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The article discusses the use of fake crowd noise during football matches in Chile amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights the impact of the absence of real fans on the atmosphere of the games and the challenges faced by sports organizations in creating engaging experiences for viewers. The article also delves into the implications of fake crowd noise on football fandom, the commodification of the sport, and the existential centrality of fan voices. The use of fake crowd noise is seen as a reflection of the neoliberalization of football, raising concerns about the marginalization of fans and the loss of authentic fan experiences. [Extracted from the article]

Abstract Background Football, as a global phenomenon, intertwines team quality and fan attachment. This study, centered on Changchun Yatai Football Club (CYFC) fans, explores how emotional satisfaction acts as a mediator in this intricate relationship, providing nuanced perspectives crucial for understanding and optimizing the dynamics of fan-team connections in football culture. Objectives The primary objective of this research is to examine the influence of team quality on emotional satisfaction and fans’ attachment. Additionally, it aims to investigate the mediating role of emotional satisfaction in the relationship between team quality and fans’ attachment. By achieving these objectives, the study seeks to contribute valuable insights into the dynamics of fan-team relationships in the context of football. Methodology The research adopts an applied approach in terms of its purpose, aiming to provide practical implications for football clubs. The data collection method is descriptive, utilizing electronic questionnaires voluntarily completed by 396 fans of CYFC. The research tool comprises three questionnaires: the team quality questionnaire adapted from Zhan et al. (1997), the emotional satisfaction questionnaire developed by Reynold and Bettie (1999), and a researcher-made attachment questionnaire. Structural equation modeling is employed to analyze the gathered data. Results The results obtained through structural equation modeling reveal a significant impact of team quality on both emotional satisfaction and fans’ attachment. Furthermore, a positive and significant relationship is identified between emotional satisfaction and fans’ attachment. The study also confirms the positive mediating role of emotional satisfaction in the connection between team quality and fans’ attachment. Conclusions In conclusion, the research suggests that football clubs can influence fans’ attachment by strategically enhancing team quality. This improvement can be achieved through measures such as acquiring high-quality players and stars. Understanding and addressing the mediating role of emotional satisfaction can be a key strategy for clubs looking to strengthen their connection with fans. The findings provide practical insights for football clubs seeking to optimize their strategies for fan engagement and attachment.

This paper takes a political sociological look at the knee-taking in football (or soccer) inspired by the Black Lives Matter campaign. Based upon a study of the new elites, it explores the essence of this performative act and situates it within the 'obsession' with racism and anti-racism. Based less on the reality of the problem of racism than upon the emerging values of this new 'class', the celebration and promotion of taking the knee is understood as a new type of political etiquette that combines a sense of shame-awareness with a certain contempt for the 'masses' who attend football matches. The confusion about whether the support for Black Lives Matter was political or not is discussed with reference to the idea of the changed and to some extent incoherent nature of the modern elites whose values, it is suggested, are more a form of anti-matter than a clear projection of ideas and beliefs. As a result, the quasi-religious nature of the sentiment expressed in modern anti-racism and the action of taking the knee are considered in relation to the ideas of 'raising awareness' and of 'educating yourself', both of which have an implicitly elitist quality but also lack precision or clarity about either the problem being addressed or any solution to it. Often more therapeutic than overtly political, elite anti-racism is almost by necessity performative, but also comes with a disciplinary dimension for those who refuse to 'take the knee' to it. Ultimately, it is suggested that the contestation over the knee-taking gesture reflects a growing cultural divide between the disconnected globalist elites and the more grounded and situated masses who often opposed those who demand their acquiescence towards this performative form of anti-racism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Anatolian Journal of Social Sciences / Uluslararasi Anadolu Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi is the property of Uluslararasi Anadolu Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Football, as a global phenomenon, intertwines team quality and fan attachment. This study, centered on Changchun Yatai Football Club (CYFC) fans, explores how emotional satisfaction acts as a mediator in this intricate relationship, providing nuanced perspectives crucial for understanding and optimizing the dynamics of fan-team connections in football