and 50 yards of space in front of Bradley and Lynch for 70 minutes is catastrophically naive)

The most pleasing aspect of my home team’s first championship semi final victory in 11 years was that after all those arguments I have had down through the years, all those times where I’ve seen baffled faces gaze back at me, after all those friends that I have lost, I finally gained some reassurance that I wasn’t crazy. Of course we have some of the most talented footballers in Ireland being produced up north. Of course our club championship is, in fact, one of the most competitive in the country. Of course the Bradley brothers, Mark Lynch, Muldoon, McGuckian and all those other relative legends down through the last decade are as good as I say. Because, today, a Derry team minus Paddy Bradley, without the services of Gerard and Joe O’Kane, without Fergal Doherty, Patsy Bradley, Johnny Bradley, Paul Cartin, and Colin Devlin, with so many question marks at the back and in midfield, went to Clones and beat the 2008 champions by almost double figures in a semi final fixture – and, for that, my faith has been restored in the ability of those willing to trudge to Owenbeg on dreary midweek nights.

My one saving grace prior to Sunday was that I did, at least, remark of the strength in our forward line and I said, “a puncher always has a chance”. Okay, I didn’t consider that we had cast-iron, heavyweight punchers capable of delivering killer blows whenever they fancied. I didn’t even deem goalkeeper, Danny Devlin, worthy of a starting spot yet he went on to produce two outstanding saves – one of which was a game-saver which prevented Armagh from closing the gap to one point and, incidentally, we went straight up and opened the lead to 7. (I think we’re running out of egg for my face) And I didn’t show enough belief in our midfield pairing who provided the remarkably efficient platform from which we launched our attacks and kept the ball away from our sometimes shaky defence. Michael Friel stepped up abundantly as the opposition 8 and 9 failed to cope with his physicality in the centre and he, along with Charlie Kielt at centre back, hoovered up and dispensed of breaking balls like they were going out of fashion. Joe Diver was Joe Diver. Hungry, explosive, energetic – a complete nuisance.

And, for once, I am proud to say that the forward line were like… well, they were like Derry players. Quick, slick, direct, devoid of any respect for their trailing defenders, and oh so deadly. Brennan yet again answered my prayers by pulling Muldoon from the full forward line to the midfield and the most naturally gifted footballer in Balinderry was absolutely delicious. Pass after pass, left foot to right foot, Enda Muldoon was, for me, Derry’s man of the match through which the entire team prospered from his evergreen heartbeat. Of course, having the luxury of picking out Mark Lynch, who won every single ball without fail, and Eoin Bradley, who once again scored a ridiculous return of 1-05 (yet not that big a deal is ever made of it is there? Because he is a Bradley after all), Muldoon was a hunter in an open forest of defenceless deer. Lynch and Bradley demonstrated everything there is to showcase for a modern day forward. The pair were out in front at will (out in front of 3 or 4 different markers, each), they twisted and turned as they pleased, they ran when they wanted, they scored off either foot and, along with Conleth Gilligan who roamed devastatingly in and out of the full forward line, produced 3 goals that a would-be sports writer has run out of superlatives and synonyms to do them justice.

Call me over-the-top, call me premature, call me a dreamer. But the beauty of today was that an apparently under-strength Derry side, a supposedly inexperienced manager, a declining fan base, went to Clones and reminded themselves and everyone around them that there is still greatness at either side of the Glenshane pass. They restored the mass faith in the underdog story but, in doing so, restored a sense that this county is not an underdog at all… not by any stretch.

On Your Marks...

A blog post written by Stephen from SC1 Sports Blog.

August 13^th sees the start of a brand new Barclays Premier League season. New teams, new signings, new managers, new kits, new heroes, new villains. It promises to be an exciting one with Northern Irishman Brendan Rodgers’ Swansea side entering the league as the first ever Welsh side in the Premiership. Alex McLeish has a mountain to climb as new manager of Aston Villa, where he will have to first of all win over basically every single fan. Martin Jol has a point to prove at Fulham after his unfair dismissal at Spurs. Can Man City take another step forward and mount a serious title challenge? (Hopefully not)

Since the fixtures for the forthcoming season were released on Friday, all the talk was about each team getting off to a good start. It’s about building momentum early, getting some confidence and gaining some consistency in the performance. On the other hand, they say it’s a marathon and not a sprint. It’s a very long season with twists an turns.

I decided to take a look at how important the first six games of a Premiership season can be for the eventual champions in the last 10 seasons. Firstly I looked at the form in the six games and the point total taken from those games:  
It appears in the 3 seasons Chelsea won the league, they started their season with a bang. Twice they took maximum points, with the other season they drew two and won the rest. Even though Man United have won the league in 4 of the last 5 seasons, they haven’t exactly set the world alight from the start. So two different examples of how a start can be vital for momentum, but consistency is also vital.

And looking at how many points these teams ended up with:  
In the seasons Chelsea won the league, they followed up their magnificent starts with colossal points totals of 86, 91 and 95. Man United won the league on numerous occasions with lesser total, but maybe this shows how in a tight season where teams are beating each other, they have remained the most consistent. United remain the masters of 1-0 victories, especially when they don’t appear to be at their best. Arsenal set the bar extremely high with their ‘Invincibles’ team at the start of the millennium, and when Mourinho took over the helm at Chelsea, he knocked them off their perch.

So consistency plays a massive part of the Premiership season. Getting off to a good start is important for confidence, but it’s a very long season, and Man United have shown even if there are some early knocks, bouncing back to #RaiseYourGame can lead to success.

The Myth of Technical Football

A blog post written by Conán from SC1 Sports Blog.

It has been said before and it will be said again. Footballers in the British Isles are just not technical enough.

Physical, one-dimensional, predictable football. How often have we heard those terms when our home-grown talent is compared with foreign opposition? It may be a tiresome, timeworn, tedious debate, but it is unfortunately the truthful, debilitating disposition which threatens to leave football’s founders and its surrounding nations trailing the rest of the world for a long time to come.

