After six years, Leamington FC Head of Media Max Passantino will say goodbye to his hometown club in search of pastures new, writes Kian Claydon. 

Initially joining the Warwickshire outfit as a 14-year-old, Passantino soon took over the club’s social media channels – boosting their following five-fold over the six year period.

The period has seen a transformation in the Brakes’ social output, launching on different social media such as Instagram and TikTok – sites that the club previously didn’t utilise prior to 2018 – in addition to huge growth the usual sites of X and Facebook and most recently launching a club app with Element16Media.

“Harbury Lane has been my home since I was five,” said Passantino. “I’m just happy to say I’ve been able to give something back to the club that’s given me so much.

“Jim (Scott, Chairman), Kevin (Watson, Director), Paul (Edwards, Press Officer) and Nick (Leek, videographer) took a huge gamble back in 2018 in taking me on – and I’d like to think they’re happy with the progress we’ve made.”

The proof is in the pudding - with over 120,000 followers across social media now all familiar with the brand built over that period, the hashtag #BackingTheBrakes - penned by Passantino - now synonymous with the club. 

That brand has been constructed over time, with Leamington having a common typography and colour scheme across all social media and print media output, and with Passantino sharing programme editing duties with partner-in-crime and Press Officer Paul Edwards, the club are now setting their sights high and aiming for the Programme of the Year award in their division, given by the National League at the end of the campaign.

Max joked “I look back to what I was doing in 2018 and think ‘How did I get away with that in this league!’. It’s been a long journey with everything being self-taught from graphics and post style all the way to stream producing in the Covid curtailed season. 

“Comparing it all now, from when I started to what we produce across social media and in the programme – it feels a bit unreal! We’ve been able to build a clear brand, and maintain the high standards even with producing our 60 page programme, the longest in the league, which fits perfectly alongside our social media.

“I’ve had a great team to work with. Paul’s been my right hand man through it all, Nick (Leek) and Scott (Hanna) produce the best non-league highlights and were brilliant to me especially during the Covid season with streaming. Matt (Delaney), Shaun (Cashmore) and Craig (Barnes) have all equally chipped in so much help, as well as our two additions this season in Ethan (Gardiner) and Rachel (Gore) have done.”

His journey at the club, however, has taught him a lot more than just basic media principles.

He added “While at Leam, I’ve grown as a person. Not just the thick skin I need for some comments and the ability to bite my lip and not say something, but the people skills – communicating with everyone at our club as well as at other clubs and the external media. It’s been brilliant to build relationships with the local press, no more so than rebuilding a connection with the Warwick University paper – The Boar.

“I feel like I’ve matured at the club, which I guess is natural given how old I was when I joined, but spending time with everyone in some tough situations as well as joyous moments has taught me how to react to problems well and the ability to improvise and deal with challenging circumstances calmly.”

While Passantino will be leaving the club at the end of this season, his legacy will no doubt live on in the core principles of Leamington’s social media which now have an incredibly strong base.

Brakes chairman, Jim Scott, added “As the club has developed, we have tried to increase pathway opportunities for young people both on and off the pitch. These include coaches and volunteers working within our community schemes; volunteers on match day roles; volunteer roles behind the scenes that help drive the club. The aim is to develop their life skills and experience making them an asset to employers in the wider world.

“Max has been a striking success for us, developing our social media and wider media platforms to a level where we are the envy of many a club. He finishes at university at the end of the educational year and will enter full time employment with a fantastic resume to flash in front of prospective employers. 

“We thank him massively for his efforts and wish him every success, but true to his commitment to the club, it will not be the last we will see of him as he has made the commitment of training up and advising his replacements.”

The club will be releasing more information on www.leamingtonfc.co.uk regarding media positions for next season in due course.

(Cover Photo: David Airey)