
AI scouting app gives players chance to be noticed in the professional game
Artificial Intelligence can help talented players who might never normally be noticed get a chance in the professional game. Premier League clubs Chelsea and Burnley – as well as a host of MLS teams – are using an app, created by ai.io, that allows footballers around the world to complete specifically-designed drills and upload match footage of themselves. Using computer vision and deep-learning machinery, which can recognise and evaluate a player’s movement, each user receives a score and then scouts are alerted to anyone that matches set criteria. The aiSCOUT platform is the only digital scouting product invited into the FIFA Innovation Programme and already has several success stories, with Burnley signing Jez Davies and Chelsea handing a 10-week trial to Ben Greenwood, having discovered them on the app. Not every budding footballer will be visited by a scout, but almost everyone will have access to a smartphone and that provides the player with a unique opportunity. “It gives the power to the player,” ai.io COO and director of sports science Richard Felton-Thomas told the PA news agency. “You are always waiting for a scout to come and watch you, you can’t just ring them up and ask them to come. “This just puts power into the players’ hands. “We are really democratising that scouting process. Normally you go and watch and then go and collect more information afterwards, which is just inefficient. “You can’t replace the fundamentals a scout brings of going to a game, seeing how a player deals with adversity, how they transfer those raw skill sets to a match and taking instructions from a coach. “Our tech is there to do the early talent detection but then scouts have to ID that talent with the traditional method. “We give them the efficiency of enough information to say, ‘Don’t wait until the weekend to watch them’, because someone else might be doing that already. “We don’t make the future decision of the player. The scout and the recruitment do that. I don’t think anyone wants AI to decide their fate. We are there to say on certain metrics, players are worth a look.” Davies joined the Clarets when he was spotted on the aiSCOUT app shortly after being released by Tottenham and they quickly signed him up. This just puts power into the players' hands ai.io COO Richard Felton-Thomas Greenwood had a 10-week trial at Chelsea before earning a permanent deal at Bournemouth, going on to feature in the Carabao Cup and represent Republic of Ireland at under-19 level. There has also been huge success in India as players using a shared community phone have been scouted. “We have had players trial and sign for Chelsea and Burnley and in India players who have downloaded our app from a shared community phone are now in football programmes,” Felton-Thomas added. “If it wasn’t for a mobile phone they would never have the exposure. They were not playing registered football so a scout would never have found them but we are changing those lives through those opportunities with a phone. “Jez Davies signed at Burnley. He was released at Tottenham. We didn’t know about him but he entered our app uploaded his reels and you can imagine being 18 and just coming out of Tottenham, his drills were incredible. Burnley saw that and within two weeks he was signed. “The first player we trialled was a player called Ben Greenwood. He had brilliant stats, he was at a football college and had never been scouted by any team, he lived two miles away from Chelsea’s training ground in Cobham and they thought if he was that good, how come our scouts had missed him. “They brought him in for a day, just to validate our data, but he ended up staying for 10 weeks. He scored on his under-19s debut but he didn’t get a contract. “He was signed by Bournemouth and is on his second contract and played in the Carabao Cup for them. This is a player who had never once been scouted, so that was a huge success story.” Read More Josh Magennis determined to keep giving his all for Northern Ireland Andy Farrell feels Ireland are becoming better at handling pressure Charlie Savage impresses Rob Page during his Wales debut Harry Maguire supported by ‘role model’ David Beckham after Hampden experience I want to play – Harry Maguire admits lack of matches will become an issue Conor McGregor closes in on UFC return by re-entering anti-doping test programme
2023-10-12 16:23

Flash flooding in Massachusetts town leaves residents trapped, submerged vehicles as more rain expected across swaths of southeast New England
Dangerous flooding in the city of Leominster, Massachusetts, has trapped residents, submerged vehicles and sent water gushing through the streets as storms bring the threat of flooding across portions of the Northeast, officials say.
2023-09-12 12:49

Joe Jonas becomes Scotch and Soda's first brand ambassador
Singer Joe Jonas has been announced as fashion brand Scotch and Soda's first official ambassador.
2023-11-15 19:16

NBA rumors: Heat missed out on Damian Lillard for indefensible reason
The Miami Heat were apparently so enamored with a role player that they didn't land Damian Lillard. Will it keep them from landing Zach LaVine?
2023-11-30 10:15

Jurors hear opening statements in $165k casino heists trial of Las Vegas police officer
Jurors in the trial of a Las Vegas police officer accused in a series of casino heists are listening to opening statements Tuesday morning
2023-07-12 01:46

