By Brian Donnelly
A SCOTTISH firm has launched a product designed to allow football fans send their own image to matches to create a cut-out virtual crowd.
The Football Company says Fans At The Game will enable supporters from clubs across the UK to order a recyclable, waterproof cardboard cut-out of themselves which will be placed inside stadiums across the country.
The Glasgow-headquartered firm’s technology will enable supporters to visit a club-branded Fans At The Game website, take their picture, and place their order in a couple of minutes.
Cut-outs will be produced, delivered and installed at the stadiums of all participating clubs by the firm.
The Football Company has partnered with Electrify Marketing & Communications to deliver a proprietary web app which will work on both Apple and Android operating systems.
With games set to take place behind closed doors for many months because of Covid-19, it is expected that clubs will be able to develop a valuable new revenue stream and engage closely with supporters, the firm said.
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In doing so, Fans At The Game will help clubs create a new “setting” for TV cameras, it is claimed.
The Football Company said it supplied LED advertising at over 135 UK football matches in 2019-20.
Kenny Wittmann, managing director at the Football Company, said: “What is important is that this is the first time that a single company has a complete end to end solution that will enable dozens of clubs across the UK to have their supporters ‘get back in the ground’.
"We’re all missing live sport, and we know that supporters are desperate to get behind their clubs, and so we think this is a great way of channelling that passion.”
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