The football journalism landscape is unrecognisable from its previous form. The emergence of broadband Internet and live video feeds has led to a wealth of matches and statistical information at every supporter’s fingertips. Gone are the dark nights of waiting for Alan Hansen to finish spouting out obvious critique so you can watch the two-minute highlight package of your chosen club on the wrong side of midnight.
If you so wished, nowadays it is possible to observe the entire 90 minutes of a mid-table clash of the Liga MX , whilst at the same time mulling over how the ball retention stats of the away side’s number 6 is amassing as the game progresses.
It is sites like Squawka, which are making this entirely possible. With their take on player statistics and live data, they are breaking new ground in football analysis, and for all you iPhone users; they have now developed an app!
Refined for the new iPhone 5 and beyond, what strikes you when you first run the application is how aesthetically pleasing it is along with the speed at which it runs. Using a minimalist interface- every player, team, match and league is easy to navigate along with the in-depth statistical information on each facet.
Yet, it is not only the wealth of information available that excels but it is how it’s presented. Colourful charts and diagrams visualise the information in a concise way that makes it easier to understand and compare. Even simple features like goals scored are presented in a manner that shows what part of the goal the player is shooting at.
However, it is the live match feature where this app really comes into its own. Unlike its competitors, it has neat visualisations of each key event in the match timeline, this really sets it apart and gives you are broader view of the game compared to just reading a live text commentary. Then, once the 90 minutes are complete, all the details are recorded and kept for you to scrutinise in the future.
We spoke to Nic English, the Editor-In-Chief at Squawka, who gave us an insight into what the app has to offer.
He said: “The Squawka Football App isn’t only the best football app for footy stats fans, with the unique dashboard feed tailored to the team(s) you follow and the huge number of in-depth articles you can access it’s an absolute must for any football fan wanting that little bit more.”
Nic also went on to tell us a bit about the slick feel to the app and how simple it was to use, saying: “Making the navigation easy was an obsession with this app.
“Our top lists and rankings pages make complex data more accessible than ever.
“As an example, it takes just seven taps of your iPhone to get a list of the Premier League teams who have scored the most goals outside the penalty area this season – away from home”
So if you’re a football and own an iPhone, download this app. It’s essentially a football hipster’s encyclopaedia, and one that looks bloody lovely.
You can download the free app here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/the-squawka-football-app/id702770635?mt=8
Paul Hill @paulhill3