Stan Collymore · @StanCollymore
1st Nov 2016 from TwitLonger
Hate Collymore? Love the app!
2 days to launch the new Call Collymore app and i'm very excited, proud and grateful for the work of a few dedicated, hard working people without whom the idea would never have reached reality.
Why should YOU download an app to listen to a football phone in? Well if you've been one of the 500k UK listeners to Call Collymore in recent years, hopefully you'll continue to enjoy it, support it and help it grow into a viable broadcast network with a schedule of thought provoking presenters and shows. That's the aim.
But what if you HATE Collymore? What if you don't like the guy, why should you download an app that surely is a vanity project? Well, i have some answers for you to hopefully persuade you to not only download the app, but to cherish it, invite your mates to download it and protect it in the coming years.
Are you crazy? Didn't you hear? I HATE you!
Ok, i'll put it in simple English. Here's why you should download the app.
1. A British company, paying British taxes, employing a small team of Britons, who also pay British taxes. As opposed of course to broadcasters owned by people who've never paid a penny towards your roads, bins, schools being properly run. Support British business!
2. HATE Collymore but love Fletch, Sav, Barton, Sutton, etc etc? Well i'm nakedly ambitious here, but you support the app, its growth and sponsors put up the dough to get it past the tough opening couple of years, the guys above will be on my radar, and i'll make sure the best in the business are on a schedule, providing thought provoking, entertaining radio and video which YOU want to listen to and watch. So HATE Collymore by all means, but i may be the guy who provides the guys and gals which make the app a must have for opinionated, top quality broadcasting which is so lacking in British sports broadcasting.
3. Supporting the regions. Mostly if you're a broadcaster, you'll spend most of your time in London or maybe Manchester, which is fine, but our app is proudly made in Scotland, my agent Kate ( who has been incredible) is from Sheffield, i'm in the process of training a young Cannockian like myself to produce, and we will be taking shows across every part of the country, talking and debating issues from Venky's to Charlton, to Sectarianism to sexism and beyond. In other words everyone is involved, nothing ignored, nothing off limits. No big city bias, a show for all Britons which gets everyone feeling "they talked about the issues that affect ME "
So you can love me, hate me or in reality be indifferent, but the aim is an honest one. To have a dynamic broadcast network of talented broadcasters who make you angry, happy, laugh out loud or shout at the radio, just like i've tried to do in the last decade.
So lets get to the nitty gritty!
The app launches on THURSDAY 3rd November in the App store and Google Play store, FREE to download. A huge thanks to Dog Digital, a wonderful Scottish app developer who've embraced what i want to achieve in terms of user experience, fun of use and most importantly an audio/video experience up there with the very best.
Lots of people won't be used to using apps for audio, especially in the car or van where most of my audience hopefully will be driving safely to and from games around the country. Well its really simple! Download the app, connect to your bluetooth in car or van, and press play on the app! Thats it! Don't have bluetooth in your motor? No problem, buy a cheap bluetooth speaker, play it through the phone or stick your earphones in!
Have an Apple TV? Every Call Collymore show will be LIVE on Periscope, with league table and score graphics on screen, and Periscope is supported on Apple TV, so stick your 60 inch HDTV on, fire up Periscope and hey presto, the worlds best football phone in on telly! It looks great, i've already tried it!
You'll get a notifications option in the app, so switch it on and you'll get an alert to tell you when we go LIVE, so you won't have to miss a show.
Call Collymore gets lots of listeners around the world, so whether on a mid morning run in Melbourne, a siesta in San Fran or networking in Nottingham i wanted to make sure every show was turned around, edited immediately for ON DEMAND, so that you can listen to shows as and when you like.
Coffee With Collymore was an idea i had a few months ago and are perfect for the video section of the app. I have 3000 verified followers on Twitter who i'd guess follow me due to my football link, so i decided to reach out to many of them, sit them down and talk about their love of our game. First show already in the app is comedian Omid Djalili, who talks Chelsea, comedy and life, and i hope you agree that the concept is a good one! Sadiq Khan, Vinny Jones, Boy George, George Galloway, Tanni Grey Thompson, Jaqui Oatley, Gabby Logan, Alistair Campbell, Tim Farron, George Groves, Bob Mortimer all joining me soon!
Saturday and Sunday are the basics but very good basics i believe! THE World's Best Football Phone In straight after the final whistle blows, reacting to the games of the day in EVERY league! 7:30-9pm on Saturday, 6:30-8pm on Sunday.
On Monday's, Feist Night is BACK! Again, the aim 6 years ago was on cold, wintery nights for non soap opera lovers to escape upstairs, run a bath after a long day at work and enjoy some feisty football debate. Starting Monday 7th November we will be back debating the topics that matter to football fans, fearless, honest and we won't be having the censorship that some radio stations are now operating! Expect Charlton, Blackburn, ticket prices, shirt prices and a spotlight on fan issues to be at the forefront of our thinking. But who's your nemesis Stanley? Who's the guy who's going to sit you down and put you in your box? Well, all i'll say he's a long standing broadcaster, huge football fan, never is short of a word or two and someone i'm really looking forward to locking horns with every Monday from 7-8pm.
I believe sports broadcasting should reflect the people who watch the sport. At the moment, where football is concerned, the football fan is being served well by way of entertainment, by way of being provoked into thinking outside the top 4 or 5 clubs, by way of having an outlet when owners or administrators close their doors and cover their ears. That's what Call Collymore and MNFN did well over a decade, opened the door to debate, challenge the rotten owners and feckless administrators and for an hour or two every week give football fans centre stage in the game they prop up.
Download the app, enjoy the app, contribute on air and lets give fans around the world a platform again.
COME ON!!