Scottish soccer team letting fans vote on whether to re-sign goalkeeper
Livingston FC is taking fan engagement to the extreme.
The Scottish Premiership club must decide whether to re-sign third-string goalkeeper Gary Maley. Rather than look to the front office professionals whose job it is to make these decisions, the team is leaving it up to the fans.
Here’s the Twitter poll Livingston FC started on Monday.
📋| Quite possibly a football first but we’re giving you the chance to decide on the future of goalkeeper @Maley1Gary.
With his contract expiring next month, we’re leaving it in the hands of the fans as to whether or not we offer “Stretch” an extension.
Stay or go - you decide!— Livingston FC (@LiviFCOfficial) May 25, 2020
Is this for real?
Wait. That’s a joke, right? United Kingdom humor has a tendency to get lost in translation.
Apparently not.
No wind up here, Tony. No-one more important than the fans.
— Livingston FC (@LiviFCOfficial) May 25, 2020
Some on Twitter are asking if this is even legal. Livingston FC does not seem to be concerned.
Noted. Thanks Stuart. pic.twitter.com/qqfWpvE7pa
— Livingston FC (@LiviFCOfficial) May 25, 2020
Meanwhile, Maley’s keeping tabs on the responses.
Thanks 👍🏻
— Gary Maley (@Maley1Gary) May 25, 2020
Including this one from the team’s assistant manager Davie Martindale saying “we have to move on.”
It’s time to hang your gloves up big fella, you had a good run at it. Scott McDonald penalty save at Tannadice a glorious high in your career, the only high tbf. Take care but we have to move on 👍🏻👍🏻⚽️⚽️
— Davie Martindale (@Daviemar13) May 25, 2020
And teammate Marvin Bartley proclaiming “bye big man.”
100% he goes, can’t push forward as a club with ‘players’ like him! Bye big man, look after yourself
— Marvin Bartley (@dothebartman1) May 25, 2020
Again. We’re not really sure here who’s joking and who’s not.
According to the Daily Record, Maley, 37, just finished his fourth season with the team and is the only part-time player on the roster.
Surely an endearing nickname like “Stretch” has got to work in Maley’s favor, right?
As of the time of this post with a day remaining in the poll, the votes were in favor of re-signing Maley 57.7 percent to 42.2 percent, with 17,750 results.
Maybe this experiment will work out in Maley’s favor after all.
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