culture. Objectives: The primary objective of this research is to examine the influence of team quality on emotional satisfaction and fans' attachment. Additionally, it aims to investigate the mediating role of emotional satisfaction in the relationship between team quality and fans' attachment. By achieving these objectives, the study seeks to contribute valuable insights into the dynamics of fan-team relationships in the context of football. Methodology: The research adopts an applied approach in terms of its purpose, aiming to provide practical implications for football clubs. The data collection method is descriptive, utilizing electronic questionnaires voluntarily completed by 396 fans of CYFC. The research tool comprises three questionnaires: the team quality questionnaire adapted from Zhan et al. (1997), the emotional satisfaction questionnaire developed by Reynold and Bettie (1999), and a researcher-made attachment questionnaire. Structural equation modeling is employed to analyze the gathered data. Results: The results obtained through structural equation modeling reveal a significant impact of team quality on both emotional satisfaction and fans' attachment. Furthermore, a positive and significant relationship is identified between emotional satisfaction and fans' attachment. The study also confirms the positive mediating role of emotional satisfaction in the connection between team quality and fans' attachment. Conclusions: In conclusion, the research suggests that football clubs can influence fans' attachment by strategically enhancing team quality. This improvement can be achieved through measures such as acquiring high-quality players and stars. Understanding and addressing the mediating role of emotional satisfaction can be a key strategy for clubs looking to strengthen their connection with fans. The findings provide practical insights for football clubs seeking to optimize their strategies for fan engagement and attachment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media, like Twitter, allows users to express opinions, comment, and share information freely. It has become a primary platform for fans to show support but also a space where verbal aggression can occur, influencing fan behavior and attitudes. This study examines the impact of the Twitter account @idextratime and verbal aggression on the fanaticism of Manchester United fans. Using a quantitative research method, a survey was conducted. Data analysis included descriptive analysis, classical assumption tests, multiple linear regression, and hypothesis testing (T-Test & F-Test).This research aims to determine how much influence each independent variable, namely social media and verbal aggression, has on the dependent variable, namely fanaticism, and how much influence the social media variable and verbal aggression simultaneously have on the fanaticism variable. Results showed significant influence, with social media and verbal aggression accounting for 88.4% of the variance in fanaticism. The study concluded that social media and verbal aggression significantly affect fan fanaticism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper was (1) to examine the underexplored intersection of sports betting and favorite team loyalty, and (2) to assess differences in gambling behavior among sport bettors by varying levels of team loyalty. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 1,555 National Football League (NFL) bettors and non-betting NFL fans were surveyed to assess media consumption across a mix of team loyalty attitudes and betting behaviors. Findings: Statistically significant differences were found between four types of NFL fans (casual, team loyalty-dominant, betting-dominant and hybrid) as it relates to media consumption in various forms. Most notably, the results suggested symbiosis between the activities. Research limitations/implications: The symbiosis finding, though preliminary, suggests the activity provides an additional platform for consumers to connect with spectator sport. Furthermore, the act of betting, like participation in fantasy sports, appears to spur consumption of the NFL product generally. The study, however, was limited to NFL fans, did not specify the method for sports betting, nor the intensity of gambling. Practical implications: Teams should not worry that betting detracts from fan engagement with the team product. Also, leagues and media providers should continue to highlight betting content as participants consume at higher rates than non-participating sports fans. Social implications: Team fandom may potentially moderate problem behavior among bettors. The betting results indicate being a loyal team fan lowers one's gambling spend per month and largest bet compared to non-loyal bettors. However, the hybrid fan showed significantly higher media consumption levels. Originality/value: Sports fans have more opportunities to interact and engage with their favorite games than ever before. However, consumers have limited amounts of time and money, and this study is one of the first to examine differences in fan interests and behaviors related to sport betting and team loyalty and the resulting viewership and consumption behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The National Collegiate Athletic Association ("NCAA") is no stranger to antitrust law. As a trade association composed of nearly all U.S. colleges offering competitive