EFL to clamp down on Matchday Vloggers

[Chris]

The English Football League is going after Match Day Vloggers, in an effort to stop them from filming match coverage. This includes videos of a fan reacting without showing match footage, something I feel very disappointed about. So far there doesn't seem to be any consistency with who they go after at the moment. I am aware of several vloggers being issued bans - two of which I know from having started Football Manics.

As most of you will know, we have our very own match day vloggers who have been doing it for years.

@ARLukomski for example puts so much effort into his own video content, that it would be a shame to see the EFL issue bans to restrict him from putting out his content.

Some people may be on the side of the EFL, although I would question why. There is no law restricting footage being captured in a public space; simply rules and guidelines.

Fan-driven content could easily be argued as a productive outlet for a club. While I acknowledge the concerns regarding goals and such, it is a fact that official highlights consistently outperform vloggers in terms of views. Football is a sport built on its fans, however little respect is given to us.

This isn't just about two AFC Wrexham fans who have been banned, a number of others have started to be warned by their respective clubs.

I see no reason to ban fans from being able to record their reactions, if a mutual line would be not to record the game.

One point I should be making clear, is so far all the people I know of are earning revenue from ads on YouTube - therefore it makes me think it's about money but most of the content vloggers put that back into their clubs by following them home and away.

It's a disgrace in my eyes.

[Ohh Tommy Johnson]

That is just ridiculous.  I can understand not showing any action, although, mostly what I have seen it is always inconsequential action.   Where will it stop - no recording in the ground, outside the ground, wherever you can see the ground in the background? I am assuming they will be using similar laws around photographing private property (e.g. you can't publish photographs including images of National Trusts / English Heritage sites).  People will still do them in their cars / pubs etc.  I don't really see what they are trying to achieve unless they plan their own output (which is likely to be sterile and dull).  It seems pointless and counterproductive.

[ARLukomski]

They do this every single year and every single year, there are far more important issues to sort out.

I've been doing this for nearly 8 years and not once has anything happened. 

I don't earn anything through these videos (not even in ads) and I don't have any monetisation set on my videos. I also don't release my videos until after the highlights have been released and back when I did upload my videos at a decent time, the highlights packages would still get more views anyway. 

I was the main part for the BBC's FA Cup stories with Notts back in January 2018. This video was shared by Notts' Twitter page and Alan Hardy and nothing was said to me.

Even stewards are fine. Southend's stewards used to be awful with people that filmed at the ground and they never said a word to me, in my 2 visits to Roots Hall. I've had stewards at Notts say they watch my vids and even Ruben Rodrigues said he recognised from YouTube. The greatest compliment I've ever received.

I can see why others would get annoyed by vloggers but at the end of the day, I've had 13 years of following this club and had a season ticket since 2013. I'm thankful to have met fellow Notts fans who have supported me through my time doing videos.

Fan made content can bring exposure, not just to the club, but the lower leagues as well. Something that's hugely missing in modern day football. Nobody will ever understand the feeling of following your club up and down the country every week and the memories you make and the people you meet. This, in contrast to the commercial TV cash dragon that is the Premier League, where it feels in a different universe. 

The only time I've ever had an issue, is when my Grimsby vlog was taken down earlier this season, for a privacy violation when I was talking into the camera. The only people visible in the shot that YouTube told me were Jon, Anthony, @Megan_Elizax and someone who I spoke to at a few games this season. 

YouTube's communication about this, was, in a word, woeful. For a worldwide, biillion dollar company, it was unacceptable. Taking that long to reply and to help me. It would've been easier to slam a revolving door. It was also further evidence, that a complete review is needed of YouTube's claim and review system into videos, because anything can just claimed and YouTube will just accept it and move on.

My question is what about the actual biggest problem in modern day football. What about the football clubs themselves in todays current climate? What about Reading, Sheffield Wednesday and Morecambe. What about previous problematic owners at Charlton, Birmingham, Coventry, Bolton, Bury, Macclesfield, Southend, Scunthorpe, Blackpool, Derby, Leyton Orient, Port Vale and Hull. Literally, anyone can buy a football club nowadays. They're institutions and community assets and nothing gets done to protect them. This is the biggest problem in the lower leagues.

[Chris]

@Ohh Tommy Johnson Issue with private property, in the eyes of the law if you welcome people into the space by default it becomes a public place. Train stations, supermarkets and shopping centres are getting caught up with this. Some are now changing how they approach vloggers, due to auditors.

Public places are protected. There are no actual laws preventing photography or videography.

While it is true that there are stated restrictions and policies in place, it is important to clarify that these are civil in nature. Any assertions about the unlawfulness of these measures are simply inaccurate. Mostly just trying to frighten people.

