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He Shoots, He Tweets!

8:00am Friday, 13th November 2009

Social networking sites have forever changed the landscapes in which individuals may interact with each other. In everyday life, people are now able to reach an ever wider group of individuals anywhere in the world without actually ever having a verbal conversation with them, through the use of the internet. Within the last decade, the rapid growth of websites such as Twitter, Facebook, Myspace and Bebo have heavily changed the online world.

For most people, the use of social networking sites are now common and an 'easy' platform to communicate to friends, family, and the masses, in the most efficient of ways without having to pick up the phone, make a concerted effort, or tirelessly engage in spoken dialogue to your audience. Tell them your thoughts, feelings and provide a catch up as to what's happening in life (in a generally 'harmless' environment). Footballers are no different. Enter Darren Bent...

DBtheTruth AKA Darren 'Sandra could have finished that chance' Bent tweeted his way to Tottenham Chairman, Daniel Levy, over his intention to transfer to Sunderland, an outcome that happened a week later anyway. Ten years ago, it would only have taken half an hour of both Levy and Bent's time to sit down and talk about why DBtheTruth should have left earlier than he did to the Black Cats. Bent controversially criticised his former Chairman not in the stands, nor in the press, but by taking the unorthodox approach via the new media channel of Twitter - creating further uproar between the player, his ex-employers, and the media.

The question that has to be asked is 'Was Bent within his rights to do this?' Providing information before it was announced officially by the clubs involved? Had he broken the terms of his contract? The situation was enough to get the clubs seeking their lawyers for any advice possible. The whole furore is a very grey (and new) area with sports. Can you stop a player 'tweeting'? Would prevention be against freedom / speech rights?

Are boundaries crossed when players express transfer frustrations or team line-ups are being shared to the world? It is understandable that managers are bound to be unhappy. A further example is Hull City's loan striker, Jozy Altidore announcing prior to a match that he had been dropped, which did not go down too well with Phil Brown. In this case, professionalism may have gone out the window and landed on a web page, but how do football clubs beat this new wave of players and their evening digital activity? Can clubs place a ban on social media activities by their players? Unlikely, but guidance may be the next best thing with the hope it is adhered to...

Although social media networks are there for all to use, it is at the player's discretion (like any employee in any other line of work) to keep all tactics and club 'secrets' close to their chest. They enable football fans to feel closer to their favourite stars, but as shown recently it only takes one or two twits to ruin it for everybody.

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