Speaking this year, the most technically gifted central midfielder in the world, Xaxi Hernandez, claimed that Manchester United’s Paul Scholes is the best midfield player of the last 20 years – how could you argue with that? He can scan the pitch like no other, find and complete passes you wouldn’t dream of, and very, very rarely lose possession (he hasn’t been too bad in front of goal either has he?) Players like this are the key to unlocking defences; they are the secret to controlling games; but, regrettably, they are also as rare as an Emile Heskey goal in this part of Europe. We do our best to argue with Xavi’s philosophy.

More astonishingly though, the magician that is Paul Scholes lined out in an England shirt for just seven years – despite his football career expanding over a sevenTEEN year period so far. We don’t need to get into it - we all know how ridiculous the situation was – but you can’t help but think that Xavi hits the nail on the head when he says that Scholes would have been valued more if he was Spanish. Can anyone imagine the Barca number 6 being pushed to the left wing or even frozen out of the national team to accommodate other, less talented players? No matter who was not being selected (Cesc Fabregas anyone?), Xavi would not be moved from the centre where he belongs because if he was, then you take with him his eloquence and ability to demystify the attacking game into simple, beautiful and oh so effective football.

I think when the captain of THAT 1970 World Cup winning Brazil team warns us that, “unless you change your whole approach to football, nothing will get better”, then surely some sort of alarm bells should be going off somewhere. Carlos Alberto, a man after my own heart, reckons that the most important thing is that we improve our technique. And, as a coach with Brazilian Soccer Schools, I can’t stress just how much I agree with him. The Brazilian goes on to say that technical skills like dribbling, good movement and the ability to pick a pass are key to breaking teams down and I have experienced first hand just how vital these are – and just how effectively they can be developed.

The philosophy of Brazilian Soccer Schools (BSS) is based on the fact that the South American outfit are factually the most successful team in international football and, that’s right, they play the best football in that bargain as well. The programme uses the same techniques as they do on the streets of Brazil: a little well known concept called Futebol de Salao. I feel like I’m letting the cat out of the bag here, I really do, because ever since I have been introduced to this way of football, I can honestly say that my soccer competency has improved 10-fold (I was never one for exaggeration…). Futebol de Salao uses a size 2 ball and is much heavier than that of your normal regulated ball and thus has a limited bounce. This idea, of course, keeps the ball on the ground and helps address problems identified by the former Brazil captain of England’s lack of improvisation and their banal, repetitive use of the high ball into the area.

I don’t want to sound like I’m a publicist for the BSS scheme, I’m simply here to explore the best methods of training and, for me, Futebol de Salao is tailor made to answer our technical football cries. From day 1, kids are taught how to control the ball with the soles of their feet; they develop a unique and advantageous first-touch this way and learn to dribble with the ball under your feet – how often do we see this art performed by home grown players? This not only contributes to how comfortable players feel in possession, but it also encourages the use, and ease of use, of both feet from a very early age, and as they grow, players will learn to change direction, bluff opponents and play the Brazilian Way with an impressive command over the football.

When Fabio Capello took the reigns at Wembley, he stated (well, his interpreter stated) that one of his biggest challenges would be to overcome the “up and at ‘em” philosophy which was, and still is, so prevalent in the Premier League. How often did we hear people bemoan Ronaldo’s trickery on the wing? How often do we ignore Fabregas’ genius and question his guts to the physical battle? We, as 5 nations on the northwest of Europe, have turned our back and turned up our noses on the beautiful side of football and instead adopted a Jack Charlton-esc “Put ‘em under pressure” mantra. And as much as I enjoy a good underdog story, as much as I respect someone like Stoke City’s resilience, it is becoming all-too-clear that the Charles Reep school of thought is only a short term, results-based solution. No one playing route one, Wimbledon-style football will achieve notable success. And watching how easily Barcelona brushed everyone aside on their way to a second Champions League in three years, it is apparent that no “system” can beat the Catalan empire – to beat them, we’re going to have to match them. And whilst this is great for football, it is terrible news for the rest of us who lag so far behind and have copped on much too late.

You see, whilst the British and Irish youth systems have been designed to let players like Emile Heskey come through, their athlete-centred approach has for sure ensured underage success, but my oh my how it has been crippling in the long run. Take Man City as a perfect example: their contemporary academy has had great underage success because they brought through the biggest and fastest players from those age groups – but only Micah Richards fights for a place in the first XI there, and Daniel Sturridge seems to be the only other one who has made a name for himself. I mean, when a young player like Roy Keane is receiving rejection letters from fleets of shameful English clubs (most worryingly my own team, Villa) because he is too small, something is drastically wrong.

Meanwhile, in somewhere like Spain, and of course in Barcelona more specifically, players are being taught from the age of 10 of the shame of losing the ball – losing the ball at this age is, and should be, focussed on more than losing a game. But tragically, the importance of possession isn’t emphasised in our culture and we are left with the by-product of central midfielders who are actually afraid of possession (I don’t want to name names, Michael Carrick). The English have opted to concentrate on winning every possible match and whilst this has been great for the competitiveness of our nations and for the emergence of the Premier League as undoubtedly the best league in the world, it has cost us dearly on the international stage and in developing our own players. The most recent World Cup and European Championship speak for themselves and it is worth noting that since 1998, it has been Spain who have won 19 UEFA and FIFA competitions from under 16 to under 21 level. While we were focussing on beating each other, we forgot about the big bad world outside the population of the UK and Ireland. But Spain didn’t. Because, as the Spanish qualified more than 15'000 UEFA A and UEFA Pro Licensed coaches (more than double of any other country), England have a record of just over 1'000 equivalents on their cards. Spain have always produced great players, but their transformation from a perennial underachiever to world beaters - Barca’s unofficial claim to the title as the greatest team ever - has not all come about through coincidence.

