Category: Football

FANTASY WORLD: The unstoppable global rise of fantasy sports

By Nathan John, University of Gloucestershire

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What is fantasy sports?

In definition, a fantasy sport or ‘roto’ for short, is a type of game often played using the Internet where participants assemble imaginary or virtual teams composed of proxies of real life players of a given professional sport.

These teams then compete based on the statistical performance of those players in actual games.

This performance is converted into points that are totaled together according to a roster selected by each fantasy team’s manager. 

The rules of Fantasy sports app ‘Fantasy Premier League’ or ‘FPL’ for short. (Image courtesy of FPL app)

These point systems can be simple enough to be manually calculated by a league admin who coordinates the overall league, or points can be compiled and calculated using computers tracking actual results of the professional sport.

In fantasy sports, team owners draft, trade and cut players, according to results and performances, based of the real sport.

The insane growth of fantasy sports

Over the past few decades, fantasy sports have grown to become a staple part of the average football fan’s routine, lifestyle and experience when watching matches.

Since the mid 2000s, fantasy sports had started to become a mainstream hobby within all sports and fantasy sport as a whole reached a market share of $45.9 million in 2019.

Graph courtesy of ‘Wikipedia.org’

According to researchers within the market, the rise is mainly due to the increasing youth population, growth in digital infrastructure, availability of affordable smartphones, increasing popularity of players in various sports, growing investment in internet infrastructure, and the launch of fantasy sports applications.

This makes sense, particularly when you consider how frequently fans use technology in aiding them with their match day experience; for example, when purchasing tickets, taking photographs, online gambling or checking score updates etc.

The shift from pen and paper to screens has produced a major change in the landscape of how fantasy sports operate, a point explained by long-time player, Brody Ruihley, a professor of sport leadership and management at Miami University, in an interview with Marketplace’s Andy Uhler.

“All of a sudden, now we can check our lineup on our phone. We can draft on the phone. We can see the activity through apps, through our tablets, through our cellphones.”

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Speaking to sports data analyst and Co-Founder of website ‘Sportsdatalabs‘ Mark Gorski, he hinted on the modern fascination of data within sports as one of the main reasons for fantasy sports growing success.

Explaining the impact that data analysis has had within sports and it’s connection to fantasy sports, Gorski explained, “The modern sports fan loves stats right? I mean you take for instance Fantasy football in the U.S, fantasy managers can analyse anything from player’s running stats to their expected attacking threat. Stats in sports has gone crazy.”

How big of a market is fantasy sports?

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the global fantasy sports market size is estimated to be worth USD $22780 million in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted a huge size of USD $47940 million by 2028, with a CAGR of 13.2% during the review period.

According to reports, the fantasy sports market’s growth is expected to accelerate to at 6.51% annually over the course of the next five years alone.

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Fantasy Sports Market by Type and Geography – Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026 (Graph courtesy of ‘prnewswire.com’)

This means the market is expected to double within the next decade alone, and it’s impact within the football community should follow suit in growing further and starting to have even more of an impact on fans who play.

Fantasy Premier League & fantasy sports within football

The competition within fantasy sports is very intense, and most games will require you to have a good strategy to succeed while playing the game.

This is no more evident than in arguably the Globe’s biggest Fantasy Sport franchise ‘Fantasy Premier League’ or FPL for short.

In the two decades FPL has existed, since it’s formation in 2002, it has grown to become a global phenomenon for Football fans worldwide, with over eight million recognised players, it is by far the most played and most successful fantasy sports platform in existence.

YouTube video explaining the rise of fantasy sports in football

To put the size of FPL into perspective, there are over 253 national leagues, with 2 million players in England alone.

If it were a country, it would be bigger in terms of population than countries like Hong Kong, Barbados and Maldives, just to name a few.

FPL has even become it’s own organisation, with it’s own social media and a YouTube channel under the name ‘FPL Family’, where people with expertise in the game are employed to give tips and advice to viewers who watch the weekly show.

Weekly FPL Podcast by ‘Green Arrow’ on soundcloud

Much like assets on the stock market, players are traded between FPL “managers” who can determine the value of a player based on their performance.

If the player is out of form, they will drop in value as managers will sell them and the opposite is true if they are in form, as their value will increase.

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Rise of esports gaming

In short, an esport is a multiplayer video game played competitively for spectators, typically by a professional gamer.

Esports, like fantasy sports, was also hugely affected by COVID-19 and this meant a huge increase in the viewership of the sport, with an expected 8.7% year-on-year growth, as well as an overall esports audience of 474 million as of the end of 2021.

Graph courtesy of ‘newzoo.com’

It is relevant to mention esports growth alongside fantasy sports, as the two have expanded almost in unison, and this is due largely in part to the equally as large expansion in technologically available platforms, that people now use in day-to-day life.

