Studs Up

Earlier this week I received an email and subsequent Twitter Follow from one Darren Bent. Apparently he got my contact information from the lovely ladies at Kickette and was getting in touch to ask if I could get the word out to help him beat Tony Jeffries and a few other celebrities to 10,000 Twitter followers. Charitable donations will be made by the loser(s), so it’s all for a good cause. You can follow Darren @DBTheTruth.

When Bent got in trouble the first time round for his tweets, I wrote about how I hoped and prayed that more footballers would be savvy and technologically proficient enough to find their way to free expression as well. Clubs and marketing agencies are putting more and more distance between the players and the fans so I think it’s great when some, like Bent, are still making an effort to connect directly.

So I’d highly recommend following Darren. He comes across genuine, candid and actually makes a real effort to answer as many people as he can. Certainly a must for any Sunderland fan but he also posts tweets and twitpics often enough to provide good fodder for anyone curious about what footballers get up to from day to day.

Remains to be seen how long it will be before other players get involved and, of course, how long it is before their clubs try to censor them again. Better enjoy it while we can.