Sir Trevor Brooking has finally recognised that we need to develop ball control and comfortable players from the ages between 5 and 11. Curriculums like Brazilian Soccer Schools ensure that every player has a ball for the entire session and attempts to recreate patterns and individual ingenuity from former and current Brazilian teams and technical players. When youngsters see people like Messi and Cristiano do something magical, they want to go to the park the next day and try it themselves; they want to show it off in the playground. Six and seven year olds don’t want to replicate how Richard Dunne can hit the ball 60ft in the air; they don’t want to learn how Fletcher can chase after shadows all day, how Kyle Lafferty keeps himself company for 90 minutes; and I’ve certainly never seen a schoolchild back off into another to hold the ball up in the same exquisite manner as an ignorant England number 9.

However, the IFA grassroots programme states in its mission statement that it aims to improve the kids’ mental, moral and physical development. Okay, I’m all for that and I completely get the concept that we still need to focus on physical literacy fundamentals like movement and balance, and a bit of social development never hurt anyone. But why don’t the IFA have any football targets? And why don’t they develop those other necessities through football like other, better systems can do? I’ve seen some of their basic sessions and it would honestly frighten me to send an aspiring footballer there to stand in queue to get a touch of the ball where I could send him to BSS or somewhere like Dutch Soccer Schools which set out to “let the children play” and let them explore their own problem solving methods at their own individual pace. It’s like someone picked up a bucket of common sense and poured it over the curriculum designers (worst sentence ever?). And the results are ridiculous. Witnessing the elite 10-11 year old group at their base in Leeds, the BSS small sided, possession games have already shown that technique, vision and quick-thinking can be picked up so quickly like you wouldn’t believe. I’ll not even get into their kick-up and improvisation abilities, but their possession play honestly made it difficult to believe that I was in the north of England.

We are behind many other nations, there is no question about that – but maybe, just maybe we are starting to catch on and we can finally start the long process of catching up. It’s just about time that all you coaches out there scrap your old, outdated manuals and just give your players a ball and teach them what is so obviously the best and most effective form of football. FIFA have woken up to the subjective and objective results of Futebol de Salao and have ripped it off with their own version, Futsal - not immoral, just necessary. It's time that this part of the continent acted as well. We don’t need fancy, hackneyed drills for a session to run smoothly – not at that age. We need to let the children play and we need to be able to work with each of them on a one-to-one basis. Just give them a ball and instil in them everything you shout at the TV every time you see Carrick blast the ball back to Van der Saar, every time you see John Terry being applauded for hitting Row Z, every time you see Heskey play… it’s that simple.

And who knows, maybe next time we won’t ignore a player like Paul Scholes.

Cricket: A First Timer's View

A blog post written by Stephen from SC1 Sports Blog.

When I was 15 I played a Gaelic Football match for my local team in County Derry, Northern Ireland. It was quite a big game in which we won and brought us to the final, however the events that followed the match will always be remembered. Disgusting scenes of fighting between players, supporters and even parents overshadowed the victory after the final whistle. I recall a parent of the opposition players hit the sister of one of my teammates, and I would guess we were not just the victims that sour evening. My parents have said since they stayed on to make sure I got back on my team bus before they went home. Unfortunately, these scenes are not rare in the sport.

Two months ago an excellent schools football final between Belfast Boys Model School and St Mary's Christian Brothers Grammar School was marred by more scenes of conflict where the police were called to take action. Even though spectators at the game will say the actual game was on the best finals ever with some heart stopping action, it is unlikely to be remembered for the right reasons. I remember seeing this in the news that evening in March, but the focus was of course the fighting, not new Liverpool Football Club academy signing Ryan McLaughlin scoring a last minute penalty to win it for St.Mary’s. What a shame.

On Monday 30^th May, I visited Stormont, Belfast, for the One Day International cricket match between Ireland and Pakistan. This was my first cricket spectacle so I was looking forward to it (not just because I got a free ticket, worth £25). I must admit I did have some preconceived notions about the sport. I thought it would be boring. I thought I would see a load of posh, upper class, la-de-da gentlemen sipping on their tea while discussing politics and applauding the odd catch or bat. How wrong I was, and I can say I had an excellent time in which I learnt a lot about the game and would recommend anyone to spend the day if they get the chance. I had a number of observations from my day.

After Paul Stirling (@stirlo90) was put out after his momentous 109 runs and was walking off, everyone applauded, including a Pakistani man sitting in front of us, who also got out of his seat and ordered his wife to do the same. Apart from Ronaldinho’s mercurial display for Barcelona against fierce rivals, Real Madrid, at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in 2005 where he got applauded by both sets of fans, I struggle to remember similar examples of affection from the opposition support in a sport I am more familiar with. It is quite unheard of. The shambles that is the ‘Respect the Ref’ campaign has been attempted in football, but there isn’t any point as players like Wayne Rooney and John Terry are still running around like petulant brats. I admire the rugby ethos of calling the ref ‘Sir’, and accepting his decision, as well as applauding the opposition off the field. Manners are golden and all that. It would be great to see football taking a leaf out of the cricket and rugby books, but it will never happen. Ever.

Walking around the cricket field I saw at least 10 groups of kids playing the game, just for fun. It didn’t matter the area, they just needed a bat and a ball. They made stumps out of twigs, used the portaloos, advertisement boards, bags or portable stumps they brought with them. What if someone had a portable cricket setup for kids to pay and use. A mini batting area for kids to whack balls flying at them would make a good few bob for sure. How about a fastest bowler competition or a target hitting competition? The winner gets an Ireland shirt (being sold for £35 at the shop at the field). A ticket for the game cost £25. I think this is steep. Maybe some will disagree, as they got the chance to meet their sporting heroes, and watch them play for 6 hours, but I was surprised at the price. Advertising for the game was somewhat non-existent. Had I not been told by Philip Wilson (pictured below with Pakistan’s Umar Gul), Matchmedia maestro, and creator of ‘Bumbles Balls’ cricket iPhone app (http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/bumbles-balls/id383483085?mt=8) about the game, I would have been clueless. Seems the game was only talked about within the cricket community. It appeared to be a great family day out, so why not offer a family ticket package to get everyone involved? Maybe a student deal, as some pints in the sun is always an interesting proposition.

