Football Partnerships

By Alex Kotler

Football Partnerships y European Football Group comparten el resumen ejectivo acerca del fútbol y los medios sociales con orgullo.

La Encuesta de Futbol y Medios Sociales fue producida en conjunto con TWEET! Blowing the Whistle on Social Media, una discusión de panel organizado por Football Partnerships en la sede de Major League Soccer en Nueva York el pasado jueves, 5 de noviembre.

Comuníquese con Alexander Kotler or Michael Wiesenfeld para más información.

Football Partnerships y European Football Group le agredecen a Fabián Banchiero, CEO de Banchiero Sports Enterprises, por traducir el resumen ejecutivo.

Descargar el resumen ejecutivo

By Alex Kotler

Football Partnerships and European Football Group are pleased to release their groundbreaking study on soccer and social media.

Prepared as a follow-up to TWEET! Blowing the Whistle on Social Media, a panel discussion organized by Football Partnerships at Major League Soccer headquarters in New York City in November, the report highlights the relationship between soccer fans and their favorite leagues and teams, and the effectiveness – or lack thereof – of those leagues and teams to connect with their supporters.

The report will be available in Spanish and French next week.

Please feel free to contact Alexander Kotler or Michael Wiesenfeld with any questions.

Download the Soccer & Social Media Study Executive Summary

By alex kotler

Both parties have good reasons for making the decisions they have, [but] the history of this type of separation in soccer is not positive. We need to find ways to work together rather than moving in different directions, further dividing the soccer community and the very limited resources, such as sponsors and fans, among multiple outlets. Historically, this has been a recipe for disaster!

-Jack Huckel: Secretary, Executive Committee, Board of Directors at the NSCAA

Secession movements, historically, are failures.

Take Tibet, Kashmir, Padania and Catalonia. Though each is occupied by culturally distinct and proud, independent people, each nation-state lacks the resources to sever ties with its “parent” and become a self-sufficient, recognized autocracy. (For argument’s sake, and to keep my friends in these regions, we will assume that the objective of secession is purely autocracy.)

Ultimately, if separatist nation-states cannot fully break free, they become like arthritis – ever present, costly to treat and painful reminders of what used to be (or might have been) but never will be (again).

Thus I draw the parallel with what is currently happening with what is/was the United Soccer Leagues.

A very brief summary
The United Soccer Leagues represent(ed) the second and third tiers of professional soccer in North America, along with amateur tiers beneath those. Nike purchased Umbro in 2008, which owned the United Soccer Leagues, but by 2009 wanted to focus on its core competence and, thus, sell its stake.

Several parties, including Major League Soccer, Traffic Sports, Team Owners’ Association (TOA) and Jeff Cooper (owner of WPS side Saint Louis Athletica), were said to be in the running. As the story goes, Cooper – who had amicable relations with TOA – was the high bidder, but NuRock Soccer Holdings, an Atlanta-based group with ties to the existing USL administration in Tampa, Florida, made a late offer and won Nike’s majority stake.

The nature of how and why the deal went down as it did remains unclear to the public, but the result is a shambles. TOA and Traffic Sports aligned with Jeff Cooper and his St. Louis expansion group, forming a breakaway league comprised of the Atlanta Silverbacks, Carolina RailHawks FC, Miami FC, Minnesota Thunder, Montreal Impact, and the Vancouver Whitecaps. Certain teams loyal to the USL, the Charleston Battery for one, remained, while others, such as the Rochester Rhinos, waited for the recent USL AGM to hear NuRock’s plans for the upcoming season.

Now, the breakaway league claims to have up to 10 teams, including the Rhinos, Crystal Palace Baltimore and the Tampa Bay Rowdies, having re-branded as the North American Soccer League – the same known for the likes of Pele, Beckenbauer and Best.

The fate of NuRock’s United Soccer Leagues is yet unknown.

Is this the beginning of the beginning or the beginning of the end?
According to Greg Lalas on his recently-launched podcast, Waiting for Gaetjens, the USL was stale and in need of a shake-up and – while not suggesting that the manner in which this situation unfolded was favorable – it could represent an opportunity to elevate soccer in North America to a new standard.

Kartik Krishnaiyer, on this week’s Football Partnerships podcast, hoped for the same, although his measure of optimism was veiled with a layer of wariness.

I echo my colleagues’ sentiments and keep Jack Huckel’s opinion in mind. Across an already fragmented landscape, the song of the secession siren is a dangerous and lustful tune that typically ends for the worse.