sports, its rules are regularly challenged under antitrust law. In the past 40 years, the NCAA has faced challenges to rules limiting televised game broadcasts, curtailing assistant coaches' pay, and restraining players' compensation, among other issues. Restraints on college athlete transfers also could subject the Association to reasonable legal scrutiny. Restrictions on the ability to transfer can harm athletes by preventing their immediate eligibility even though transferring could allow them to be closer to family, enroll in more academically rigorous schools, or escape abusive coaches. Transfer restraints have an especially restrictive effect on players hoping to one day play in the National Football League ("NFL"). For these individuals, the college football system is the primary opportunity to showcase talent before declaring for the League's draft. The NCAA's transfer rules keep many of these elite players on their teams' benches. This hurts their ability to prepare for careers in the NFL. And it denies football fans the opportunity to watch them perform in college. The NCAA's rules that prevent football players from freely transferring between schools have changed over time. Why? Because of the changing preferences of members of the NCAA Division I Council ("NCAA Council"), a group of college athletic directors and administrators. In April 2021, the NCAA Council changed its rules to facilitate the movement of football players between schools, allowing athletes who had not previously switched schools to pursue transfer opportunities by entering a portal within a 60-day window. On October 4, 2023, the NCAA Council reduced the transfer window from 60 to 45 days. In this Essay, we explore the antitrust consequences of this latest action by the NCAA Council, as well as the broader competitive effects of limits on college football player movement. We conclude that: (1) the NCAA's transfer limits impose substantial anticompetitive effects; (2) the NCAA could offer (but would need to prove) a justification based on reduced fan interest from a lack of team stability; (3) less restrictive alternatives (including the 60-day transfer window) are available; and (4) the restraint's anticompetitive effects are likely to outweigh its procompetitive effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examines the history of Depression era financing in the United States with respect to various New Deal programs and the impact they had on the development of stadia used by current institutions of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I level (i.e., Football Bowl Subdivision and Football Championship Subdivision). Specifically, the current research provides findings and explanations regarding regional differences and presents data on the various New Deal programs. We further highlight the construction and renovation of stadia importantly created an atmosphere of "institutional legitimacy" for the universities, helped provide a substantial amount of work to the unemployed, and produced a significant amount of financial investments by the U.S. government. Practically, the present study offers the subsequent information as rhetorical work or as a resource for museums on and off campuses for the purpose of commercial gain, marketing, and cultivating the next generation of college football fans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1970s, National Football League (NFL) teams have hired attractive women to dance in scantily clad uniforms as a means of entertaining their heterosexual, male fans—offering a reflection of hegemonic gender ideology in the process. In recent years, a handful of these professional cheerleaders have spoken up and taken action against gender discrimination. Yet, little has changed. This study takes a feminist critical discourse analysis perspective to examining how gender ideology is (re)produced in discourse surrounding the employment roles of NFL cheerleaders, contributing to the perpetuation of gender inequality in sport. Findings demonstrate that three distinct gender ideologies are (re)produced in the discourse, competing with each other to define meanings associated with NFL cheerleading employment roles. Additionally, analysis reveals that while NFL teams have made changes to their cheerleading programs in response to feminist critiques, discourse surrounding these changes continues to (re)produce hegemonic femininity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the biographical process of becoming a nationalist activist in the environment of Polish football supporters. Analysing the issue in focus, it also aims to show how the biographical approach can be a useful method to study the processes of reproduction of bottom–up nationalism in general. To this end, we use the classic theoretical approach of Thomas and Znaniecki to explore autobiographical narratives from interviews with 35 nationalist activists from supporter groups of Polish football clubs. The analysis identifies three patterns of the process of becoming a nationalist activist, which are described as patterns typical of keepers, the awakened and followers. The study indicates that the national-martyrological attitude is the foundation of the distinguished paths, and shows how the supporter environment develops the national-martyrological attitude into nationalist activism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The behaviour of football fans