iFollow for the Afflicted
I’ve supported Wycombe with my family since the early 90’s and been to most of the big games in that time (Preston, Man City, Lincoln, Wimbledon, Leicester etc). But since a pre season friendly against Maidenhead United in July 2016, I haven’t been able to travel to matches due to a long term health condition. I am very slowly improving and I am hopeful to get to a couple of games in person this season, fingers crossed.
The club’s social media, highlights, audio commentaries from the brilliant Phil Catchpole, and the odd game available on iFollow and Sky have, between them, kept me feeling connected to our wonderful club. Covid-19 has obviously been awful, but the silver lining on a personal front is it has allowed me to watch every minute of every game in 20/21 season on iFollow. And I relished being able to watch all the action ‘live’ again.
It’s not a substitute for the real thing but in my situation it was an absolute blessing. The ability to watch Wycombe again has made a HUGE difference to my quality of life, and I have absolutely loved it. I’m sure there must be others who have found themselves in the same boat for varying reasons, and are now thinking ‘what next’?
If the iFollow local restrictions for games to be shown live in UK are brought back in, I’m going to be pretty bereft on a Saturday afternoon, unable to watch what feels like potentially one of our most exciting seasons in recent memory. I really am not sure what to do, and I have emailed the club to ask their advice.
I understand the reason for the UK restrictions to ensure walk in attendance is not affected but it is too blanket and generalised. The iFollow feed is from the top and centre of the Frank Adams Stand. I would quite happily pay that price (plus programme etc to be able to watch the games), but it doesn’t seem like an option. I would quite happily buy a season ticket to get access, but I don’t think it’s possible.
So, the only other option seems to be using a VPN to mask my true location as an international location, where I could be watching from. The fee for each game is less than watching in the UK over the last year (£7, rather than £10), but I could pay the club/trust the difference each week. The issue with this is that iFollow needs a real address, telephone number and payment card from the ‘viewing’ location you choose. I do have some friends and family in other locations, but in theory this is illegal and I’m not too comfortable in asking for their involvement.
Am I missing anything? Does anyone have any other suggestions or advice?
Thanks so much to anyone who can help, I really appreciate your thoughts.
Cheers
Stuart
Comments
Hey Stuart!
I'm sorry to hear about your difficult condition, though glad to hear you are gradually improving.
I don't have any immediate thoughts, but would happily be a part of any lobbying effort. Is it the EFL who decide on the restrictions, do you know?
Thanks Shev! I believe it is a government ‘law’ that restricts the showing of any games live at 3pm on a Saturday. This certainly makes sense in a general way, to ensure clubs do not suffer financial losses by potential fans not attending in person (as opposed to on iFollow), but it’s not really fit for purpose with the modern world and the technology available. As I have said, I would more than happily pay a full price ticket to be able to watch the game, but it doesn’t seem like an option. Perhaps it’s something that needs to be taken up with a local MP.
As far as I know, a decision is still yet to be made. I know that doesn't really help, but I guess there's a chance that the blackout might not be reinstated?
I'm basing that on this, but I guess we'll know in the coming days...
It really ought to be permitted, but at a price which is comparable with the cost of attending.
Exactly @Glenactico I would happily pay £25 to be able to watch
@ReturnToSenda I am aware the final decision hasn’t yet been made but I’m not hopeful. You never know though, fingers crossed!
Fingers crossed here too. Hopefully you're able to find a way, and I hope you're able to get to some games as well.
Thanks @ReturnToSenda. Hope so too! And thanks for all your content and posts here. Always very interesting and knowledgeable:-)
Stuart @Quarterman It might be worth running this past my Trust Board colleague Pater Lerner (email [email protected]) who is acting as a link between disabled supporters, the Trust and the Club and who may be able to advance your case.
Hi @AlanCecil - thank you so much for this contact email, I will email Pater now. Very much appreciate your help :-)
Living down on the South Coast of Kent i-follow was a godsend last season as for the first time in a very long time I too was able to watch every game.
Being a non-driver it is just too damn expensive, takes too long (over 3 hours door to door) to get to home games by train so I have to rely on TV coverage to watch the club
There is an agreement between all the countries in UEFA that Saturday afternoon games can’t be screened live to protect the interests of smaller clubs. The theory is that, for instance, an Arsenal fan living in High Wycombe would rather watch TV coverage of the Gunnners playing at Newcastle than go to Adams Park to see the mighty Wanderers.
It's a perfectly reasonable stance but I wonder if it really has the level of intended effect nowadays. Football is no longer a quid or so at the turnstile so attendance habits are likely to have altered accordingly. It probably requires a deep, wide ranging and undoubtedly expensive analysis to produce statistical evidence.
It's overly restrictive in this day and age. There's a great revenue stream there that clubs aren't being allowed to access.
Like the OP I would happily pay closer to the cost of actually attending AP to watch it on i-follow
I agree with the above comments. The service that could be provided by screening Saturday afternoon games and the revenue that could be generated for clubs would far outweigh any negative issues. Let’s be honest, plenty of people know how to overcome this rule anyway.
