Pain in the Arsenal Podcast: Social media special show notes

This was a special episode of the Pain In The Arsenal Podcast, Sash – better known online as LTArsenal – joined us to discuss his unprecedented growth and the wider impact of the internet and social media upon the beautiful game.

After a myriad of technical issues, Andy, Sash, and I engaged in an insightful talk regarding ‘football social’ and our different perspectives on the matter.

Andy and I first became aware of Sash when he started writing for us in January 2018. He had already created the LTArsenal Twitter account by this point, and as they say, the rest is history. The account now has over 50,000 followers, a truly staggering number. He has created an international Arsenal community, all of whom opt-in to analyse his thoughts and opinions.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

Sash ensured that our discussion about his success was brief, but the conversation quickly turned to ‘football social‘. It would have been very easy for us simply to have examined the drawbacks, and while that may have dominated proceedings, there was universal recognition of its transformative capabilities.

Andy, Sash, and I – like many others – are normal Arsenal fans who have been given the platform to cover the club that we love. The internet has made journalism more egalitarian; everyone has the opportunity to become an expert, especially as it pertains to individual clubs. It has provided opportunities for Sash that he could never have imagined two years ago; he has been able to interview an esteemed Brazilian journalist, and he has also collaborated with Héctor Bellerín’s marketing agency, B-Engaged. For better or worse, AFTV is the prime example of normal people turning their passion into a profession, but they are not the only ones.

As Arsenal fanalysts who watch every game that we possibly can, we are arguably in a much better position to discuss both individual and collective trials, tribulations, and triumphs associated with the club than traditional sports journalists.

Inspiration

Inspiration for this episode came from a myriad of different sources. AFTV has been at the heart of many debates in recent years, Héctor Bellerín has spoken openly (and candidly) about social media on a few occasions, and my work as Pain In The Arsenal Social Media Director also served as inspiration for this idea.

Key Discussion Points

• The importance of informed, rational standpoints and conversation online;
• How fanalysts and journalists use the direct and immediate feedback of social media to develop content ideas – Twitter users are active, not passive;
• The need for clubs – especially those as large as Arsenal Football Club – to use social media to drive both engagement and value for their corporate partners in a professional manner;
• Old media was very limited, it required qualifications. The internet has opened up horizons and broken-down convention;
• The internet can be an echo-chamber where lies gain traction – consumers value reliability and integrity highly;

Our thanks to Sash for his time and patience. He was well-spoken, rational, and astute, and we hope to have him join us on the Pain In The Arsenal Podcast again soon.

If you would like to interact with Sash online, he can be found on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. He also has his own website where he seeks to provide Arsenal fans with the latest news and insights. Remember to follow us on Twitter while you are at it!

The notes that we made in preparation for this show can be found here. Until next time.

You can find the Pain In The Arsenal podcast on any standard podcast platform.