John Nellis, a well-known Irish Football YouTuber, has made a significant impact in the digital world of sports. Since launching his YouTube channel in 2019, Nellis has utilised his passion for football to create engaging content that resonates with fans worldwide. Through his online work, he has gained recognition for his positive community engagement and dedication to increasing the social media exposure of footballers and football clubs.
Now, Nellis has set his sights on AFC Croydon Athletic, a football club owned by icons Wilfried Zaha and Stormzy. His goal is to reach 100,000 subscribers on the AFC Croydon Athletic YouTube channel. In an exclusive interview with Chelsea Burnell from AstroLab, Nellis discusses his decision to focus on AFC Croydon Athletic, his personal journey on YouTube, and his unwavering passion for the football community.
Community Preference: AFC Croydon Athletic Chosen by Fans
The decision to choose AFC Croydon Athletic was made by the community of John Nellis’ channel. They were given the option to choose between a footballer, football club, YouTuber, or amateur football club, and the amateur football club won by a landslide with 63% of the votes, says Nellis.
There is growing recognition of non-league clubs because it is significant for individuals to have their own local club to support, especially one that is close to their hearts, according to Nellis.
“I think when people are voting, they all [would] have an example of a club close to their heart and I think it means an awful lot more to a lot of people when you’re around [the local football club] at the weekend with your dad, your uncle, your friend, yourself, and your sister,” explains Nellis.
For Nellis, shining a spotlight on non-league clubs is not just about promoting football talent but also about celebrating the role these clubs play in bringing people together.
“I think from our perspective, it’s just a case of giving a club like [AFC Croydon Athletic] that has a vision for the future and bigger hopes, and really wants to make a big difference within the community. It’s about giving them hopefully socials to build upon,” he says.
The Potential Impact of Wilfried Zaha and Stormzy
Having the support of Wilfried Zaha and Stormzy could be a game changer for the initiative, believes Nellis.
“Wilfried Zaha and Stormzy are both superstars, and if they had to put word to it, they could drive many more people than me,” Nellis emphasises. “If you want to hit 100K, you’d probably have it tomorrow if both of them tweeted about it and stuck it on Instagram.”
Reflecting on their potential impact, Nellis expresses confidence in their ability to make a significant difference.
“But if they decided to turn their attention to [the initiative] for any amount of time, I’m sure they could have a massive impact. I mean, compared to me, they would just blow it up,” he concludes.
The Significance of the Football Community
The football community is indeed a global phenomenon, uniting football enthusiasts from all corners of the globe. This aspect, among others, contributes to the truly unique nature of this sports community, according to Nellis.
” [The football community] is just a beautiful thing, really,” he explains. “You can go anywhere in the world, and you’ve probably got something to talk about.”
Whether a person grows up with a local team or is new to a certain area, by engaging with the local football community someone can foster connections and contribute to its growth, making a positive impact on both young and old alike, says Nellis.
“[The football community] is incredible socially,” he says. “By getting involved and supporting your local team, you can help it grow, which ultimately benefits people locally.”
Nellis’s Football Journey
Nellis’s personal journey into the world of football began during his childhood, sparked by the magic of the 2002 World Cup. This pivotal moment ignited his love for the sport, leading him to immerse himself in all things football related. From collecting Premier League stickers to delving into fantasy football, his enthusiasm for the game only continued to grow over the years, Nellis explains.
It was in 2019 when Nellis embarked on his YouTube journey, driven by a desire for more than what a stagnant job had offered him.
“I started the channel because I basically was in a job that was a great job, but it was relatively dead-end,” Nellis recalls. “With that job, I had a lot of time off, so I decided to have a side hustle.”
Admitting that he initially had no idea what he is doing, over time the YouTube venture gradually began to gain momentum, states Nellis.
“It really, I suppose, was [at the start] bad content, not well thought out, but it is very niche and a bit of fun,” he recalls. “And then over the course of the next two or three years, we just kind of iterate on it, learn a bit more, and then it is like lightning in a bottle for the 2022 World Cup.”
In hindsight, Nellis reminisces about the remarkable surge of his channel during the 2022 World Cup, underscoring how the explosive growth propels him towards embracing YouTube content creation on a full-time basis.
“We got something like 400 million views in a month on short-form content. We smashed it,” he enthuses. “We went from, I don’t know, 20 or 30,000 subscribers to over 200,000 in like a month.”
As for the creative ideas behind his videos, Nellis credits a collaborative effort within his team.
“We do a lot of brainstorming sessions, a lot of ideations, and it’s true. I mean, there’ll be 100 ideas, and maybe three or four of them are great, “he explains.
Acknowledging the importance of innovation and originality, it is the balance between drawing inspiration from successful concepts and putting their unique spin on them, Nellis highlights.
“A lot of it’s based on what has worked before within the YouTube space, and then iterating off that and putting our own spin on it to make it our own,” he says. “I don’t think copying people is what anyone wants to do, but I think whenever you put a football spin on classic YouTube concepts, you’re a bit more sure it’s going to work.”
Future Goals and Aspirations
AFC Croydon Athletic has their Academy trials coming up in April on the second at Mayfield Stadium. As for Nellis, he anticipates that this year will continue to be filled with exciting opportunities and collaborations with various clubs.
“I think now that we have a few more reps in the tank, we’re more of a showreel, almost to show people and say, ‘Look, this is what we’ve done, or this is what we can do,'” he says. “So, we’re working with a lot of people now on ideas and things we’d like to do.”
The Euros will be a major priority for his team this year, and Nellis acknowledges that while it may not match the magnitude of the World Cup, it remains a significant event.
“I’ll be interested to see how many eyes are on [the Euros], ” he explains. “So, we’re going to hit it hard and see what happens.”
A Word of Encouragement for the AFC Croydon Athletic community
It is encouraged for people to keep supporting the AFC Croydon Athletic because reaching 100,000 subscribers is just a milestone, and every subscriber counts, according to Nellis.
“If we get to 50, amazing if we get to 6070, whatever it happens to get to in the short to medium term amazing, but keep grinding it out, we’ll get there eventually,”, he emphasises.
If all AFC Croydon Athletic fans, both new and old, subscribe on every device possible, get involved, share content, and spread the word, it will help benefit the club and positively influence its wider audience, urges Nellis.
So, AFC Croydon Athletic, are you ready? Let’s aim high and surpass that 100k milestone!
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