Israel-Hamas war fuels debate and nationalist sentiment on Chinese social media
Israel's war with Palestinian militant group Hamas has sparked a fierce debate on China's tightly controlled social media, driving a wedge between those who support Israel's right to retaliate and a variety of pro-Palestinian voices -- including a surge in antisemitic views.
2023-10-20 11:48

Sonos releases Move 2, its chunky speaker for the outdoors
Sonos has released the Move 2, an updated version of its chunky speaker for the outdoors. The Move was released in September 2019, as Sonos’s first battery-operated and semi-portable speaker. It was joined later by the Sonos Roam, which comes in a much smaller and lighter form factor that is intended to be more easily carried around, and the Move has focused on uses such as carrying a speaker into the garden or moving it from room to room. Now Sonos has revealed an updated version of that Move, focusing largely on sound quality and its battery. It will cost $449, or the same in pounds – slightly more than the previous Move, which sold for $399 – and will be available on 20 September. The improvements to the sound bring what Sonos says is a “completely overhauled” design of the speakers. That allows for stereo sound and other improvements to the audio quality. The improvements to the battery double the playtime from the version of the Move, increasing it to up to 24 hours. It also includes a USB-C port that can send power out the other way: charging up a phone or other electronics, for instance. Audio can also go into the speaker through that input. After being largely resisted to adding line-in connections to its speakers, Sonos has recently brought USB-C inputs to its latest releases, though still requires customers to buy a line-in adapter separately. And it comes in a new olive colour, alongside the black and white of the original Sonos. That is matched with a new design on the user interface, first unveiled with Sonos’s recent Era speakers, which include a slider for volume control. Otherwise, the Move looks almost identical to its predecessor. It has the same level of water resistance and features WiFi and Bluetooth, though it has the option to bring two Moves together for stereo sound when they are connected to WiFi. Read More Starship ‘ready to launch’, Elon Musk says Elon Musk vows to sue ADL for calling him antisemitic over X campaign Apple is dropping leather from iPhone cases and Watch bands, report claims
2023-09-06 21:26

Why are fans siding with Howie Mandel? 'AGT' Season 18 judge says 'no' to Phil Wright and Parent Jam's 'segregated and disorganized' act
Fans sided with judge Howie Mandel after he said 'no' to Phil Wright and Parent Jam's dance performance, saying it was not 'AGT' worthy
2023-07-19 11:26

Tomas Soucek nets late winner as West Ham fight back to beat sorry Burnley
Tomas Soucek’s stoppage-time volley condemned Burnley to a seventh-consecutive home defeat as Vincent Kompany’s struggling side conceded two in the space of five minutes to lose 2-1 to West Ham. For much of the second half it seemed as though Jay Rodriguez’s 49th-minute penalty was going to earn the Clarets a vital win and lift them off the bottom of the Premier League table. But an 87th-minute own goal from Dara O’Shea, under pressure from West Ham teenager Divin Mubama, levelled it before Soucek volleyed home a second in the first of seven minutes added on. It was cruel on Burnley, who had largely contained a West Ham side devoid of inspiration without the injured Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio, but just when their fans thought they could celebrate a first home league win since May, it all fell apart at the death. A side that broke records on their way to the Championship crown last term are now making too much unwanted history, with this loss seeing them match Newport’s 53-year-old record of starting a league campaign with seven home defeats. Burnley narrowly shaded a fairly dismal first half, but ended it frustrated after Luca Koleosho’s penalty appeals were waved away six minutes before the break. The teenager ran into the box and tumbled over the dangling leg of Vladimir Coufal but referee Sam Barratt, perfectly positioned, pointed for a goal-kick, deeming that Koleosho had run into the Czech defender, a view upheld by VAR Craig Pawson. Koleosho and Burnley would get their penalty just two minutes into the second half. The Italy youth international appeared to have hit a dead end as he faced four West Ham players but – as he tried to turn away – he was caught on the heel by Mohammed Kudus and this time Barratt pointed to the spot. Rodriguez had to hold his nerve through a VAR check but then fired his penalty under the dive of Alphonse Areola for his first goal of the season. West Ham were forced to wake from their slumbers as the game finally came to life. O’Shea blocked Soucek’s shot after a free-kick from deep, then Sander Berge got in the way of James Ward-Prowse’s shot following a long throw-in. Another set-piece came to Lucas Paqueta, but his powerful volley was still rising as it sailed over. Burnley had chances to score what would surely have been a decisive second. Zeki Amdouni won possession on the right and charged into the box, forcing Areola into a sharp save at his near post. Substitute Aaron Ramsey then went close to making an instant impact in the 73rd minute, springing forward down the right side and cutting in towards goal, only to send his shot over. West Ham fans had been singing the name of Mubama before he replaced the largely-anonymous Danny Ings just after the hour, and the 19-year-old helped as West Ham turned up the wick late on. Kurt Zouma blazed high and wide from Paqueta’s cross before substitute Said Benrahma failed to get enough bend on a curling shot, but the pressure was building. And it paid off when Kudus got to the byline and pulled the ball back towards Mubama, with the ball bouncing in off the unlucky O’Shea. Burnley were still reeling from that when West Ham won it at the death, as Soucek met another Kudus cross with a superb volley. Read More Jonathan Obika’s last-gasp equaliser earns Motherwell point at Celtic Brighton return to winning ways by edging Forest in thriller Opposing managers happy with a point as Manchester City and Liverpool draw Banner calling for release of activist in UAE flown over Etihad Stadium Man Utd have reached ‘turning point’ ahead of crucial week – Erik ten Hag On This Day in 2020: Gunners welcome their fans back in style
2023-11-26 01:51