Ireland beat England in the Cricket World Cup this year. It was a victory that inspired many. Another great underdog story that captured the hearts of all sports fans. We all knew who Kevin O’Brian was after that. The attendance for the Pakistan game was average, but I would have expected a massive push of advertising to raise the profile of the sport in the country. Get the players out to the schools, interact with the kids, get them excited to play the game.

I can safely say cricket is a proper sport. Some call it boring or tedious, I call it brave. Watching Umar Gul, the elegant and effortless Pakistani cricketer, bowl, was certainly an eye-opener. The ball must have been moving at 100mph at least, defying the laws of physics. I wouldn’t want to bat against him. On one occasion, although it didn’t get an Irishman out, he threw the ball from a massive distance and hit the stump. Pure skill and accuracy. I don’t know if everyone else was as impressed as I was, maybe these are simply the thoughts of a first-timer.

Before Pakistan came out to bat, I watched Ireland Strength & Conditioning coach, Brendan Connor, put the team through their paces. Sports science has been implemented in all sports to improve the athlete’s performance through analysis and training. I can see how cricket has a great need for this. Flexibility in reaching for a catch or bowling. Speed in making the stump as a batter or beating the ball to stop a certain 4. Power to bat the ball out for a 6. Leg extensions and strength for batters form. I came across this video (http://bit.ly/lYixP7) in researching how sports science is being used for cricket. Biomechanics (the study of human movement) has proved very important for analyzing bowling technique. Turns out choosing the wrong bowling technique can lead to serious trunk or shoulder injury. Brett Lee, the Australian bowler, broke his back at the age of 20, after his awkward form meant FIVE times his body weight was going through his knee joint. The bottom half of Lee’s body was front-on and the top half was sideward. This is called a ‘mixed action’. This led to counter-rotation, and then to injury. Recovering from injury, Lee was able to channel his power using science, and practicing a ‘front-on’ technique, as well as a training regime consisting of swimming and stretching to improve flexibility. Lee now throws at 100mph. The work of the sports science team for Irish cricket cannot go unnoticed and the standard of athlete is sure to be improved.

After my first cricket experience, I would love to see Ireland become a test nation, competing against the worlds best at the highest level. With extremely limited funds, they are certainly doing well at the minute and I am excited to see what he future holds for them. With scientific aid helping to produce better athletes, and a bit of publicity for the game in the nation, hopefully the cricket field’s grass will be greener for years to come.

Immersive Sports Environments

Opportunity

 

Immersive Sports Environments

 

The opportunity exists to engage, interact and to entertain every child in the modern world, in a new, different and meaningful way.  The current growth in immersive sports has a 99% lean to hitting imaginary balls with plastic sticks!  While this style of immersive technology is good for Microsoft and Nintendo’s, bottom line is it is no good for coaching, for development, for speed or agility.  Think to yourself – have you ever caught an imaginary ball?  I am sure the answer to this question is a resounding NO! Matchmedia’s immersive sports environments are a unique blend of the ‘real’ and the ‘virtual’ worlds, fusing together the best aspects of both to create a never before seen experience, ‘where Interaction and Interactivity play together!’

 

 

Product or Service (Please Describe Product or Service)

 

Immersive Sports Environments (ISEs).  Matchmedia Ireland have designed and planned approximately a dozen immersive sports environments.  Matchmedia intend to implement the full service of these environments from conception, design, implementation, hardware, software and support.  Matchmedia have been lucky enough to secure the support of the systems integration unit of NEC Europe.  The service, or services, neatly combine the best of both ‘real’ and ‘virtual’ sport.  To give a simple example – instead of younger children playing the Nintendo Wii Tennis Game (playing simulated tennis in a virtual environment). Matchmedia’s ISE cleverly mixes the spectacular of virtual with the touch, movements and realism of proper sports equipment – nets, racquets, goal posts, balls etc.  To give a realistic scenario – a child playing a professional coach on a court beamed using a powerful projector from a ceiling mount, only rather than projecting a ‘grass’ court or a ‘clay’ court why not have a ‘moon’ court, a ‘fluffy bunny’ court, or better still how about a ‘chocolate’ court bound to get the child’s attention and perhaps the attention of Mars or Cadburys?

 

Market size

 

As no product of this kind currently exists it can sometimes be difficult to assess the size of the potential market opportunity. We can, however, make some educated assumptions – by linking these assumptions together in a logical fashion a pretty clear picture of the potential market begins to appear. 

Assumption 1 -Each year group in the United Kingdom contains nearly exactly a million members i.e. girls and boys aged 4-5 = 1 million. Our immersive technologies we feel have a useful life of perhaps a max of 14 years of age.

Assumption 2 -11 year groups in the United Kingdom therefore 1million x 11 =UK market -11 million potential users or just over 6% of the UK population. It would be fair to say that there are approximately 120 countries in the ‘known world’ therefore -approx target market size =1.3 billion. Or alternatively 6.7 Billion people in the World -perhaps 2 Billion in the ‘known world’ again equates to approximately 1.2 billion (6% of market)

 

Assumption 3 -When making these type of assumptions the finger is often pointed to internet useage ie current internet ‘take up’ is approx 2 billion -current active users on Facebook is heading fast for 1 billion. Although internet is a part of the overall plan for the ISEs -it is not a prerequisite for deployment. The goal is to develop a new market from an old theme.