in Ukraine has often taken the form of public order offences. However, since Maidan, fans have enjoyed a more positive image, linked to their recognition by and assimilation into Ukrainian society through their social and political activities. Eventually becoming one of the driving forces of revolutionary events and contributing to regime change, football fans have taken an active part in hostilities in the east of the country since 2014. This article explores the links between football fans, their collective violent practices and their social transformation before Maidan, at the time of Maidan and in the post-Maidan period. The author presents the idea of the connection between the conversion of various types of capital and the application of different kinds of collective violent practices, which can affect the status of the group within society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Sozial Extra is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper takes a political sociological look at the knee-taking in football (or soccer) inspired by the Black Lives Matter campaign. Based upon a study of the new elites, it explores the essence of this performative act and situates it within the ‘obsession’ with racism and anti-racism. Based less on the reality of the problem of racism than upon the emerging values of this new ‘class’, the celebration and promotion of taking the knee is understood as a new type of political etiquette that combines a sense of shame-awareness with a certain contempt for the ‘masses’ who attend football matches. The confusion about whether the support for Black Lives Matter was political or not is discussed with reference to the idea of the changed and to some extent incoherent nature of the modern elites whose values, it is suggested, are more a form of anti-matter than a clear projection of ideas and beliefs. As a result, the quasi-religious nature of the sentiment expressed in modern anti-racism and the action of taking the knee are considered in relation to the ideas of ‘raising awareness’ and of ‘educating yourself’, both of which have an implicitly elitist quality but also lack precision or clarity about either the problem being addressed or any solution to it. Often more therapeutic than overtly political, elite anti-racism is almost by necessity performative, but also comes with a disciplinary dimension for those who refuse to ‘take the knee’ to it. Ultimately, it is suggested that the contestation over the knee-taking gesture reflects a growing cultural divide between the disconnected globalist elites and the more grounded and situated masses who often opposed those who demand their acquiescence towards this performative form of anti-racism.

This ethnographic investigation compares the violence(s), organizational dynamics and social formation processes of two fundamental actors in professional male football: the Argentinean “barras bravas” and the Brazilian “torcidas organizadas.” For this purpose, we resumed the field work conducted with the barra Los Piratas of the Belgrano Athletic Club (Argentina) and the torcida organizada Ira Jovem of the Vasco da Gama Regatta Club (Brazil). We focus on a specific form of violence, highly appraised, called pelear in Argentina and brigar or lutar in Brazil- both meaning fighting. The research compares the historical emergence of both collectives; their social compositions and organizational dynamics; the alterities which they are fighting against; and their spatialities, temporalities and means used in each fight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article critically employs the case of association football in England, from 1980 to 2023, as a social movement timescape, to examine the political consciousness and long‐term mobilisations of a generation of football supporter activists, and their capacity to influence politics, and respond to new, emerging, critical junctures, through networks of trust and shared memories of historical events. This is of crucial importance to sociology because it reveals the tensions between what are considered legitimate and illegitimate social practices which characterise contemporary society's moral economy. Focusing on temporal contestations over regulation, policing, governance and cultural rituals, the article deconstructs the role of generations in social movements, and critically synthesises relational‐temporal sociology and classic and contemporary work on the sociology of generations, to show how legacy operates as a multifaceted maturing concept of power and time. In English football's neoliberal timescape, the supporters' movement has reached a critical juncture; the future will require a new generation of activists, to negotiate, resist and contest the new hegemonic politics of social control and supporter engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Medkom: Jurnal Media dan Komunikasi is the property of Universitas Airlangga and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This research is based on 3 different surveys conducted over several NFL football seasons. The first study investigated the impact of the Anthem Protest Movement on the attitude of NFL fans. The "Anthem Protest" reemerged during the 2020 season during the "lockdown" season associated with the COVID epidemic. Co-mingled with COVID and societal unrest, many analysts predicted irreparable harm to the NFL's once indomitable position as