This rise in esports and fantasy gaming has come predominately since the early 2000s and 2010s, and the number of players have quadrupled over the past two decades, from a mere 15 million globally in 2003, to a huge 60 million as of 2018.

The Premier League have even now introduced their own e-league, branded the ‘ePremier League’, where players can represent a Premier League club and battle it out via the EA football game ‘FIFA’, in a simulation of the real life competition.

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The future of fantasy sports in football?

It is not just within the UK and US that the trend is growing, with India now too waking up to the world of fantasy sports and the country has an estimated 360 million fantasy gamers as of 2022.

The concept is becoming a worldwide phenomenon and as more countries become technologically advanced across the globe, the access to fantasy sports becomes more of a reality for a global audience.

The rise of fantasy sports across the globe was also something Gorski was quick to point out, as he explained, “You see now that fantasy sports is starting to spread to other nations, you know you see a lot of players in India and Malaysia and even South America, so it’s definitely become a global hit.”

Fantasy sports are growing at a lightning rate and with the advent of technology becoming a more and more integrated part of the average fan’s experience at football, it is hard to see the trend dying down anytime soon.

The future certainly looks exciting for fantasy and esports, and with the growing number of players and competitions each year, the sport only looks set to boost in popularity in the near future.

ENGLAND: Gareth Southgate’s evolution of the Three Lions as they look towards QATAR World Cup 2022 following defeat to Italy in Euro 2020 final

By Nathan John, University of Gloucestershire

The date was the 27th September 2016. Former England player and current Under-21’s head coach Gareth Southgate is appointed as first team coach of England following the controversial dismissal of Sam Allardyce to allegations of corruption which had shook the F.A. to it’s core. Southgate was initially tasked with overseeing four games, the first of which resulted in a 2-0 victory over Malta.

There was one more win in this period in the form of a 3-0 battering over Scotland but it was alongside a disappointing 0-0 draw to Slovenia, and the giving away of a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw to Spain. There were some promising signs throughout this run, but the aura of inconsistency and vulnerability lurked amongst fan opinion on Southgate’s future. 

The F.A. was then tasked with the decision to either look for alternative options and bring in a new long-term manager or offer Southgate the job and keep him on in his role. They opted for the latter and this was a decision which was seen by many across the country as a huge gamble when it was announced following the ending of his caretaker role on 15th November 2016. Southgate was offered a four-year contract just two weeks later as he took on the task of qualifying for World Cup 2018. 

Qualification was secured following a 1-0 win over Slovenia in October 2017, which capped off an impressive qualifying campaign for England as they finished top of their group. England would go on to the reach the semi-finals for the first time since 1966 when they won the World Cup, but ended in fourth place, following defeat to Croatia in the semi-finals and Belgium in the third-place play-off.

The campaign in Russia was viewed as a major success however, with many applauding Southgate for his rejuvenation of the squad, following England’s shocking exit from Euro 2016 when they were defeated 2-1 by Iceland in the round of 16. What was clear from 2018 was just how much Gareth had united the once jaded side, and the country had felt a unity and togetherness with the team that had not been felt for decades before.

The Three Lions campaign to qualify for Euro 2020 was much the same as it was for 2018, as once again England topped their group comfortably. The difference now was expectation; many felt the team was finally good enough to mount a serious challenge towards winning the competition and with the delay of the tournament to 2021, the relatively young squad had an extra year to grow and mature together.

As we know, England made it agonisingly close to lifting their first piece of silverware in 55 years but fell just short to previous winners Italy on penalties at Wembley. And while there is no shame in losing to the four-time finalists of the Euros and arguably the best side in the tournament, there still remains a huge feeling of disappointment with many feeling this was a missed opportunity to win a trophy.

The question now turns to what lies ahead for England and Gareth Southgate. A plethora of talent is at the disposal of the England boss’ hands, many of whom amongst this squad are still very young and just coming into their prime, despite already leading the line for some of European football’s elite clubs.

Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell both represented Chelsea at the Champions League final, Raheem Sterling, Jon Stones, Kyle Walker and Phil Foden all won the league at Manchester City and Harry Kane tallied the most goal contributions of any player in the Premier League last season. All but one of whom are still under the age of 30. When you top that off with the likes of Jack Grealish, Declan Rice and Jordan Henderson in midfield, as well as Jordan Pickford in goal, you have the makings of a team with a generation of potential and talent beaming within them.

Sunday’s final appearance was England’s first in European competitions and their first final since their legendary 1966 World Cup win over West Germany, which saw them lift their only piece of silverware to date. Despite this, many across the footballing world now believe that could be soon about to change with this current crop of players and a semi-final and final in the space of three years will do much to accommodate those claims.

