I launched CF Benidorm Talk in 2025 because I wanted to follow the club properly, and the information supporters needed simply wasn’t there.
Finding out about the team, its players and even the league we played in was difficult. Players were often referred to by their shirt numbers. For me, that summed up the gap: how could supporters build a connection with a team when they didn’t even know the players’ names?
I wanted to change that.
With 30 years in football and fan media, I had spent much of my working life building audiences, developing online communities and understanding what keeps supporters interested and involved. CF Benidorm Talk gave me an opportunity to put that experience into a club I cared about.
It took a considerable amount of time and hard work, but the coverage helped bring the team closer to its supporters and gave the club much-needed exposure. Players became familiar faces with names, personalities and stories. More people could follow what was happening and feel part of it.
From supporter coverage to club strategy
That work caught the attention of CF Benidorm, who recognised the contribution I could make to the club’s development.
I initially became Supporter Liaison Officer in October 2025, helping strengthen the relationship between the club and its fans. That meant improving communication, building relationships with local and international supporters, and helping ensure their voices were heard within the club.
In March 2026, I became Director of Media and Growth Strategy, taking on broader responsibility for communications, audience development, supporter growth and the club’s visibility.
Since June 2026, I have been Chief Revenue and Strategy Officer, working with the club’s leadership on commercial growth, sponsorship, strategic partnerships, revenue generation and long-term development, both locally and internationally.
Overseeing the club’s official content is also part of my role, alongside my wider commercial and strategic responsibilities.
It is a progression I’m proud of, particularly because it began with the simple idea that supporters deserved better information about their club.
Still pitchside, still hands-on
My role has changed, but my enthusiasm for fan media hasn’t.
CF Benidorm Talk has also sparked a real passion for football photography. I could spend matchdays in the stands alongside the club’s other staff and officials, but I still prefer to be pitchside with my camera, capturing the photographs used across the club’s social media channels, matchday programme and other material.
Being involved in strategy doesn’t make me any less interested in getting the right photograph for the club or producing coverage supporters will enjoy.
That is also why CF Benidorm Talk continues. The supporters who have followed it matter to me, and taking on greater responsibilities within the club doesn’t mean turning my back on them.
The platform complements the club’s official content and allows me to continue the personal, hands-on coverage that started it all.
My connection with the club
Being part of the club’s executive team brings trust and responsibility. I respect the confidentiality of discussions and information shared with me, and that naturally affects what I can publish. There will be things I know that I cannot discuss here.
I want supporters to understand that relationship clearly: I work with CF Benidorm, but CF Benidorm Talk remains unofficial.
Supporters should always check the club’s official channels for official news. Nothing published on CF Benidorm Talk should be taken as the voice of the club, even though I am part of it.
A passion project
CF Benidorm Talk is non-profit, and I frequently turn down offers of sponsorship. I run it because I enjoy it, because I care about the club and because I believe the coverage matters to supporters.
The ambition is still the one I started with: to help people follow CF Benidorm, know the names behind the shirt numbers and feel closer to their club.
Duncan Oldham
Founder, CF Benidorm Talk