Then again, I think of Singapore, of the Republic of Ireland and that tiny nation of the United States of America.

Maybe it can work.

By ALEX KOTLER

For the second time in two weeks, Football Partnerships delivered a top-level event without a hitch.

KICKOFF: ATLANTA, held at STATS on Marietta Street downtown, featured presentations by Steve Bellis, Commercial Director at KickWorldwide, Jill Robbins, Executive Director at Soccer in the Streets and Alex Kotler, Founder of Football Partnerships.

The evening also provided the opportunity for soccer industry professionals to meet, mingle and learn within one of the city’s premier sporting venues.

“We enjoyed an important evening meeting others in the business of soccer and were thoroughly enthralled by the tales of Steve Bellis from KickWorldwide,” commented delegate David Bash, Founder at Techno Soccer Ventures. “As a soccer-entrepreneur, I recommend that you attend the next KICKOFF in your area and help support this grass roots effort to unify the business of soccer.”

Among the delegates in attendance were representatives from The Atlanta Beat, Red Bull North America, Georgia Soccer, Georgia Soccer Park, Insignia Promo and more.

Following a period of informal networking, complemented by refreshments, guest presenter Steve Bellis shared the insightful and, at times, humorous story of his experience as Commercial Director at English League 1 side Stockport County FC and how he brought the club to China’s uncharted western provinces, garnering crowds that dwarfed those at matches played in Beijing and Shanghai by the likes of Manchester United and Barcelona FC.

Later, he discussed his newest project, reality television program Soccer Prince, which awards the winning participants apprenticeships at English Premier League football clubs. Soccer Prince has been viewed by over 130 million people in China.

Listen to Mr. Bellis’ presentation from KICKOFF: ATLANTA via the Football Partnerships podcast.

“Football Partnerships is providing a much-needed forum for soccer industry professionals to build relationships and explore commercial opportunities,” said Alex Kotler, Founder of Football Partnerships. “Bringing together the industry’s decision-makers within a comfortable and welcoming environment – and providing educational and entertaining programming – is what Football Partnerships’ KICKOFF events are all about.”

Partners for KICKOFF: ATLANTA included The Georgian Terrace Hotel, Autograph Signs, Todo Alemán and Soccer Wholesale.

Next on the schedule for Football Partnerships is the 76er Mixer, a top-level networking breakfast at the 2010 NSCAA Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The event is free for all NSCAA Convention exhibitors and is $15 for Football Partnerships members, the latter of which enjoy a complimentary day pass to the exhibition and seminars.

Register for the 76er Mixer

Download the partnership/exhibition opportunity presentation

By Biff Tannen

It’s just media. It’s not the Wild West
-Chris Toy

Of everything that was discussed at TWEET! Blowing the Whistle on Social Media, I found Chris Toy’s Wild West quote to be the most salient.

Toy’s notion explained that, as the chaos of the Internet age begins to wane, people will no longer utilize the web to randomly search. They will know the three or four sites that they need to gather the information they desire. It is all about getting your content in the right place and utilizing social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, to cheaply go after the demographic you want to consume your product.

Often we get ahead of ourselves when distinguishing the difference between “social,” “digital,” “advanced” and “new” from “old,” “print” and “traditional.” At the end of the day the content is virtually the same: It’s just about putting it in the hands of the people you are trying to reach.

Here’s a quick look at the other speakers on the panel:

-Amanda Vandervort, Web Coordinator for Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS), provided insight into WPS and their efforts in utilizing social media, including amongst the players and general managers, to give fans inside access to every aspect of the league.

The belief that social media can drive a grassroots campaign, when executed correctly, is something that President Obama and his Blue States Digital team proved during the most recent election.

Social media has become a necessary function in reaching the masses for little to no cost. WPS’ “recommendation” that players and GMs tweet will allow each fan of WPS feel more involved, more connected to their favorite club.

Isn’t that what we all want as fans?

Chris Schlosser, Director of Digital Strategy at Major League Soccer (MLS), discussed some of the challenges in bringing MLS’ website in house. Schlosser also discussed the importance of building fans of teams. At the end of the day, fans are supporters of local teams – not leagues. As MLS’ continues to grow it will find new ways to engage the local market and will push for more interactive fan discussion during streaming games and webcasts.

Greg Lalas, Editor of Goal.com and host of MLSnet Extratime, provided insight on increasing readership, page views and building a soccer community through content and expansive coverage.

Overall, the event was a worthwhile gathering. It provided a lot of inside information into what various organizations at different stages of development are doing to spread the word.