Whilst I don't think capturing footage of the game itself can be a smart decision, in recent years, Sky Sports and other media outlets have made it quite popular. The Football League has also bizarrely praised some vloggers in the past by doing interviews etc.

I don't see how the EFL can ban fans for recording their own face, talking about the game. At some point, someone will challenge this and, personally, it's something I would side with. As I say, I get the footage concern, although it's quite daft and doesn't actually harm anyone.

Vloggers should be allowed to record themselves and others, in an effort to capture the match atmosphere.

[Ohh Tommy Johnson]

I agree.  I know my wife had to be very careful when on or near National Trust and English Heritage properties, and wasn't able to sell any pictures that included any of their properties.  I had assumed there was some sort of civil restriction (the threat was suing rather than arrest), but Civil law is largely for the rich, so maybe they are just exercising the old ' we have bigger pockets than you' card.

I agree though... it seems a pointless and wrong headed thing to do.

[liampie]

fans need to let the clubs know they stand with the content creators, because vloggers are an important part. i watch all of @ARLukomski videos. it helps me to process some of the times when i feel feel most annoyed. seeing it through a different fans eyes, it helps and even when i am not disappointed. big feels feel very enjoy being able to watch them again through another fans experience.

there is no harm in it, the efl are creating a war against fans at a time they and fifa are saying fans need more involvement in their clubs.

its just wrong.

[TheSkipper]

Football is nothing without the fans, so I can’t understand why they would try to take something like this away from them. There has been a surge of people hoping to make big paydays by Google ads via YouTube. There was a young lad, who wasn’t very good at vlogging some time ago, he just made fans look bad and would brag about making good money from his terrible videos. To earn a reasonable amount, you really had to be getting good views. Views that are retained. I hope they should be strict with people who are doing it for the right reason, give knowledge and put effort in.

[CliftonMagpie]

I understand, but I don’t agree. The problem is all these popups that seem to think they can make money or are doing it for some other reason. How many vloggers does one club need? We are also attracting many people who pretend to have a genuine interest in our club. They are not supporters, but they come here to try to get views because we were successful last season. Personally, I only watch @ARLukomski because he’s been doing it for a long time. He puts in time and effort, he’s not cringey, and he shares his views, which you can often relate to. Some make cheesy thumbnails as if they’re 15-year-old girls doing makeup videos, pouting and acting all shocked. It just seems fake. I don’t think these should be allowed. People like ARLukomski should be okay in my opinion. I’m not biased, as I don’t really know him, but I do appreciate what he does here.

[AmericanPie]

Every club should be able to nominate 3 vloggers that are under their licence. They should be made to wait to release their footage after the official highlights have been aired and worked with, not against. @ARLukomski makes me feel closer to matches, just like PON makes me feel a part of the community and connected with what matters. I get what the EFL are doing, but by targeting fans in this manner they are removing what helps them to be more approachable. Good vloggers serve the club. Yes, there are some right idiots blogging, but the EFL/Clubs should embrace and support.

[thommo]

It’s inevitable, as much as I dislike admitting it. When there’s profit to be made, the larger media outlets won’t be pleased and will want to keep people in check. It wouldn’t shock me if they start banning some of the more prominent vlogging channels. I don’t condone it, but I can’t say I’m surprised.

[DangerousSausage]

On 05/12/2023 at 16:24, ARLukomski said:

Fan made content can bring exposure, not just to the club, but the lower leagues as well. Something that's hugely missing in modern day football.

This is the point the pen pushers don't understand. There is wall-to-wall coverage of football, but there's not an awful lot on official channels that promotes the matchday experience. Whether they're your cup of tea or not, vloggers do that. They are promoting the Football League's product.

How is it different in principle from Sky's Saturday show, when you also watch people watching the match?

[Joshua]

Ultimately, it’s all about money, not the fans. Sky has had a significant impact on football, both good and bad. The rise of vloggers can be overwhelming given their numbers, but that shouldn’t be a reason to exclude them. They should also be allowed to earn money, considering the work involved, and I agree that it will likely be reinvested into the club. What @ARLukomski does for Notts, in my opinion, is attract younger fans and engage those living abroad. It’s unfortunate that the EFL is being unsporting about it.

[Robbie]

I enjoy listening to what our club supporting Vloggers have to say. I think it is an important part of getting all the information from a match, it adds to the day and is very entertaining.

I can understand the concerns raised by some, but I don't see any problem if the Vlogger doesn't show any footage of the match itself but reports before, at half time, and after the match. 

The media are somewhat living in the past, & are still reluctant to embrace the modern technology available to us.

Club Vloggers have a big part to play in the modern era in my opinion.