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Southgate, who infamously missed a penalty in England’s knockout loss to Germany in Euro 96, was quick to take full responsibility for the loss stating, that he had “mismanaged the latter stages of the game”. This is refreshing to see and Southgate clearly demonstrates a level of ownership and humility when it comes to his managerial approach with the team, being quick to detract blame away from the penalty misers, in Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka.

With another year under their belts and an extra season to mature, many believe this England side have as good a chance as ever of winning the world cup and engraving their names into the history books in becoming one of if not the most successful England team of all time. Can the Three Lions bounce back from Euro final defeat and make history by lifting the World Cup in Qatar…  

Player profile: Daniel Bradshaw of Forest Green Rovers U18s on aspirations of breaking into first team within “next few seasons”

By Nathan John

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I caught up with Forest Green Rovers Under 18s midfielder Dan Bradshaw on his aspirations of reaching the first team, as the ex-Southampton academy player enjoys game time under head coach Kevin Phillips.

How different is it playing in the academy at somewhere like Forest Green Rovers, compared to say a Premier League club like Southampton, how different is it for a player?

“Well from other clubs I’ve been at like Southampton, it’s not quite as good as that. Here for example, you actually have to clean your boots, at Southampton all that would’ve been done for you kit, boots you name it, it’s a top, top club. It’s also obviously been a bit of a struggle here recently with the weather as the pitch at the New Lawn isn’t great, again it’s not quite the standard of St. Mary’s Pitch. It just means sometimes we have to use the 3G pitch instead which takes some getting used to of course”.  

Do you have any inspirations from any other players that you try to style your play off, at Forest Green or in the Premier League for example?

“I like to try and shape myself around Ebou Adams, as he plays for the first team I use him as an inspiration for what I want to achieve here, but in terms of the Premier League I would probably say, certainly in terms of midfielders it would have to be Kevin De Bruyne, I think he’s the best in the world at what he does. It can sometimes be hard I find as a midfielder to impose yourself on the team and the manager and for me I try and look at what the best midfielders do and often that’s showing leadership qualities and maintaining a grip on the game.”  

Was your decision to move to Forest Green influenced by the opportunity of more game time or did you just feel like you needed a new challenge?

“Playing more has helped me massively, its allowed me to find my style again of playing out from the back which I love to do, obviously Kev (U18s coach), has given me more of an opportunity to get there and show him what I’m all about so to be honest I’m delighted with the amount of minutes I’m getting currently. To be honest, I personally believe that it’s the most important thing for academy players, especially when you’re trying to find your feet at a new club as it gives you confidence and makes you feel like you’re actually part of what’s going on at the club. If you’re not getting any game time it can be really damaging for your confidence, at least I know it was for mine previously anyway.”

Do you think you have a chance of breaking into the first team anytime soon and if so could you see yourself staying at Forest Green long-term?

“I would hope so, obviously all of the lads here have the same goal which is to get a professional contract one day and play in the first team, but I have to just keep on working hard and hope that I get a chance to make my mark. I like the direction that this club is going in and I could see myself staying here for a long time and even maybe signing a professional contract one day, who knows.”

In terms of your dreams and aspirations for your footballing career, what do you think is achievable for you going forward and do you think you have what it takes to become a top player?

“Ideally I’d love to be able to play for a top side, maybe a Premier League side one day and I think having been at a Premier League academy, around really talented players, you see the dedication and work ethic that goes into becoming a high-level footballer. To be honest though, it sounds cliche but I think as a player you really do have to take every day as it come. It seems pointless trying to predict what might or might not happen, for example I could get a really bad injury that could hinder my career or I could be released etc. Obviously, I hope that won’t happen but you never really know what’s around the corner, football seems to change so quickly now.”

“The roar of 60,000 supporters on opening day weekend filled my senses as I made my way down the Emirates tunnel and I knew my time had come”: Reece Oxford on making his Premier League debut at just 16 years of age

By Nathan John

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I had worked my way up through West Ham’s academy since the age of 13, joining from Tottenham in 2011. I had always dreamed of one day making it pro and playing in the Premier League and quite honestly, I always knew deep down that I had the ability to achieve that dream.

I remember my Premier League debut for West Ham like it was yesterday. It was a sunny Sunday afternoon in August 2015 and our first fixture of the season was a London derby away at Arsenal. I’d had a good pre-season and I remember the manager at the time Slaven Bilic telling me that if I kept up this sort of effort in training and friendlies that there was a chance I could feature in the first team.

I’d worked really hard to get to the point where I was almost ready to break through and I remember being told just days before the game, on the Thursday night, that I was in the team for Sunday. I remember just feeling buzzing, absolutely buzzing, but also very nervous at the same time. Slaven had told us in training the week before of the threat that Arsenal would pose to us and he let us know that if our concentration wasn’t on point during the game that they would punish us.