 

Sales Channels

 

Philip Wilson CEO of MatchMedia is a hardened sales professional having worked in direct selling for almost 20 years. Sales would be driven through multiple channels dependent on the medium for example hardware sales would be implemented by trusted third party vendors in the various regions. Software would be handle by a software implementation specialist effectively giving MatchMedia the means to deploy globally but without any of the infrastructure head aches that you may encounter. Matchmedia have identified ‘Digital River’ as a software deployment partner. The old adage will apply here ‘build em cheap -and pile em high!’ any current players in this market ie Snibbe Interactive charge in the region of $100,000+ for a system. MatchMedia predict that these colossuses of the industry will struggle to compete with the introduction of lost cost systems such as the microsoft ‘kinnect’ offering. Matchmedia’s primary market opportunity is a ‘bottom up’ sales strategy -by saturating the ‘fat’ low cost end of the market to establish a firm base and revenues. Before sliding up the scale to attack the potentially more profitable larger contracts.

 

Management Team

Management currently consists of :

 

Philip Wilson (http://Linkedin.com/in/internetsense) -CEO and 70% stake holder. Philip is a thorough bred sales professional, net entrepreneur and has just recently been named among the 8 most creative minds in the UK & Ireland -attending a graduation ceremony in Glasgow and winning an all expenses paid trip to San Francisco and Palo Alto where Philip was a guest of the British Consulate and had one to one meetings and pitches with major players in both Facebook and Yahoo Sports. Philip is also a prolific speaker speaking on all things tech,sales and innovation related.

 

James McKay

James is a hardened investor with successful investments including local Stress management firm Stradia, James also has invested in a Scottish wind farm, a Norwegian credit card processor and a Dutch Architectural firm. James also has a significant property portfolio stretching from Berlin to Buenos Aries. James holds a 30% stake in MatchMedia Ireland Ltd

 

 

 

Sporting Heros

It would be fair to say that for the shear size of Northern Ireland we certainly do well and do indeed 'punch above our weight' when it comes to Sport Superstars and World Champs. Off the top of my head I can think of at least one or two:- Alex 'Hurricane' Higgins, Dennis Taylor, Barry Mc Guigan, Pat Jennings, George Best and Joey Dunlop.

Perhaps more recently our attentions turn to include

some up and coming World Beaters: Rory McIlroy, Gmac, Stephen Ferris and what about the best of them all?? -MATTY BURROWS! (not sure what I am on about -click below)

Pele once said that George Best was the best player in the World (certainly that he had come across). Has Pele not met Matty? (just to prove the top one was no fluke! -click below)

On a more serious note 'hats off' to the Media folks at Glentoran Football Club who have 'tipped and tailed' these videos beautifully and turned them into professional easy viewing.

Want to know how Videos go viral? -take a leaf out of Glentoran's book:

Nice high def video

Beautifully presented

Great Content

and away you go!

Want to know more about what MatchMedia can do for your business -click here

 

Philip Wilson

philip@matchmedia.tv

0044 7860 196091

 

 

MatchMedia a happy, healthy one year old!

MatchMedia a happy, healthy one year old!

The 25^th of September saw the first birthday of MatchMedia Ireland Ltd. Hard to believe it was only this time last year that MatchMedia took our first 'tentative' steps.

Early in 2010 MatchMedia launched our first Digital Autograph Product for the iphone and ipad. This is where the fun really began with MatchMedia going head-to-head with some mighty industry players in the Football League and Warner Music.

May saw MatchMedia's founder Philip Wilson being well and truly grilled as part of a 'Screen Test' in BBC Manchester by the Producer's of the ever popular BBC Television programme Dragons' Den.

In August MatchMedia were lucky enough to work with the enigma that is the Sky Sports commentator David Lloyd and helped him to release the ever popular 'Bumbles Balls' an app for cricket scoring -which on launch day held the lofty position of being one of the highest ranked 'Sporting Apps' in this popular section of the iTunes store (being placed just behind Liverpool and Arsenal and just ahead of Celtic and Chelsea). Incredibly Bumbles Balls proved popular with buyers (£1.19) in such 'cricket loving' nations of Norway and Luxembourg!

When we formed the company -this time last year- the reason for forming the company was to unleash the power of the MatchMeter on the world (to be branded as MatchMetr) and we are pleased to say that Q1 2011 should see the launch of an English Premiership MatchMetr.

The intention of MatchMedia is to create new and innovative sports products and sell our products to teams, fans and supporters. It is important to realise that this is not simply something that happens over night. This is why it is so important to also keep one eye on the every day business and not to behave like the crazy start ups of the early nineties. It is in the every day running of our business (if you like the close to home stuff) it is here where MatchMedia's greatest successes have been achieved. MatchMedia have been working on a project with local company 'CycleSendit' -which is really starting to make tacks ;-) we have been commissioned by a local company to create an online community for the provision of 1-2-1 lessons i.e. any kind of one to one tutoring -tennis, golf, dancing, drumming, guitar etc -to say this is a meaty project would be an under statement.

Away from Sport the 'Media' in MatchMedia is also going strong with MatchMedia recently being employed to deliver some fairly dramatic digital visualisations helping ordinary companies to show of -quite brilliantly- their extra ordinary products. And MatchMedia's Philip Wilson continues to be much in demand as a Social Media trainer and speaker.

They say 'the first year is the hardest!' -one down many more to go!

As always we must thank David Kirk and James McKay without whom none of this would have been possible. And also the help skills and support -through out the entire year- of both David Armstrong who has worked his heart out and Diane Wilson whose consultancy and business skills have proved invaluable in 2010.

MatchMedia Ireland Ltd are specalists in:

Iphone and Android Apps, E-Commerce, PHP Development, Digitual Visualisation, Web Design -although we tend to specialise in working with the Sports Industry -MatchMedia are always delighted to help with any innovative project. Please Contact Philip Wilson 0044 7860 196091

Pietersen Twits rather than Tweets

This week, Kevin Pietersen - star player of the 20:20 World Cup and Twitter-eejit - managed to draw the public's attention away from the Pakistani match fixing scandal.