@Quarterman i’m sorry that I don’t have any practical suggestions to offer but you absolutely have my sympathy. I would only say that in your situation you shouldn’t have any moral qualms about pursuing the VPN solution. The rules simply were not designed with people like you in mind. I’m sure the Club would not object and, indeed, would rather have your tenner than nothing.
This is interesting because I didn't realise that the reason for ifollow live on a Saturday not being available was to protect the revenue of lower league clubs. If that is the case then there is no reason why those clubs can't make an agreement to make home games available live for the cost of the cheapest season. So we would still qualify as a small club next season I guess we would just need Premier League games not be screened live!?
ifollow was one of the top three covid angels for me along with our postman (and everyone else who did a front line job) and Cote at Home, who provided occasional weekend meals at reduced effort for @railwaylita.
On that note I would pay the for an 'every game live', season ticket plus - which would entitle me to be in the away ground or to watch the away games on ifollow . I would think that was reasonable value at double the money I pay for a season ticket on the terrace. This is despite our enhanced match experience being so much better value than standing on the terrace at Accrington, or holding your nose for 90 minutes somewhere in the north of the county or worse still having to watch football in an unfinished 3 sided excuse for a ground where home fans leaving early for the car park can be bombarded by their own penalties.
Good luck @Quarterman with whatever scheme you choose to follow and I hope you can manage to attend some games this and future seasons.
If there's one thing Covid has proved it is that long held business models can be easily and quickly adapted if necessary. Rob C should look into.it. I was told for years I could not do my job from home. They managed to set it up in a week during first lockdown!
Only an hour away but that adds two hours to a Saturday free time is in short supply and makes evening games unworkable. Will go to the odd home and away game but would sign up for a iFollow season ticket or similar , the club wouldn’t make much money off me in a normal way. Surely it would increase a clubs income
I completely understand the not showing live games on TV at 3pm on a Saturday, that is right and proper and makes perfect sense. But as many have mentioned above, if Wycombe (or another club) could maximise their income using iFollow surely that would be desirable. I guess the Beiadcaster (Sky) would assume this would dilute their reduction of live games, but in reality would that really be the case? As much as I love Wycombe, not many would randomly choose a Wycombe (or similar) game to watch over a big Championship game shown on Sky on the same weekend.
Failing that, as there must be thousands of individuals who cannot get to games because of age or infirmity, maybe a doctors fit note could be used to allow the ability to buy a virtual season ticket. I am really not one to use a disability card as that type of conversation doesn’t interest me personally, but it would promote a more equal opportunity to watch your club play, regardless of your health status. Now the technology is there, why shouldn’t it be used!
In reality though, sadly I feel like none of these things will happen anytime soon as it’s such a big machine, so I’ll be forced to try an underhand method (which I would much prefer not to do). I think the plan may be a long the lines of the fact I have a cousin in Australia and I’m going to try and see if he would be happy to sign up and pay for iFollow and provide me his log in details. I’ll use a VPN to appear in Australia and log in for matches. If it works, I’m planning to buy the season pass via my cousin, and also buy an in person season ticket for the terrace so i feel like I’m contributing sufficiently to the club for the ‘product’ I’ve purchased. Let’s see if it works! (This is presuming there is nothing the club can do but I live in hope!)
Thanks for everyone’s help and comments.
Cheers
Stuart
@Quarterman - Good man and good luck.
@Quarterman I'm no IT man, but I don't think you even need a "real" link to a foreign address. You just pick a dummy one.
However, know what you mean and I loved watching about 50 wycombe games last season online!
It felt like covid had brought the inevitable unlocking of Saturday 3pms down once and for all, but seemingly not.
At least we do have a number of midweekers coming up.
Not sure if those 5 international break home games that could move will be on ifollow though. May be some rule about if the game was originally on a weekend it can't be on iFollow?
Anyone know?
@Malone I don't think that's a rule. This was a rearranged game: https://www.wycombewanderers.co.uk/news/2019/april/watch-charlton-clash-live-on-ifollow/
Ta. I think I'm getting it mixed up with last season away games. Where if a game was re-arranged from a weekend to midweek you didn't get it free as a season ticket holder. Just the games always meant to be midweek.
One could argue that the same restrictions upon personal freedoms are still in place and that the relaxation of the broastcasting by-laws should therefore also remain in place. If you get pinged by the NHS app, you are obliged to self-isolate after all and that is going to be a part of our lives for a good while.
I'm no IT guy either but, I believe, for iFollow to work via a VPN as if you're in Australia you'll need to set up the VPN first then set up ifollow using a valid Aussie address, and pay with a credit card registered at that address.
Then always log in to ifollow via the VPN using that account. It's a pain to clear out the cookies/cache to make it work if it even gets a sniff you're actually in the UK.
At least, I believe, that's the best way to get it to work. Friend of a friend told me ...
You're not actually obliged to self-isolate after getting pinged btw, it's just a recommendation. Only after direct contact from NHS Track and Track do you legally have to self-isolate.
Thanks @Twizz. Think I have the Aussie address and card sorted, VPN purchased, but the game is still currently not available to purchase at the moment, thanks for the tip about the Cookies etc. Fingers crossed it’ll work!