Harry Kane potential shirt numbers at Bayern Munich
The squad numbers available to Harry Kane as he closes in on a blockbuster move to Bayern Munich. The 30-year-old is finally poised to leave Tottenham after years and years of speculation over his future.
2023-08-12 02:29

Planet Fitness shares slide after CEO steps down
By Chibuike Oguh NEW YORK Shares of Planet Fitness Inc fell as much as 16% to a three-year
2023-09-16 00:53

Tim Scott agrees with Tucker Carlson’s comments dismissing threat posed by Russia
Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) appeared to agree with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s assertion that Mexico poses a bigger threat to the US than Russia in a chummy 2024 campaign trail forum. The South Carolina senator joined five other Republican presidential candidates - except for former president Donald Trump - to appear at the forum hosted by Blaze Media, run by former Fox News host Glenn Beck, and the Iowa Family Leader, a socially conservative organisation that candidates frequently court. During the forum, Mr Carlson questioned candidates individually for approximately 25 minutes on current events and policies that voters may be interested in. Mr Carlson, who frequently criticises US support for Ukraine against Russia, began his conversation with Mr Scott by discussing the Ukraine-Russia conflict. The conservative television personality told Mr Scott Russia was not as big of a threat as Mexico. “So Russia is bad, Russia is a threat, Putin is evil. Got it,” he said. “But the total body count from Russia in the United States is right around zero. Like I don't know anyone who's been killed by Russia. I know people personally who have been killed by Mexico.” Mr Carlson specifically cited the fact that fentanyl comes over the US-Mexico border. “The government of Mexico allows fentanyl to be made in its country and to come over our border has remittances from Mexico are a huge part of their economy,” he said. “The Mexican government is a party to the murder of hundreds of 1000s of Americans. So why is Mexico less of a threat than Russia?” Mr Scott appeared to try and split the difference in his response. “I think we can walk and chew gum at the same time,” he said before adding that he sponsored legislation that would freeze the assets of the Mexican cartels to cut off the flow of fentanyl. “I do agree with you that 70,000 Americans losing their lives on an annual basis is an existential threat to America that we can solve,” he said. “We don't have to choose.” In response, Mr Carlson asked Mr Scott if he would support placing a tariff on Mexico to hurt its economy. “So you use every tool available to stop fentanyl coming across our border,” Mr Scott said. The South Carolina Senator advocated for building “the wall” – the southern border policy that Mr Trump ran his 2016 campaign on and promised to execute during his time in the White House. Reports indicate approximately 49 miles (79 km) of “the wall” was newly built during Mr Trump’s presidency. In addition to “the wall” Mr Scott said the US should close the southern border and install surveillance equipment to keep an eye on any people trying to enter illegally. Read More Biden campaign raised twice as much as Trump in 2nd quarter of 2023 Trump news – live: Jared Kushner and Hope Hicks testify in Jan 6 probe as Hunter Biden issues warning to Trump DeSantis to become 1st GOP candidate to file for South Carolina primary during visit next week Tucker Carlson and Mike Pence clash in heated exchange over Ukraine at GOP 2024 forum Tucker Carlson to launch new media company on Twitter, report says He was a loyal Fox viewer before he starred in a conspiracy theory. Now he’s suing
2023-07-15 03:49
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