In one tweet, Kevin managed to break four of Twitter's 'unwritten rules'. The tweet reads:

"Yep. Done for rest of summer!! Man of the World Cup T20 and dropped from the T20 side too... Its a f***up!! Surrey have signed me for I ..."

Rule #1: Don't use Twitter to express anger
Ranting and raving to your friends and family is one thing, but broadcasting your thoughts to 40,389 followers? Not a good idea!

Rule #2: Stay relevant
In his tweet, Kevin mentions being Man of the World Cup - which took place in May. This is now September. For the past 4 months, Pietersen has played like a plank, and his followers already know this.

Rule #3: DO NOT SWEAR!
There's a time and a place for swearing, and Twitter is definitely not the place. Amongst Kevin's followers, there will be kids who look up to him as their role model, but even they now see him as an idiot. 

Rule #4: 140 characters or less...
You've got 140 characters. That's it! Either Kevin can't count or read the Twitter notification stating that he's over the limit. Also, in the world of Twitter, dots are characters too!

Rule #5: Don't apologise unless you actually mean it!
After his outburst, Kevin decided to apologise. The apology - full on insincerity - was actually worse than the original tweet!

Original Post from our pals at Navajotalk (Tim McKane)

http://navajotalk.com/index.php/component/content/article/1-general-content/79-kevin-pietersen-twits-rather-than-tweets

MatchMedia Featured in Community Telegraph

Many of the most successful businesses are those that manage to bring together the entrepreneurs interests and their skills.  Belfast based MatchMedia, a sports technology company, is aiming to be the latest success story that does just that.

The company, founded by Philip Wilson, is less than a year old but is already making waves with their range of sports orientated apps and software.

“The company started in September last year.  It was fabulous, I’d been putting things together for a year and a half, then a Northern Irish guy came over from America, a man called David Kirk, and got us pointed in the right direction.  I then went to Halo gave a talk and got some good advice and an investment of £100,000,” says Philip Wilson.

With the help of David Kirk, a former Silicon Valley executive who also recently invested in Belfast software company AirPos, and angel investment network, Halo, Philip has got the company off to a flying start.  In less than a year they have developed and launched a number of products with more in the pipeline.

As a sports technology company MatchMedia have found a niche in the market that they aim to make their own and as Philip points out “niche is the new big” it means that the sky’s the limit for the Belfast based firm.

Philip describes himself as a “massive Liverpool fan” but has a more realistic goal for the season than most of the club’s fans saying “I just hope don’t get relegated”.  It’s the marriage of Philip’s love of sport and his skills and background in technology that has driven MatchMedia forward.

“I was a computer trainer.  It gave me a good insight into how people work with the internet and how they view it.  Before that I sold photocopiers but I’ve been in business for quite some time, around 20 years, maybe it’s time to retire,” jokes Philip.

Despite aiming for a niche market the products that MatchMedia have developed a quite diverse.  Within the parameters of sport technology, that might initially seem narrow, they are already branching out into a variety of sports and with a broad range of ideas that aim to capture the imagination of sports fans across the board.

The most popular app that the company have developed is the Appograph that will allow sports fans to collect the autographs of their favourite stars on an iphone or ipod touch and the idea might soon bring the company beyond the sporting world.

“Appograph is an app that allows for digital autographs so if you meet someone, a famous sports star from your favourite team, then you approach them say I’ve been a big fan of yours for years and can I have your autograph?  You can then get it there on your ipod Touch.

“We’re already working with a number of rugby league teams, ice hockey and other sports and we’re currently in talks to bring it to the football league so you’ll have the images of the star on the screen for them to sign.

“We’ve also been approached by Warner music to see if we can do anything together with this.  We’re a sports technology company but this would be an interesting project too,” says Philip.

As if to highlight just how quickly the company are developing they are already working with a commentator from Sky Sports on their Bumbles Balls app that they hope proves a hit with the growing number of cricket fans.

“Bumbles Balls is a counter for cricket partnered with a Sky Sports commentator, David Lloyd, it works out the score, the number of balls and wickets, and his voice tells you what’s happening.  David has 100,000 follows on Twitter so we hope to utilize his reach and he then also gets promotion it works for us both,” explains Philip.

The apps that have been developed by MatchMedia are aimed at a price range that Philip says is around “the pocket money range” so that younger people can use them.  They have also developed an app aimed specifically at children in an attempt to get them out and involved in sport.

“Froggi Feet is to help introduce children into sport and get them out there and get them involved and active at a young age.  It helps promote sport as something that’s fun but it will also help combat childhood obesity,” enthuses Philip.

It hasn’t all been plain sailing though and in this niche market you can find some quite unique problems.

“The major difficulties are two fold.  I’m great with ideas but struggle to be the boss and when you’ve got £100,000 in the bank you have to make those hard nosed decisions on spending it.  When you have a staff to employ that money might not go as far you’d initially think.  Secondly is a problem you might not consider until you’re involved in this sort of business.  Sports people are always moving around, you make a connection and then you call them next week and they’re no longer there.  It happens that some people will move up a level and then it might work better for you but you’ve still to build a contact at their previous club again,” says Philip.

Despite the difficulties with the business the thrill of the venture continues to drive the enthusiastic Philip Wilson.

“It’s a great venture and it’s do or die.  If something comes along, like Warner music get on board, then you can potentially become the guy who invented this app being used by a Japanese singer or a Spanish band.  The potential is there to be massive,” he concludes.

Torres Gets Shirty

Author: Tim Bryans

Despite Liverpool not taking home any silverware last season, it turns out that Fernando Torres and Stevie Gerrard topped a crucially important list in the Premier League season of 2009/2010 -

‘Who had their name printed on a shirt the most?’