America's favorite sport resulting from this confluence of events. Given the importance of the topic in terms of future NFL fan support, this report looks back over the last several NFL seasons to investigate whether any trends in viewership and NFL fan support can be determined. One of the key objectives of the research was to investigate whether there was any significant attitudinal difference between black and white college students regarding their respective opinions on the impact the Anthem Protest Movement might have on interest in watching NFL football games. The findings indicate that while white students had stronger negative feelings toward the athletes participating in the protest, the Anthem Protest has not resulted in significant harm to the sport among younger fans of the NFL. Further, while COVID had an initial negative impact on viewership interest, this effect has been eliminated as a concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When a football fan group claims to be non-political, what does this mean, and what are the broader implications? This article examines such claims in a European context, through an ethnographic case study of the Demons, a small fan group in Croatia who follow Pula's main club, NK Istra 1961. The literature on 'ultras no politica' is first reviewed. Interview material and ethnographic descriptions of group activities then form a springboard for a discussion of themes relevant to fan groups the world over: terrace atmosphere & group hierarchy; gender, sexuality & race; the role of the internet, social media, and branding; and violence and illegality. In the final section, I discuss and interpret the group's 'no politics' positioning as: (i) a strategy for managing diversity, (ii) a rejection of party politics, and (iii) a foil that has facilitated a Croatian nationalist position among younger group members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The damaging consequences of anthropogenic climate change are well documented. In order to engage the public on the serious question of climate change, there is a need to use different approaches to connect climate change with other concerns. This study is the first to understand how football fans engage with climate change and how a campaign should engage with them. It does this through an analysis of fans' engagement with a campaign to engage fans (Pledgeball). It is situated within the literature, which argues that climate change communication needs to engage with the culture, values and worldviews of the target audience. It argues that football fans could be a significant form of collective behaviour to engage with climate change; and that aligning with the identity and worldview of fans, as well as the broader culture of football, can promote engagement and possible social change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws upon participant observation data conducted before and after all 10 qualifying matches for the 2016 UEFA European Football Championship to explore the dynamics underpinning the Northern Irish Green and White Army (GAWA) football carnival. Supplemented by interviews with Northern Ireland fans themselves and informed by the dramaturgical perspectives of Erving Goffman, the paper contends that the anti-sectarian 'norms' of GAWA football fandom are dominant in public spaces before matches when the GAWA 'performance team' are visible to one another and their audience within a geographically circumscribed space. In a post-match evening context however, various 'cliques' of supporters enact their own social rules within a 'back-stage' environment of more relaxed peer-to-peer surveillance. These at times transgress the established norms of GAWA fan behaviour. The paper acknowledges that inappropriate supporter behaviour, even within small groups, can damage the wider image of football teams and their supporters in 'impression management' terms. But rather than imposing top-down 'solutions' which are often devised with limited input from supporters, we suggest that football governing bodies, associations and clubs should look to work in partnership with supporters to identify creative ways in which supporters can be resourced to proactively become 'norm entrepreneurs' and challenge inappropriate behaviour from within. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between fanaticism levels, emotional attachments, and perceptions of club image among Samsunspor fans. A descriptive survey model was employed in the study. The population of the research consists of fans located in Turkey. The sample of the study consists of 219 fans supporting Samsunspor, selected through a random sampling method. Personal information form, football fan fanaticism scale, emotional attachment to the sports team scale, and club image scale were used as data collection tools. For binary comparisons of variables, Student's t-test was utilized, while for multiple comparisons, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's multiple comparison tests were employed. Additionally, the relationships between fanaticism levels, emotional attachments, and scores on the club image perception scale were examined using Pearson correlation coefficient. In terms of variables related to education level and purchasing team-related products, significant differences were found in all sub-dimensions and total scores of the scales used in the study. On the other