It was Bilic’s first competitive game in charge too so I think he really wanted a big performance from all of the lads to kickstart our season. I remember vividly arriving at the ground on the coach before kick-off. It was this mad feeling like I actually couldn’t believe I was turning up at the Emirates to face the club I’ve always supported since being a boy. It was just the most mental feeling.

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The changing rooms were plush, much nicer than the ones at Upton Park and this was the away dressing room! Winston Reid was our captain that day, great guy Winston is and he just said to me to go out there and express myself and that there was no pressure on me as I was playing my first senior game. 

When it was time to head out after our warm-up I just remember the feeling of standing in the tunnel with so much anticipation just running through my body, it was crazy. The roar of 60,000 supporters on opening day weekend just filled my senses as I made my way down the Emirates tunnel and I knew my time had come.

Thankfully for me, we won the match and I was awarded Man of the Match which I was absolutely delighted for. I’d not only just become the second youngest ever player to play in the Premier League, but I had just led my team to victory away at one of the best clubs in the world. My whole family called me that evening when I got home to congratulate me and I felt so proud. I had just represented the Oxford family on the world stage!

Manchester City 1-3 Leicester City: The day Leicester showed the world they could become the Champions of English Football

By Nathan John @University of Gloucestershire

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Today marks five years since the title winning foxes travelled to the Etihad to face contenders Manchester City in arguably their toughest fixture of the season to that point, but remarkably left the North West with all three points and signified to any doubters that they could indeed go on to win the title that season.

The 6th February 2016 will forever be a date etched in the minds of Leicester City supporters and so too anybody who followed Leicester through their remarkable journey in the 2015/16 Premier League campaign. The Foxes were 5000/1 odds against to win the title at the start of the season, having survived by the thinnest of margins in the previous year, pulling off a miraculous escape to safety.

Under the guidance of former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri, Leicester won nine of their opening 15 fixtures that season, which included their main striker Jamie Vardy breaking a Premier League record of scoring in 11 consecutive matches, beating Ruud Van Nistlerooy’s set back in 2003. Vardy would go on to score 19 goals that season, finishing second in the golden boot race, just three behind Tottenham’s Harry Kane. 

Having just swept aside Liverpool on the previous Tuesday to go top of the table, Leicester had two tough away fixtures against Arsenal and Manchester City back-to-back in their sights. First up was a trip to the Etihad to face fellow title-challengers Manchester City, who were unbeaten in seven games and looking to regain top spot with a victory over the Foxes.

However, Centre back Robert Huth opened the scoring early for the visitors, notching inside the area from a Riyad Mahrez free kick. An early shock to the Citizens system that would set the tone for the rest of the game. The second for Leicester came just after half-time in what was arguably one of the goals of the season when midfield maestro Mahrez waltzed through the City defensive line before firing a shot past Joe Hart into the top left-hand corner to put daylight between the two sides.

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That goal symbolised the talent of the Algerian, Mahrez who was influential throughout the course of the season, popping up with 28 goal contributions in total, 17 of those goals and was awarded the PFA player of the Season award. Leicester soon wrapped up the game with just little over 20 minutes left when Huth scored again, this time a leaping header to Hart’s far post, following a Leicester corner.

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At 3-0, the Foxes were in dreamland where chants of “We’re gonna win the League” could be heard bellowing from the away end at the Etihad. City on the other hand were shocked into silence. Sergio Aguero pulled one back late on for city but it was little consolation for the Sky Blues. Many of their fans headed for the exits and away into the pouring Manchester sky; a weather which summed up the grim reality of Manchester City’s predicament as they sunk to fourth position in the table.

The reality had set in for the chasing pack, the likes of City, Arsenal and Tottenham; Leicester mean business. The Foxes sat at the top of the tree following victory at the Etihad, 5 points above second placed Tottenham with fans and pundits from over the world now starting to buy into the Leicester dream.

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“Can they do it?” proclaimed BBC’s Gary Lineker on that night’s Match of The Day; a self-professed Leicester fan and former player it is worth noting, but still a very knowledgeable football brain. The answer was now looking very likely; yes, Leicester City can win the Premier League, which would have been considered a nonsense prior to the start of the season. The world was witnessing one of the greatest sporting, let alone footballing stories of all time and were now truly being given a reason to believe that it was really going to happen.

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“Even Hollywood don’t write scripts like this”, one Leicester fan said as he stood outside the King Power following their lifting of the trophy in May 2016. And speaking of Hollywood, celebrities were now cashing in on the story of the ‘Fantastic Foxes as they were now being labelled; with the likes of movie star Tom Hanks mentioning his admiration for the Midlands club successes. The story of Leicester City’s Premier League triumph is truly one of a footballing miracle, a small club with a big heart who shocked each and every one of us who ever doubted them.