In what was a season filled with regret and turmoil behind the scenes at Anfield, with Rafa Benitez not knowing if his job was safe and Hicks and Gillett just doing whatever it is that they do, it is some consolation for the club to have topped such a prestigious poll.

But with transfer talk rife about both Torres and Stevie G moving on from Liverpool after the departure of Benitez, it could mean that there are some tough times ahead for the red half of Merseyside.

The full list of the Top 10 names printed on shirts in the 2009/2010 season is:

1. Torres
2. Gerrard
3. Rooney
4. Fabregas
5. Arshavin
6. Lampard
7. Drogba
8. Owen
9. Carragher
10. Tevez

I’m surprised there was no spot on the top 10 list for Hull City’s Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink. JJB Sports across Hull must have been rubbing their hands together with delight when he was signed. But sports stores across the country have had a busy time since Torres arrived in the UK. He also topped the poll in the 2008/2009 season and was third in 2007/2008.

Let’s hope he can put an indifferent World Cup behind him and put in another good shift this season, whatever club he plays for. And if you are wanting to get yourself in the mood for the start of the football season then there is no better way than with Spotflick – the penalty shoot out game for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Click here to go to www.spotflick.com to find out more. It’s the most footballing fun you can have with a mobile phone, unless you are Ashley Cole!

Appograph Promo

Here at MatchMedia Ireland Ltd we like to go a wee bit different.You may already have heard of the success of our recent 'Appograph' product for the iphone and ipod touch.It would be fair to say that creating the products is only half the battle,the on going promotion of these products is where the match is won and lost!

So in association with the ever supportive Todd 'Killer #44' Kellman (GM) of the Belfast Giants we are today launching our first Appograph promo video.Based on the legend of 'Mean Joe Green' and the much parodied Coca Cola advert dating back almost 20 years!

Belfast Giants -Appographs from Matchmedia on Vimeo.

Without the help and understanding of Team Managers like Todd Kellman -MatchMedia would have struggled to get up and running as quickly as we have.

To find out more about how 'Appograph' can benefit your team or brand -please contact:

Philip Wilson 0044 7860 196091

www.MatchMedia.tv 

Blog: MatchMedia.Typepad.com

Twitter - @MM_I

Call: 0044 2890 507155

One year on...

One year on… 

As I sit here, on a family holiday in sunny Spain, my mind drifts back to this time last year, or more importantly ‘business matters’ relating to this time last year. 

You see this time last year I was sitting preparing for a 3 way business call between myself, Steve Orr of NISP Connect and David Kirk, a Northern Ireland man who knows how to get things started; from his bio you will see that David was instrumental in getting some of the world’s greatest start up started. Anyway the call must have gone well because I was successful in securing a place in NISP’s Entrepreneur ‘Bootcamp’. 

The first day was a funny one for me as I started referring to ‘MatchMedia’ as ‘me’ and indeed ‘us’. David taught us a lot of stuff but most of all was ‘belief’ – ‘believe in yourself, your product, and your idea’ and ‘get started, up your game, don’t talk – do.’ I felt very at home in the academy, after all I am a business man and am lucky to possess strong presentational skills. For a few days last April – I stood on top of the world; from that vantage point all things seem possible. 

I was joined on the course by some great folks; Suzanne from SISAF, Donal from Biznet, John from Bubble, Gareth from Etolan, Tony from Vertical Wind, Paul from Clarity Business, Oliver from SpeechStorm, Dave from Sophia, Anthony from Media Light Box and Anthony from EyeSpyFx. 

On the final day I pitched my business and  my business ideas – and people actually listened and actually understood – MatchMedia  was born! I had previously pitched my business ideas a number of times before but people either didn’t understand or didn’t listen or perhaps they didn’t care. I had not only found my voice I had found my audience too- I had tasted belief!

After the course, I was invited to do a business pitch at the Halo Event in late June. Pitching at the event caused me no concern because I had my secret ingredient, “belief”, a dish served by master chef David Kirk.

After my confident pitch all fell into place rather quickly, securing an interest of private equity investment (many thanks to Alan Watts and Keith O‘ Donnell for their help and support)

On the September 25th 2009, MatchMedia Ireland Ltd sprang to life! A fledgling digital media company now worth an estimated  £400,000, predominantly owned and run by me.

But, this is where the problems started:

-We had no staff

-We had no products, only ideas

-We had no premises

-No Furniture, website, or communication tools

-No accountant

-No credibility

And perhaps most worrying of all; no customers!

On the plus side we had BELIEF!

We partnered with EyeSpyFX and delivered our first product - and indeed our first revenue, 82 days later! Partnership is a fabulous thing for a fledgling business, take it from me.

One year on, we have five staff: 

-a CEO, Technical Officer, Sales Manager, General Manager, and a Social Media operator.

-Two fully fledged product lines (with a third in rapid development)

-A fabulous office, in Blick Studios, Belfast

-Websites and blogs, Twitter accounts

-Support services

...and slowly gaining credibility even with those that didn’t think it could be done!

One ingredient was missing from the mix, that ingredient was belief!

It turned out I had it in my pot all along, only the best can make ordinary ingredients taste good...and there is no finer taste than the taste of belief!

As I said...what a difference a year makes!

The SportsCast Wireless Football Scoreboard and why MatchMeter Works Better

 The combination of sports and technology is increasing as time goes along, particularly in the mobile device sector.

One such product which recently caught my eye is the SportsCast Wireless Football Scoreboard. The device is a digital scoreboard, calculator style, which shows you score updates across the league in ongoing games. The unit claims to recieve updates every 15 minutes "via satellite signal", which is a tad vague, but apparently there's no subscription services to be paid for. 

The idea is a good one I suppose, but I can't help but wonder how useful it really is. You're not going to be carrying it on a train or a bus, it's too big and clunky. That leaves the only real place you're going to use it being your coffee table and well...with the iPad coming...the product might be obsolete before it even hits the marketplace.

