AFC Telford United volunteers strike out across the country with app venture

Element16 Media, a Telford-based digital marketing agency founded in 2021, released Touchline last month following the success of their work with the Bucks, which began three years ago.

Touchline is described as a pioneering app development programme tailored specifically for non-league football clubs across the UK, and 19-year-old founder and CEO Ben Wiser expressed his excitement at the launch.

“This marks a historic day for non-league football teams,” Wiser, a lifelong Telford fan, said. “Having worked in non-league football myself for the past four years, I’ve experienced first-hand the budget constraints placed on clubs, and the pure dedication of their fans.

“Our mission is to make app development accessible to all clubs, no matter their size.”

He continued: “I first approached Telford back in 2020, before the app was even an idea.

“Lockdown restrictions meant they were not allowed fans in the ground, so I reached out and offered to help stream the games. I led the live streaming throughout lockdown with a very makeshift & shoestring setup, and we delivered the stream each week for fans to tune in.

“It raised vital funds for the club throughout lockdown, and then the next season when fans came back I wanted to keep helping the club in whatever way I could.”

At just 19 years old Ben Wiser is not your typical CEO, and he revealed the story behind the formation of Element16 Media was equally original.

“Back in 2021, I was standing at a bus stop in Muxton, and it was the final day of my GCSE exams, which happened during lockdown,” he explained. “I remember the exam, it was Chemistry, and I was 16 at the time.

“We wanted to create a more personal and genuine service, and to help good causes where we could, so I decided to message Luke Shelley, who was the operations manager at Telford at the time, and I asked him what sort of budget we would have to create an app.”

Wiser continued: “He messaged me back and said, ‘Try and keep it under a fiver,’ so we did.

“We had a video call to discuss the features that the club wanted, and it all happened from there.”

After winning the Innovation Award at the Football Business Awards in 2022, Element16 Media now hope to bring their award-winning services to the forefront of non-league football.

And the company believes that their first of its kind software will provide clubs with a unique new opportunity to engage with supporters.

“For many football clubs, mobile apps have become an invaluable asset,” an official press release said. “Major corporations already leverage mobile technology to market directly to users, and forward-thinking football clubs are recognising the same potential.

“What was once a “nice-to-have” feature has now become indispensable in the digital strategy of any ambitious football team.

“Through Touchline, non-league clubs can access these same advantages, levelling the playing field and allowing clubs to build a dynamic digital presence.”