How video-sharing technology is bringing much-needed modernisation to grassroots sport – Telegraph.co.uk

It is partly down to this curiosity of grassroots players to see themselves in action that Pitchero, which is a long-running club website service across various sports, has this year launched Pitchero Play where clubs can record and host videos in real time – both to supporters and the other 70,000 teams that are part of the Pitchero network. The Pitchero club websites allow teams to manage payments and memberships, and share information such as details on fixtures, player statistics and league tables. 

The Pitchero Play technology is very simple (essentially a Samsung Galaxy camera phone and a tripod), but the program allows whoever is videoing the match to upload the footage in real time to the team’s page and their social media channels, meaning supporters and loved ones can follow the action as it happens.

It is easy to use, and requires no editing or post-production work. Whoever is filming just needs to click a button to denote a key event, which then automatically uploads a clip of the previous 20 seconds, allowing followers to watch a goal or a try, red card or calamitous blooper within an instant.

Incentivising the social media generation

Amateur players sharing video clips has many uses, but fundamentally Pitchero Play is an attempt to encourage people to take up grassroots sport by giving them a platform to showcase their talent. It’s the same logic that explains many social media users’ obsession with sharing their running or cycling data, via apps like Strava.

Pitchero’s founder Mark Fletcher argues that for the social media generation, this sort of interactivity is essential.

Fletcher, 31, says: “The biggest thing about this is driving participation in grassroots football. It’s about giving people that instant satisfaction, getting them to relive that experience, getting them talking about it.