Martin Sanders is the creator behind Football Martin, the most-watched dedicated Southampton FC fan channel. Built on trust, consistency, and deep understanding of the club and its supporters, the channel delivers in-depth match previews and analysis, exclusive podcasts, behind-the-scenes access, player interviews, and matchday vlogs that resonate with Saints fans across platforms. Years of hard graft, persistence, and belief have transformed Football Martin from a supporter’s voice into a trusted media presence within the Southampton fans ecosystem. While hosting shows forms part of the output, Martin’s real passion lies in interviewing players and managers in a way that feels natural, relatable, and genuinely fan-led — creating football content that supporters connect with and that clubs increasingly recognise as valuable.
This case study explores how fan-led media, when professionalised and supported properly creates a real value for clubs –through the experience of Martin’s story we take a closer look at how fan-led media is changing the narrative and reshaping football coverage.
Building my media platform has involved years of hard graft, persistence, and belief. While I enjoy hosting shows, my real passion lies in interviewing managers and players creating content that fans genuinely connect with.
A defining moment came after Southampton’s 3–0 victory over Leicester City, when I bumped into Saints midfielder Leo Scienza. He recognised me immediately, spoke positively about my video content, and told me he enjoyed my productions. He later followed me on Instagram the first Saints player to do so at the time and when I mentioned the idea of an interview, he made it clear he’d be open to a conversation.
Earlier in the season, I was given the opportunity by Southampton’s media team to interview Will Still. The response was overwhelming. The interview quickly reached around 9,000 views and across all related content surpassed 30,000 views in total. That reaction highlighted a clear appetite among supporters for fan-led, authentic football media.
With Leo Scienza, I knew the potential reach was significant — particularly among Southampton’s younger fanbase. TikTok was central to the distribution strategy, allowing the content to reach new audiences and maximise engagement. Southampton FC approved the interview, and I am extremely grateful for the access and trust shown.
Coverage of Southampton can often be limited nationally. Sky Sports News rarely focus on the club, much of the local press sits behind a paywall, and the BBC produce relatively little Saints-specific video content. My aim is to help bridge that gap through accessible, fan-focused digital coverage.
Arriving at Staplewood, Southampton’s training ground, felt natural. It is an environment where I feel comfortable and confident, helped by the fact that many staff already recognised me from my work. Preparation took place over more than a week, with a clear focus on delivering a fan-led interview rather than a traditional press format.
The interview with Leo Scienza, filmed shortly before Christmas Eve, exceeded expectations despite the challenging release window. The results reflected the demand:
• 40,000+views on TikTok across two posts
• 4,000+views on YouTube
• 10,000+additional views on Facebook
Both the Will Still and Leo Scienza interviews performed strongly across platforms, reinforcing the appetite for relatable, personality-driven football interviews.
My ambition is to build on these opportunities. Supporters respond to authenticity — the voice they trust when results aren’t going well, the supporter they relate to, speaking directly with the players and managers they care about. That connection is powerful and increasingly vital in modern football media.
I am committed to continuing this work and expanding access to football content that puts supporters at the heart of the story because this is what fans want, and it’s where my strengths lie.
This case study is a clear example of what fan-created football content looks like when it is done properly. Bootroom is leading this shift by professionalising fan-led media — not by diluting authenticity, but by protecting and strengthening it. Through its work with trusted creators, Bootroom is building a network of approved fan channels supported by clear standards, governance, and a structured framework that ensures compliance, safeguarding, and brand confidence. This approach minimises risk for clubs while unlocking significant opportunity: the ability to engage supporters through authentic voices they already trust. Football Martin demonstrates the value of this model in action — and Bootroom exists to scale it, responsibly and sustainably, across the game.