This is why I think applications like the MatchMeter are far more innovative that producing such a specific product. Applications for iPhones can be adapted very easily to suit a specific purpose and this allows you to expand your marketplace very quickly and efficiently, and most importantly at no extra running cost. We're already talking to some American football teams about Appograph.

What's more, a lot of people own an iPhone now. iPhone marketshare of the cell phone market is growing every month meaning more and more people have access to applications available on the appstore. This means every appstore developer is investing in a marketplace ever increasing in size whereas companies like SportsCast are launching a product nobody really has heard of.

The distinction is massive, iPhones are the future!

Phil Wilson

MatchMedia Mini Launch!

 

On the 19th February 2010 myself and a few friends got together at the MatchMedia Ireland offices at Blick Studios in Belfast for a social lunch to help spread the word about MatchMedia, and showcase the core products we had been developing. The guest of honor being James McKay, an investor in MatchMedia who was keen to cast his eye on what we've been getting up to!

Present was: @twentyclicks @jim_montgomery @carolinesantos @ajmenary @claritybusinesseducation @gilchrist_llp @jonnykelly @dwilsonni @johndryan @leelowe @blickstudios @frameacademy @marcdowie @nicofell @davy_simms @nelsonsantos @eo_creative

...Oh and a few real people too!

An eventful evening was had by all with much discussion of new ideas in the communications sector, finding out about the new company, and get hands on with products such as the Appograph and Matchmeter. iPhones at the ready! Everyone also got a bit of an insight into the new and upcoming brand of "FroggiFeet".

David Armstrong (@ukprototype) was by far the star of the show and applied himself fantastically to show everyone his unmatched web development skills.

On the pizza scale of measurement the lunch seemed to go down as a great success with those present, all pizza was consumed in record time, a solid indication of hunger and attendance among the techies!

We at MatchMedia would like to thank all who attended and extend an invitation to any freelance developers, illustrators, consultants, press & PR who may wish to get involved with MatchMedia over the coming months. We're growing fast!

Finally our thanks goes to Blick Studios for the use of their facilities and for accommodating such a large crowd at such short notice, great job guys!

We all feel very grown up now - and with that our responsibility has surely got to the level that such items like this blog have to be updated on a more than annual basis....so I hope you enjoyed reading. See you back soon!

Philip Wilson

MatchMedia Ireland Ltd

___

Things are just starting to take shape with our various products. To take a look please visit our sites and blogs: 

Company Website                               

matchmedia.tv

Company Blog                                    

matchmedia.typepad.com

Twitter account                    

@mm_i 

Appograph! (under construction)         

www.appograph.com

Froggifeet  (coming soon!)                

www.froggifeet.com

LBM Belfast Giants » Giant ‘Appograph’ Signing!

The next time a Belfast Giant pauses to give an autograph they may well be confronted with an iPhone or iPod Touch to sign! That’s the intention of the Belfast Giants ‘Appograph’ on the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Picture the scene, you’re shopping in your local supermarket and Sean ‘The Sheriff’ McMorrow appears in your isle! You ask him for his autograph but you’ve no pen and no paper…but you have your iPhone/iPod Touch in hand! This opportunistic app allows you to grab your favourite Giant’s autograph no matter where you are.

The Appograph puts a modern spin on the traditional autograph book concept. Pictures of the LBM Belfast Giants are preloaded and the signatures are recorded by writing with a finger on the iPhone or iPod Touch screen. Once the autographs are collected, fans are able to show them off to friends and family via email or they can share them online on Bebo or Facebook.

The Belfast Giants Appograph is NOW AVAILABLE ON THE APP STORE

Also, why not bookmark www.belfastgiants.com on the home screen of your iphone or ipod touch. With the Giants icon on your home screen you can be sure not to miss the latest news and information from the Land of the Giants.

It is all about the APPortunity

'It is all about the APPortunity'

Halo NI Science Park - June 2009

As you know I was scheduled to pitch the company MatchMedia and my flagship product the MatchMeter to the Halo Investment group on Tuesday night (23rd June). Halo as you know is a mixture of angels, dragons and a few devils. The Halo event has also opened its doors to a number of VC’s.

Gareth from Etolan was up first. I must say Alan used the ’Bootcamp’ boys to great effect; positioning us to both open and close the event – providing a smooth start and a dramatic finish!

MatchMedia was top of the bill and Alan did a great job of ‘now for something completely different!’ I must mention that the Halo hierarchy quite literally only allowed me enough rope to hang myself, they vetoed my ‘Ian Paisley’ delivery style and limited my me, me, me story to 15 minutes. On the plus side, Alan was excellent at helping me to tell the story that the angels wanted to hear – and not the story that I wanted to tell (apparently I can be stubborn and a bit bloody- minded).

Pitch went well; the technology not so, as one of the highlights of my pitch the now infamous ‘rocket slide’ not only managed to stall, the bloody thing stalled just as my newly formed company ‘crashed & burned’ in a very visual way.


In summary, I pitched a both competent and vibrant vision of the future of MatchMedia and I am delighted to say that in general my tech tragedy seemed very much to count in my favour as many angels commented on my ‘coolness under pressure’ – so a small negative turned into a good positive. I was well supported in my pitch (very important) my sister Diane (Business Planning/PR) Keith O’Donnell (my Finance designate and total sports fanatic) and Richard Mahoney (Business Plan and all round good guy). I also brought 4 new angels to the ‘party’ again this proved to be a stroke of genius as a) angels hunt in crowds and b) one of them ‘fought my corner’ in the ‘angels playground’.

Details, details, details.

I asked for £100K – I think I’ll get it!
I should have asked for more
The E-synergy thing looks like ‘a belter’!
Positive engagement from 6+ angels
‘Talking Turkey’ with 3+ angels- already!
Favourite angel – ‘Crazy James!’

So MatchMedia isn’t just born it totally rocks!