A new social networking site has recently been launched directly aimed at football fans.
Although it may be missing a vowel, ‘Bantr’ has had very positive reviews in its first few weeks, so much so that the website has already expanded to include the Italian and Spanish leagues, as well as the whole of the English football league and European competitions.
Selling itself as the website ‘for the real football fan’, Bantr allows users to discuss the fates of their favourite team, rival and opposition teams, as well as predict scores from across the footballing spectrum.
Fans can ‘log in’ to matches and be updated with the latest scorelines and statistics, as well as ‘bantering’ with other logged in fans. Each user has a profile from which they can run and keep up to date with their own footballing world. And though the website is still in its infancy, reviews have so far have been extremely favourable.
Bantr features a rating system that will allow users to rate individual players during matches, as well as the managers of teams, and players can vote on substitutions and the starting eleven for each match.
Upon checking into a match, the statistics for each fans predicted result, as well as their agreeing with or disagreeing with the decisions of a manager, is predicted to give an intriguing insight into how the fans of clubs across Europe view their favourite team. Neutral fans can also log in to matches, allowing for varying views on matches and line-ups from different footballing backgrounds.
The websites creator, Peter McCormack, first had the idea during last seasons campaign supporting Liverpool, when he noticed a huge amount of criticism coming in for then manager Roy Hodgson on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. The first question a new user is asked when signing up for the website is whether or not they have faith in their current manager, and the statistics regarding this is something McCormack has stated as feeling key to the success of Bantr, as it will allow a statistical analysis of football fans views on their respective clubs.
Fans gain ‘points’ for check-ins to matches and it is also hoped that if the project takes off, the most committed of football fans with the most points may be rewarded by their club, potentially in something like the club shop.
The website itself bares similarities to both Facebook and Twitter in certain respects, but there is no convolution; the sole goal of the website is football and football alone.
Sign up and start following your favourite club today at www.bantr.tv.
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