Scott Houghton

Last season Lynx lead the way with streaming our matches to audiences worldwide. For the 2021/22 season, we have teamed up with FreeBySport TV to once again offer live coverage of all of our Gibraltar National League fixtures.

After gaining many new fans last season from around the globe, it was important that we still gave them a platform where they could watch us. With new players, comes new fans and new viewers from more countries. Having the ability to show games live, gives their families the chance to proudly watch them play, and gives sponsors more exposure than ever before. It’s a great chance to give football in Gibraltar even more exposure.

This season will include commentary from former member of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment Steve Brown, who went into broadcasting and journalism 10 years ago.

“I have been following the progress of rock football for many years and during that time the game has improved dramatically. New players joining clubs from overseas and more importantly the emergence of local talent coming through the academies has been encouraging and refreshing to see. So to be asked to join FreeBySport TV for the 2021/22 season as their lead commentator was a privilege and an extremely easy decision for me to make. 

Over the past few seasons FreeBySport TV has primarily been a platform for promoting Mons Calpe SC with coverage of all of their games being shown online, but this coming season will be even better with the inclusion of Europa Point FC and Lynx FC, and also talk of possibly one or two more clubs joining forces before the start of the season which begins on October 15th. 

For a commentator and supporter of rock football it’s excellent news that those watching on the rock and around the globe will be able to follow the fortunes of their teams online and totally free of charge. There’s never been a better time to follow football on the rock in my opinion, especially with the recent success of Lincoln Red Imps and their progression into the Europa Conference League group stages. And of course the progress of the national game. 

A lot of work is going on behind the scenes to make sure we are ready for kick off. Meetings and emails are constantly being passed back and forth in order to make sure we’re all on the same page. It’s the start of something new. And for me personally it’s great that I’m able to use my skills for the good of football on the rock. Enjoy it. It’s free!”

A massive thanks to Steve for taking the time to give us a few words. 

It’s amazing that the streaming will be free for fans and so easily accessible for them. That is truly massive! We are really looking forward to being able to chat to even more fans on social media before, during and after the matches. Be sure to get involved!

First line of defence

In football, the danger of injury or health issues is not just confined to match day. Problems could occur at training too. Which is why we committed to having First Response Unit, not only at matches, but also every training session. This doesn’t only apply to the adults, we also have them present at youth training sessions and matches. Having first responders present certainly brings peace of mind to the parents and guardians, and recently, were present at the Gibraltar Football Association summer camp.

The team of around 25 have a multitude of important equipment at their disposal; trauma bags, first aid bags, stretchers and crucially, a defibrillator. While it is hoped the latter is never needed, it is an incredibly important piece of life saving kit to have present at any level of football. It’s importance being seen recently in the Euro 2020 championship with Christian Eriksen in Denmark’s opening fixture against Finland. Everyone should have access to these facilities regardless of what level they play at. 

Committee member and first aider for First Response Unit Deidre Copello said “I feel very satisfied with the responsibility, but above all I feel that the players themselves feel more protected with the fact that there is first aid service”. And for sure, every player does feel safe in the knowledge that such professional help is at hand. While such cases may be rare, it is better to have provision in place than not at all.

It goes without saying that we are proud to have First Response Unit working alongside us, safeguarding the health and fitness of all members of the Lynx family.

In this issue we would also like to recognise the efforts of committee member Kathy Noble, wife of our president , Jack Noble. You know what they say, behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes…. hang on that’s not right is it, although it maybe true in this case…. winky face emoji. We love you really Jack. But in all seriousness, Kathy has been an incredible asset to the club over the years, helping out behind the scenes and always supporting the club in whatever way possible. Kathy has always been there to help Jack and the club, and without her, the club would be a lesser place, and for that, we thank her! 

More than just a shirt

The football shirt reveal…. The time when a club looks forward to showing off their new shirt design for the upcoming season. Their new work of art. The shirt that the players will wear with pride, and that fans will long to buy. Next to the badge, its the biggest part of a clubs identity used to show off their colours. After a couple of seasons of having a shirt which wasn’t predominantly yellow, it was time to go back to who we are. The Yellows. 

We often see fan made concept kits appearing on social media around the time of new kits being unveiled, and supporters going wild for them. So not wanting to use an ‘off the shelf’ kit, the idea was born to run a competition to give the fans the opportunity to design a kit for Lynx FC, with one being chosen by the committee members to be worn for the 2021/22 season, the designer of which, receiving the shirt as a prize. The standard was incredibly high, with more submissions than we imagined we would get. Many shirts having some subtle details, but each really bringing something to the design. The committee certainly had their work cut out in trying to pick our own favourites, and then finally agreeing on a winner. 

Lynx FC president Jack Noble had this to say about the new shirt:

“We are really excited to reveal our new kit for next season. Blocked largely in yellow, this well and truly takes us back to our Lynx family roots. The black shoulders ghosted with the coat markings of a Lynx, embodies our true fighting spirit. To us, the shirt offers a sense of family, resilience, and strong fighting spirit. We look forward to welcoming you back to the stands with us for the new season. We Live Forever”

The winning design by @theinkredible.munk on Instagram, features a striking pattern on the torso of the shirt, and on the shoulders and sleeves, a representation of the fur of the Lynx cat. For us it was also a must to feature the flag of Gibraltar, and our motto, ‘We Live Forever’, and we feel they absolutely nailed the placement on the shirt. 

He said “It’s truly an amazing feeling to have my design used in such a big way, this is a big motivator to keep designing. I love the fact that I was able to contribute something to the sport I love. I may not be good on the pitch, but I can still say I left my mark on it. As for the design of the shirts, I used the Iberian Lynx as inspiration, which is native to some parts of Europe. I recently found out it is an endangered species, so this can really spread some awareness as well”

We have to say thanks to all those who submitted designs, and as I said before, the quality was extremely high. You never know, we could revisit some of these designs for future seasons.

If you would like to register your interest in purchasing a shirt, please contact the club.

A huge thanks also has to go to Sprint Sports for producing this fantastic shirt for us, we returned to them after they did such an amazing job with our futsal kits!