This weekend it was all about the Big Match. More precisely, it was all about Robert Green’s astonishing blunder that saw England’s first World Cup game result in a disappointing draw.
Within minutes of our goalie’s astonishing gaffe, fans all over the country had expressed their reactions through social media – by setting up dozens of Facebook pages dedicated to the slip up.
Within hours, more than 118,000 people had joined the group ‘The awkward moment Robert Green asks you to play catch with him’; and other groups such as ‘Robert Green’s gloves, sponsored by Clover’ and ‘I can catch… LOL joke I’m Robert Green’ attracted fans in their thousands.
These groups have been an outlet for angry fans to express their disappointment, but most of the comments posted are tongue-in-cheek and there has also been plenty of support and encouragement for Green.
This is a shining example of the powers of social media. It allows the nation to unite and share their views and opinions on major events as they happen. Whilst the media have their own agenda and have the power to influence the public by what they print and broadcast, social media is changing all that. Yes, the media can still influence internet forums but Facebook is great because it gives the public the opportunity to say exactly what they think.
Let’s hope England’s next World Cup match on Friday results in a victory and some rewarding social networking groups for the team!
