Caledonian Braves, the Scottish Lowland Football League club with big ambitions, has launched the eagerly awaited Braves App as part of a ground-breaking series of initiatives that will put the club at the forefront of equality, inclusion and innovation in Scottish football.
The Braves App has been created to put the club’s future direction in the palm of fans’ hands as part of a vision to become the most inclusive online community club in the country and beyond.
Fans who download the app will be able to vote on decisions ranging from deciding the captain’s toss of heads or tails, issuing monthly How Brave Are You? challenges to the squad, and providing scouting reports from across Europe; to nominating official charities, setting board agenda items and taking a virtual seat at the boardroom table to shape the club’s strategy.
The launch coincides with the premiere of Brave Calling, a new documentary that chronicles the journey from the club’s inception in the South of Scotland League as Edusport Academy to its place in the Lowland League and rebrand last year as Caledonian Braves. The 90-minute film was released exclusively on the STV Player earlier this week.
Braves have reiterated their mission to join the ranks of the Scottish Professional Football League by 2025 and take their fans on a journey to the ultimate destination of the Scottish Premiership.
To help that objective, owner Chris Ewing is also recruiting a board of independent non-executive directors to help steer the strategy and also to reflect the modern and inclusive club he envisions.
Braves = is a campaign designed to ensure the highest standards of equality and diversity at all levels of the club, from the boardroom to front office.
To that end, the club will advertise four boardroom positions with a difference. In a move away from Scottish football’s traditional boardroom model, Braves is enlisting expertise from the creative and digital sectors, from Scotland’s burgeoning technology industry, communications and marketeers, and seek guidance of more modern and progressive governance professionals.
Ewing is keen that the composition of the Board will also be representative of Scotland’s diverse culture.
Chris Ewing, Caledonian Braves Owner:
“This is a hugely exciting time for all of us at Braves. From the outset, we have been motivated to do things differently and to make our club as accessible as possible in a modern, inclusive and innovative way.
“Ultimately, we are about putting the big decisions in the palm of fans’ hands. Fan engagement is at the heart of what we do and the Braves App enables us to put the online audience at the heart of everything we do from the boardroom, to the dressing room, to the front office.”
The impact of COVID-19 on football and society has been unprecedented but Ewing has been inspired by the positive impact clubs have in the community and believes Braves can not only adapt to returning to matches Behind Closed Doors but thrive with online content that appeals to a new generation of sports fans and gamers who consume from their phone.
“COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on sport as a live event for clubs at all levels but in a way, Braves is not as reliant on matchday attendance as others. We understand that the viewing habits of the younger generation have changed dramatically, and the old traditions of a pie and Bovril are anathema to Gen Zs who want to have more control of the environment around them.
“The Braves App will evolve based on the needs and wishes of our fans. We want to create something that is exciting while at the same time preserves the integrity of a football club with ambitions to reach the top echelon of Scottish football.”
Following the campaigns for racial equality endorsed by sport globally, and in light of recent reports from UK Sport that boardrooms should be more diverse and representative of all backgrounds, Braves will kick-off their Braves = strategy with a commitment to a diverse board of non-executive directors.
“This for us was a no-brainer. In all honesty, in order to make the vision we have a reality at Braves I need help at boardroom level because I cannot do it on my own. The four boardroom positions will arguably be the most important appointments I will make because it will validate our mission to be open to all.
“Also, we want to break the mould by ensuring we have the best candidates but also benefit from expertise in areas that might not figure in traditional boardrooms up and down the country. We want creative, innovative minds to help us and the best way I can describe the candidate spec is that blazers need not apply.”
The Braves app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play App Store by searching ‘Caledonian Braves’. For more information, please visit https://www.caledonianbraves.com/.
Candidates interested in the board member roles should submit their CVs, outlining relevant experience to borntobe@braves.co.uk.
The Brave Calling documentary can be viewed at https://player.stv.tv/summary/calbrave-bravecalling/.
If you enjoy games and gaming and want more NEWS from the Gaming World Click Here
