Technological Advances: Four Digital Innovations which have been Introduced into Non-League Football

marine afc home game against scarbrorough utd

Technology has fundamentally changed our lives for the better. It has altered the way we interact with our friends, the way we work in the office, and how we enjoy leisure pursuits such as online betting and gaming. It has also completely shifted how we consume football, vastly increasing our access to live games and allowing fans to enjoy highlights of their team almost instantaneously.

Furthermore, relatively recent innovations such as AI and VR have been rolled out across numerous forward-thinking industries and now allow users to throw themselves into a fully immersive experience. Whether you’re on a business training program, learning to drive, challenging your friend on the XBOX or taking on a live dealer in one of the many real money games which are widely available at online casinos worldwide, technology has quickly become a vital part of our everyday lives.

Although it has been most associated with the top two or three tiers, technology has also slowly crept into non-league football, with several clubs using multiple tools and mechanisms to revolutionise the way they operate. We’ve picked out four relatively recent examples.

Artificial Intelligence at Wingate and Finchley

Although it felt like an unlikely destination, seventh-tier outfit Wingate and Finchley were one of the trailblazers when it came to utilising AI. Using the Amazon Echo Dot, the Blues opted to use Artificial Intelligence to help them make pre-game tactical decisions and pick potential formations for upcoming fixtures. The new system has also been used by the management team to suggest in-game changes, should the Londoners find themselves reduced to ten men.

Although these suggestions may potentially be overruled, the management team were willing to allow AI to have its say on first-team affairs with the technology given its first outing back in 2019.

Performance Data Analysts in Nailsworth

Forest Green are famed for doing things differently. The Gloucestershire outfit is renowned for being one of the most eco-friendly clubs in Europe, they were also one of the first non-league sides to hire a full-time Performance Data Analyst.

Charlie Reeves was recruited by owner Dale Vince back in 2015 and his match-prediction software was frequently used to provide the coaching staff and players with vital information on forthcoming opponents.

With various models being used to visualise the data, Reeves would present the management team with key information such as shot maps to help create a game plan to potentially nullify the opposition.

Although Reeves was poached by Everton just two years later, he was responsible for getting the ball rolling at FGR and this approach has been replicated by other National League outfits over the past couple of seasons.

Ebbsfleet’s Ambitious Digital Partnership

This isn’t the first time that Ebbsfleet has dabbled in the world of technology with the club having been taken over by MyFootballClub back in 2008.

This time around, the club has teamed up with Under the Radar FC to form an ambitious partnership under the umbrella of Ebbsfleet Digital Experiences.

Alongside influencer Manny Brown, the club has unveiled ambitious plans to create a technology hub at its proposed new stadium which will allow gamers and eSports enthusiasts to connect, whilst also enabling social media enthusiasts the chance to visit the content creation studios for YouTube and TikTok. It is hoped that many of the club’s online posts will also be produced from here.

Dover Athletics’ GPS Vests

GPS vests are a common commodity in the Premier League and across the EFL, yet they tend to be an expensive outlay for many non-league outfits. Back in November 2019, Dover Athletic purchased 20 GPS vests using a generous £4,000 donation from the Supporters’ Club.

The vests allowed the management team to find out whether the players were performing to the required standards and greatly enhanced preparations for upcoming fixtures. GPS Vests can indicate the ideal recovery time for each individual player, and with non-league squads tending to become fairly stretched during the winter months, they have proven to be effective in managing the workload during periods of fixture congestion.

By Bob