Following iFollow

by Various

15 September 2020

Your tips on watching a game using iFollow. These steps have worked for us in the past; applying some or all of them may work for you.

Goal Alerts

The iFollow broadcast takes time to bounce around the planet and get to your device. Plus, they probably have a short buffer built in so they can cut the transmission if John Tondeur gets bored one afternoon and says "bottoms" loudly into the mic. If you have an app that sends you goal updates on your phone, turn it off. It may be slightly ahead of iFollow. There's nothing worse than a threatening Town attack being interrupted by a parp from your phone and FFS, the opposition have just scored. It makes the 30 seconds of bumbling Town action that follows an even greater downer than usual.

Use a laptop

Whether you have an 84 inch plasma LCD Ultra 1080HD wall-bastard or a Radio Rentals coin-operated 21 inch Grundig, if you want to watch the game on it your best option is to log onto iFollow with a laptop. If you don't have a laptop, watching on a TV will be trickier.

Signing up

iFollow should work once you follow the purchase steps on the slightly clunky site. You login or create you account, enter your credit card details and click on the link to the video when payment is completed.

What if the video doesn't play?

If you do all that and the video doesn't work try the following to clear your web browser and login with a clean slate (don't worry, you won't have to pay again). We've had success using Chrome but these tips should also work for Internet Explorer/Safari/Edge. Just search on Google for the steps to "clear cookies for a.n. other browser"

Start by closing all web browsers and then open a fresh one. Make sure you are not on the official GTFC or iFollow site.

1. Open your browser settings. On Chrome this is done by clicking on the three little dots on the top right hand corner of the screen. Yes that's it, where Omar's third against Stevenage went a few years back.

2. Select "Settings". You'll see it third from the bottom, where Town finished in 2009. Ok, no more of that, this is meant to be iFollow tips not a spot at a fringe festival.

3. Under "Privacy and security", click on "Clear browsing data".

4. You'll probably be familiar with this screen, it's where you go when you have been naughty and want to delete the history of a potentially embarassing late night visit to the Fishy. Don't be ashamed, we've all been there. On the Advanced tab, tick "Cookies and other site data" and "Site Settings". All other boxes can be unticked unless you want to do some housekeeping while you are here. In the "Time Range" box at the top of the box, select "All time". Finally, hit the "Clear Data" button. This may take a few moments to complete.

5. Head back to https://www.grimsby-townfc.co.uk/my-account/ and login again. Click on the matchday video link and hopefully the video will play. If it doesn't, we're not beaten yet. Try opening a new tab in your browser and copying the address from the first tab into it. This shot in the dark worked for us in the Walsall game on opening day after we'd had five panicky minutes watching a spinning arrow on an otherwise blank screen.

6. Next move is to try a different browser. Finally, try logging on other devices. You may have to log out of your original device before trying this but remember, you won't need to pay again. Your successful payment should be on your account and as long as you're only logged on to one device at a time, is transferable.

7. If after all that, there's still nothing doing, it's time to admit defeat. You're a Town fan, you should be used to the feel, so do what you always do: have a rant on Twitter and tag us in if you like. Then tune in to John Tondeur.

Watching on your TV

It will depend on the age of your TV and laptop but both should have HDMI connection ports if they've been bought in the last 5/6 years. If you don't have a spare HDMI cable, borrow the one from your satellite box or DVD player while the game is on.

An alternative to a HDMI connection is casting using an application like Google Chromecast. Chromecast is a thingy that attaches to your TV, it cost about £30 and enables you to send video from your laptop and phone to your TV. The setup is done via your phone.

iFollow claim that neither of these methods are supported by their software but we've found that to be untrue.

Other Devices

We haven't tried to watch via phone or tablet yet. If you have any tips, send them on. Again, iFollow claims not to supporting casting from phone to TV but some phones have a "mirroring" feature that allows you to send the phone screen to your TV. On Android phones, Samsung's SmartThings app will do this on Samsung TVs for example. We have used it for streaming other non-iFollow content and it works well until the phone stops casting when your nan rings in the middle of the game.

We've also heard firesticks mentioned. If you know what they are and how they can be used, please let us know.

XBox/Playstations have internet browsers. We haven't tried either but it might be worth trying a Hail Mary, 2.58pm logon as you curse this guide's earlier instructions for failing you.

I've got it working but the video/audio is rubbish

Read on. In the following section we list your road-tested tips for improving iFollow. Wifi can cause buffering issues so get as near to your router as possible or as recommended below, use an ethernet cable to connect from your laptop to your router.

Readers' Tips

I've probably been using iFollow longer than almost anyone else.

Before I go any further, I had better clarify that you can adjust the video settings in the bottom right hand corner of the video screen, and there too is the selector for home or away commentary - so no need to listen to our competitors. The video settings allow for auto, and then anything from low quality to HD manually.

In my experience, what you set the video to depends on your internet speed. I usually set it to HD manually. If you have a decent internet connection, you should have no problems at all. There are errors from time to time - sometimes we hear too much of Hull and Scunny, but that's not the fault of iFollow, and sometimes we don't stick it in the back of the net as often as our opponents, but I'm afraid that's not the fault of iFollow either!

Keep going. Eventually you'll get it mastered, and/or you'll get your internet sorted!

Kirky

I am an old man of 65 but always advise youngsters to buy an ethernet lead for a couple of quid and connect your broadband router to the playback device with that. This eliminates the WiFi variable.

Donk Dawson (via Twitter)

Hard wire it if possible as WiFi can be hit and miss and restart router and device sometime between 2pm to 3pm

Jonathan Loades (via Twitter)

My advice is to go out and do something better with your time

Russell Slade (Availablenow@gmail.com)