Sol Campbell’s Late-Night Social Media Post Backfires
Former Arsenal and England defender Sol Campbell recently took to Instagram to compare himself to legendary Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt. Campbell displayed an image containing the fastest Premier League stars using data collated during the 2007/08 and 2008/09 seasons. Top of the list was Theo Walcott who registered a speed of 22.72mph with Campbell impressively taking second place with 22.5mph ahead of Didier Drogba and Fernando Torres in joint third place. Also on the list was Nicolas Anelka, Ashley Cole and surprisingly for some, Cesc Fabregas whose speed of 22.05mph tied with Anelka and Cole.
Campbell was not going to pass up the opportunity to gloat at the readings and even went one better by comparing the speed recorded towards the latter stages of his career, to that of Olympian Bolt. He posted the image alongside the caption: “Bolt hit a top speed of 24.04mp. You have to remember I did this speed when I was 34 YEARS OLD imagine the pace I could generate at the age of 23 my friends facts and figures. Respect is due!”
However, Campbell’s post went live at 3am meaning few UK-based fans would have immediately seen it, however it didn’t stop the mocking at sunrise. And it wasn’t just fans that weighed in on the 48-year-old, former teammates and opponents from the Premier League era were unable to let this one slide.
Rio Ferdinand was quick to reply, writing: “Sol, I’m sorry to kill your vibe but Cesc being on this list makes this bit of data null & void. Cescs game was brain, passing & angles, not speed – and cesc would tell u that.” He later added: “You were quick tho bro.” Campbell’s former England teammate Phil Neville cheekily wrote: “Still give us a penalty at OT tho Sol.” Neville’s Manchester United teammate Andy Cole added: “Easy sol man.” Former Man City and Everton centre-back Sylvain Distin also chipped in with: “Cesc as fast as Anelka ?????? Really ?????,” to which Campbell replied, “I don’t do the data.”
The Backlash
Campbell’s late-night social media post backfired on him when he was mocked by a host of Premier League legends. The former Arsenal and England defender compared himself to legendary Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt, but his post was met with ridicule from fans, former teammates, and opponents.
Rio Ferdinand, Phil Neville, Andy Cole, and Sylvain Distin were among those who weighed in on the post. Ferdinand pointed out that Cesc Fabregas being on the list made the data null and void, while Neville cheekily asked Campbell to still give them a penalty at Old Trafford. Cole simply said “easy sol man,” while Distin questioned whether Fabregas was really as fast as Anelka.
Campbell’s post went live at 3am, meaning few UK-based fans would have immediately seen it. However, the mocking began at sunrise and continued throughout the day. Campbell’s attempt to gloat at his speed readings ended up making him the subject of jokes and banter.
Lessons Learned
Sol Campbell’s social media post serves as a reminder that not all content is created equal. While he may have thought he was impressing his followers with his speed readings, his former teammates and opponents were quick to point out the flaws in his argument.
When crafting content for social media, it’s important to consider your audience and their expectations. In this case, Campbell’s post was met with ridicule because it didn’t align with what fans, former teammates, and opponents know about him. Instead of trying to impress them with his speed readings, he could have shared a more relatable or interesting story that would have resonated with his audience.
In addition, it’s important to think about the timing of your posts. Campbell’s post went live at 3am, which meant that few UK-based fans would have seen it immediately. If he had waited until a more reasonable hour, he may have been able to generate more engagement and avoid some of the backlash.
Conclusion
Sol Campbell’s social media post comparing himself to Usain Bolt may have seemed like a good idea at the time, but it ended up backfiring on him. His former teammates and opponents were quick to point out the flaws in his argument, and his attempt to gloat at his speed readings ended up making him the subject of jokes and banter.
When crafting content for social media, it’s important to consider your audience and their expectations. It’s also important to think about the timing of your posts and whether they are likely to generate engagement or backlash. By taking these factors into account, you can create content that resonates with your audience and helps you achieve your social media goals.