Fans Advisory Board - iFollow Issues

Hi

For anyone not already aware, my remit on the FAB covers fans not living locally, which is logically the best fit for matters relating to the iFollow service.

At our last meeting with the club we discussed the various issues being experienced with the service so far this season. Some of these are technical issues impacting all clubs using the service and are being followed up by the club directly with the service providers. However, there were some concerns raised by FAB members that there were inconsistencies with regard to the outcome of individual supporter complaints, particularly regarding refunds for affected services.

The information we have is largely anecdotal at present, so we are seeking feedback from supporters with regard to their experiences when raising complaints about the iFollow service this season. Should you wish to provide feedback, please forward details of your experience with the iFollow service team to my FAB email address, FAB.livingaway@barnsleyfc.co.uk, outlining the nature of the issue and the outcome.

The information received will be collated and, in the event that there is evidence of inconsistent handling, we will follow up with the club via the FAB meetings so that these can be addressed on a collective basis.

Should any issues arise with the service in future games, please also let me know of them via the above email address so that I can continue to monitor the situation.

Curtis

 

Another question to raise for us long distance fans, would the club consider doing a deal with the Premier Inn in town, Travelodge at Stairfoot and The Fairway at Dodworth about a discount on prices for supporters on match days, I cannot do Saturday night matches because the prices of hotels are extortionate and only slightly better in mid week, I wont be renewing next season due to the sky deal giving no consideration to fans

 

Well ask the question at the meeting tmrw.

 

Can you please ask if we’ll be getting our own commentators back? It sticks in the craw a bit paying to hear a free radio station’s commentary with biased away commentators who slag our players off and cheer the opposition’s goals.

 

Can we find out what the situation is regarding full match replays being available a couple of days after the game? I'm not renewing ifollow unless they do and I'm afraid my connection to the club is withering rapidly.

 

I've cancelled my iFollow subscription and the process was quite easy so I've no grumbles about the administrative aspects of iFollow. I had an audio only monthly pass and the commentary was greatly lacking. The commentator will say a player's name and we have to second guess what that player is doing with the ball or how they have received it. That style of commentary works if you have visuals but is not satisfactory on audio. Ironically the best commentary was for the Burton game when iFollow picked up the Radio Derby feed. Yes it was biased but clearly the guys doing the commentary understood the needs of their listeners. Last season we would have had the choice of home or away commentary so for the Burton game would have had the option of listening to Matt Bailey's commentary but this season he appears to have been jettisoned.

 

In reply to Gally, the last few games have been uploaded the following day, with no commentary

 

Not Full Match replays though.
Only Highlights or Extended Highlights.
I raised this weeks ago - from the start of this season, the provision of Full Match replays is at the discretion of each club & we haven't bothered.
Mansfield are an example of a club that has maintained the service - https://www.mansfieldtown.net/videos/0_35hil5yp
If there are any full match replays on our iFollow, then someone please share as I might be overlooking something (e.g. perhaps on YouTube).

 

Thanks, Gally ...top man.
I can see them now, but this went back to August & most of September, when I really don't think they were available. Just glad it's been sorted, as it seemed a few BBS members were looking for refunds (again, a few weeks back and from August).

 

Sorry, Gally, I've been offline a few days. Thanks for the reply. I'll check it out.

 

I only look for pre and post-match interviews and extended highlights on a regular basis. I also like the ad-hoc interviews with various people, from time to time.

I had various technical / quality issues early in the season and took them up directly with iFollow. Their responses were hit and miss, but I did get a partial refund for one game.

I still encounter an issue with the videos though. They all start with the volume off. If I increase the volume too early, i.e. before the video has loaded fully, I receive and error message (JRX Expired, or something similar) and the screen goes into a black / grey / white pixelated mess. A quick refresh of the browser and a little slower on the volume control and all is fine. Still annoying though.

I would like our own commentators back for matches, too.

Also, why are the match details so scant, as opposed to previous seasons? No attendance figures, no penalty details (except in the Live part) for the Wigan game, basic stats only on the Stats tab, etc.

Why are there no details on our Top Scorers across the various competitions? I used to use the BBC site for this, but they don't have overviews by teams this season, only by league, and they do not include all the competitions. I use ESPN of all sites this year, but it's hard to trust them, when DKD's two goals are listed under Mansfield Town.

I currently have to access four different sites to pull together the various statistics for the four competitions, which should all be available on the BFC site.

Just a few generic gripes about the iFollow service, rather than overseas / long-distance specific, but I hope it helps.

EDIT: The commentary on the Extended Highlights, which is by a different person than the live game, is often (as today) inaudible.

 

Bring back the man that says Keefa Mu'er.