With almost every sport in the country, and indeed the world now halted or postponed in some way due to the coronavirus outbreak, it is impossible for any sports fans to get their ‘sports fix’ in the manner they usually would.
The role of E-Sports throughout this has never been more important, and while some FIFA 20 qualifier events have been called off due to the new social distancing rule, football clubs are taking it into their own hands to compete on FIFA, to raise money for charity, and ultimately, to have some fun during a tough time.
Continuing To Bring Fans Fixtures
Local East London club Leyton Orient have been at the forefront of finding unique ways to keep their fans entertained.
When it was first announced that all football in the UK would be stopped until 3rd April at the earliest, which has since now changed until at least the 30th April, Orient managed to play their postponed game against Bradford City in real life on Football Manager.
When it became apparent fans would be without football for the foreseeable future the club took it into their own hands to launch ‘#UltimateQuaranteam”, a tournament which would involve themselves and 139 other football clubs from around the world, including Premier League teams such as Norwich City, Ross County in Scotland and even Ajax in Holland.
This tournament and the ideas behind it really gripped the football world, Leyton Orient’s media officer Dan Walker was one of the brains behind the idea and instrumental in the set up and coverage of the tournament.
“The potential of E-sports had never really been utilised by football clubs. At Orient, I can’t say we felt it would blow up quite the way it has but to see teams from all over the world unite and get involved is astonishing,” he said.
Alongside the tournament, funds are also being raised for the MIND mental health charity, while also being shared out between struggling EFL clubs whom have lost vital gate receipts and for some their only source of revenue due to the outbreak.
Walker added: “This is for a really good cause too. Funds raised throughout will be shared between struggling EFL clubs, mind charity and Covid-19 research. This won’t be the last of E-sports at football clubs.”
Other Sports Utilising E-Sports
It isn’t just football that is using the power of E-Sports, Formula One are bringing virtual Grand Prix to their spectators.
The ‘Not The Bahrain Grand Prix’ saw a star-studded grid which included former One Direction man, Liam Payne and former Olympic cyclist, Chris Hoy, take on current F1 drivers such as Lando Norris and Nicholas Latifi, in a virtual race at the same time the Bahrain race was supposed to happen.
The Future For E-Sports
These events, which really show the pulling power and togetherness that E-Sports can have on society, are set to continue throughout all sports during this crisis.
Throughout this global pandemic, it has been assured of one thing, the need for E-Sport has never been greater, it is bringing people together from all over the globe while people are staying safe in their homes.
They can still login to Twitch and see their team play, albeit on a virtual game, but this gives a unique sense of identification as most football fans play or have played a FIFA title at some juncture in their lives, so by harnessing the power of E-Sports and as Walker eluded too, “E-Sports will not be going away at football clubs.”
