 |
| Wonder why everytime these men flock together, fans flock together as well? Blame social media. (credits to jonny) |
On that night on December 5, 2010, when the few Filipino football fans who have watched the Philippine national football team win against the national team of Vietnam, the then-defending Suzuki Cup champions, they logged-in to Facebook and Twitter and passed the good news of victory around the Internet. Minutes later, the national team’s well-known and well-loved monicker, the “
Azkals,” became a trending topic on social media, and Google searches of almost every player of the national team surged. People started to get interested with the men who became a new source of Pinoy pride. A year on, the Azkals and the sport of football became one of the most talked-about topics in the Philippines today.
It’s all because of
the Internet.
 |
| Since the 2010 Suzuki Cup, anything related to the Azkals and Philippine football trends in social media regularly. |
Why do I credit the Internet? As I am an enthusiast of Information Technology, I believe technologies like this played a major role in inciting interest among Filipinos with the sport of football. With the Internet, the things that we have interest with are able to be shared across the world as long as you have access. With websites such as Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and online forums, we are able to share what we think, what we appreciate, what we criticize about things like Philippine football. This I never expected a few years ago.
 |
| The UFL, empowered by social media. |
You may ask, “What’s the point here?” The point I want to emphasize with is that the social media scene is now a large part of the machine that pumps up the popularity of football in the country. Social networking sites help friends, relatives and colleagues connect in supporting football. Through a simple wall post, tweet, comment or blog post, these can impact the popularity of the sport, whether it could be about the national teams, the youth teams, the
United Football League, or even the grassroots programs. Fans are being made through social media as they come together online to support their favorite team. Social media also created a system of discussion among people who wanted to share their thoughts about the beautiful game.
But there is something missing.
 |
| Message boards are everywhere. |
Being a budding software developer, we should not just limit ourselves with social media this year 2012. There are numerous applications online that we must utilize and take focus in order to promote football in the country. With
online forums and message boards about Philippine football springing up, we should participate with the discussions and commentary about the sport. Also, we can use them to be able to scout and recruit potential national team players; we may never know a skilled Filipino player from here or abroad becomes interested to join the Azkals or the Malditas, or even join the UFL.
 |
| Wikipedia: the go-to source. |
Not only that, online reference tools such as
Wikipedia can also be utilized to promote the national teams, the UFL, the clubs and its players. There is a serious need to promote them by making or improving their Wikipedia entries; all the users need is a thorough research, a little skill, and following the guidelines. No wonder we would see detailed, extensive entries sooner than we think.
 |
| Podcasting works! |
As podcasting and video blogging continue to be a useful communication tool worldwide, there is an opportunity for us to share our thoughts through online multimedia. Fans can make their own audio podcast on anything football. Football leagues such as the UFL and its clubs can utilize these platforms to share match highlights, opinions, and fan support. Mainstream media can use podcasting as an alternative to what they broadcast on TV and radio. In due time, our football clubs will have their own show even over the Internet.
 |
| Why not develop you own football-related software? |
To the geeks out there, ever wonder if football can help satisfy your passions? Why not help out the community by making your own information system, maybe something that dynamically records match statistics, analyzes player abilities, or organizes the league system? Why not build your own localized version of FIFA Soccer and Football Manager video games? Why not research on studies related to football in many areas such as in management, economics, statistics, mathematics, physics, computing and other forms of sciences? Why not help our local football associations and clubs build their websites to promote local development? The possibilities are endless, and it would definitely help not just our local football community but the whole world as well.
All it takes is your urge to help.
The Azkals wouldn’t have made this far if not for your continuous support through your use of technology. As they venture to more games this 2012, I expect that they need your utmost support – the support that they need for them to play better and bring pride to our nation. I expect that every wall post, every tweet, every comment, and every blog post you make, will leave a significant mark in this blooming community. I expect that in this digital age, Philippine football will be strengthened through our innovativeness and creativity.
Expect more trends this 2012. Never miss the chance.
KENNETH
