Gamechanging app scores with football fans

Four football lovers – includer a player from Bournemouth – who came together for kickabouts at tech conferences have been inspired to create an app which has gained more than 14 million impressions online.

Bournemouth-based Nine98 – named after the 99.8% per cent of amateur players who never make it in the professional game – allows players to log their own statistics in an ‘honours system’ style but also bring them together virtually through social networking and jersey swaps.

In a modern twist on football sticker or trading card swapping, enthusiasts can exchange and collect virtual jerseys from fellow members but also unlock features such as badges, patterns and logos to upgrade their own shirt. It also allows users to arrange physical games and meet up.

Now Nine98 has rolled out an alpha version of the app for trialling by 11,000 users worldwide selected from a waiting list which attracted 14 million page impressions on social media.

Their early ‘comment for access’ product posts garnered nearly 50,000 comments from users around the world.

Now, Nine98 is preparing to raise multi-million-pound seed funding to take the app to market as its alpha trial continues.

Early investors in a £400,000 pre-seed round have included CMS Holdings and founder of New York based Gotham FC Bobby Cho, New Jersey governor Phil Murphy, Somerset Patriots baseball club co-chairman Josh Kalafer and crypto-based luxury brand 9dcc founder gmoney.

The four co-founders of Nine98 – entrepreneurs from the UK and US – are chief executive officer Julian Hirsh, chief product officer Jordy Coltman, director of partnerships Joshua Murphy and chief strategy officer Andrew Wang.

Coltman is a former student at the Grange School in Christchurch, Dorset, and Brockenhurst College. A left-footed winger, who plays on the right, he has played at semi-pro level – including at Ringwood Town FC.

He said: “All four of us have played at a good level but, like 99.8 per cent of players, never made it pro yet still retain a massive love for the game.

“We aim to solve the loneliness culture in football in an innovative way by giving new generations the ability to connect, exchange and collect virtual shirts – just like they would have done with stickers or trading cards.

“We’re building towards creating a space where amateur players can truly express themselves and connect with others.

“The Nine98 app is building towards helping players find games and social events in real life, whether they are new to an area or simply looking for others to play with.

“Players—whether playing eleven, five, or six-a-side—can already use Nine98 to log their games, track their performances, and record key stats such as goals and memorable moments, helping to bring structure and storytelling to the grassroots game.

“From an impromptu kickabout to where we are today, we’ve secured pre-seed investment, gained massive interest with more than 14 million impressions on social media, released our app for alpha testing and are preparing for our next phase of growth with seed funding.
“It’s pretty phenomenal, and we’re looking forward to exciting times ahead with a genuinely game-changing platform that is focused on players and our shared love of the beautiful game.”

Wang said: “Millions of pounds are already spent every year on funding experiences and merchandise for fans of famous clubs.
“We’re all supporters, and English supporters are the best in the world, but it’s time to do something for the athletes among us.”

Nine98 is aimed at players aged 12 and above. Shirts can be swapped shirts through QR codes post game or members can simply join in the fun of jersey collecting and unlocking upgrades for their shirts – much like they would for so-called ‘skins’ on games such as Fortnite and League of Legends.

The company has already signed a partnership with custom kit designer Icarus Football to expand the limited edition collectability of their jerseys and will be collaborating with more pro clubs, brands, leagues and athletes in the near future.

Coltman is a former semi-pro player from Bournemouth with several previous business ventures including raising seven figures for mental health through Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs).

Hirsh, originally from Oregon in the US and now living in London, was a Division III college player who previously worked under ex-Zynga founder Mark Pincus.

He said: ““I became obsessed with football as a player not a fan.

“Football fan apps never resonated with me and now I get to build the player app I always wanted.”

Murphy, who attended New England boarding school Phillips Academy Andover with Andrew, is the only UEFA-certified American agent and a Premier League (EPL) team investor.

He attended New England boarding school Phillips Academy Andover with Andrew, is the only UEFA-certified American agent and a Premier League (EPL) team investor.

He said: “It finally feels good to be in the 99.8%. Now I get to track my best moments on the pitch, off the pitch and everywhere I go.”

Following the first impromptu kickabouts, they organised games at tech conferences held eight times a year in such locations as Miami, New York, Paris and London with partners such as Liquid Death, PUMA, Pudgy Penguins, OpenSea for more than 1,300 people.

From there, they decided to build the Nine98 app for the community that they were creating and the millions of other football fans worldwide.

Nine98 has its head office and operates from Bournemouth, with offices in London and New York.

Its development team has more than 30 years of experience and includes chief operations officer Nick DeNuzzo, chief technology officer Cris Sepulveda, head of design Julio Rivera, head of content Adam Dickens, head of fashion and business development Freya Quinton and designer and developer Yusuf Bayrak.

According to the Football Association (FA), 11.8million people play football in England.