hand, gender, age, marital status, occupation, match-watching location, and season ticket ownership variables were seen to have significant differences in terms of tendencies towards violence and corporate belonging sub-dimensions, as well as total scores on the football fan fanaticism scale. Furthermore, there was no significant difference between fans' levels of fanaticism and their emotional attachments and perceptions of club image. However, a significant positive relationship was found between fans' emotional attachments and perceptions of club image. In the research, fans were found to have a moderate level of fanaticism. Additionally, a significant positive relationship was observed between fans' emotional attachments to their teams and their perceptions of the club image. High levels of fan fanaticism can sometimes tarnish the club's image. In this regard, it is recommended that fans display behaviors that support the club's image. Furthermore, the positive relationship between emotional attachment and club image can be interpreted as an expected outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Threatening team identity is a new field in the literature of sports management and marketing that has recently been considered by researchers in this field. In this regard, the present study was conducted with the aim of identifying the factors threatening the team identity of national football team fans. Methods: The method of the present research was qualitative research in the form of content analysis and the statistical population included national team fans that followed the Iranian Football Federation's Instagram page. The sampling method was purposeful and in-depth interviews were conducted with 16 participants until theoretical saturation. Coding technique and NVivo version 10 software were used to analyze the data. Results: The results showed the factors threatening the team identity of national team fans in seven themes; weak financial management, poor executive management and illegitimate management of the federation, improper selection of players, improper selection of technical staff, poor brand of invited players and poor performance of the team are categorized. Conclusion: The results of this study, on the one hand, eliminate the huge scientific gap in the literature threatening team identity in domestic and foreign research, and on the other hand, Managers can recognize their inappropriate actions and weaknesses in the field of threatening the team identity of national team fans and put effective strategies and strategies on their agenda to at least be able to reduce the number and amount of these factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 2016 National Football League (NFL) Draft, Moritz Böhringer became the first international player ever selected without having previously played in North America. The current study examined media coverage of Böhringer during the process of him being identified as an NFL prospect, working out for NFL scouts, being drafted, and trying to make an NFL roster. Ultimately, Böhringer was framed as an international experiment that produced serious interest from NFL teams and created a "feel good" story for fans. The study contributes to the broader understanding of sport, media, race, and nationality, illustrating how Böhringer—despite being a foreign athlete in a quintessentially American sport—was presented as a "breath of fresh air" that provided welcome relief from the "bad apples" in the league. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined how participants responded to incidents of athlete-perpetrated intimate partner violence in two separate contexts: one featuring an athlete from a league that is at peak popularity among sports audiences (National Football League; NFL) and one featuring an athlete from an up-and-coming league that currently has a lower standing in professional sports (Ultimate Fighting Championship League; UFC). The authors used the social ecological model to qualitatively analyze participant perceptions about athlete-perpetrated intimate partner violence composite news packages. For the purpose of this study specifically, they centered on 1,124 responses to one of the open-ended qualitative questions asked in a larger quantitative experiment. The authors found that the participants most frequently attributed the perpetrator's behavior to either individual or relationship-level reasons and that there were differences in the level attributed for participants of different races and ethnicities. They also determined that the participants were more likely to ascribe the violence to the suspect's job (i.e., athlete) if they were a UFC fighter than an NFL player. Theoretical extensions of the social ecological model and practical implications for journalists, the media, and fans are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines online expressions of rivalry and hate speech in relation to antisemitic discourses in Dutch professional men's football (soccer), with specific attention devoted to how this has developed within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study analyses football-related antisemitic discourses in the Dutch-speaking Twittersphere between 2018 and 2021. Assuming that during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic fan activity has moved increasingly toward the online domain, we specifically examine whether and how the past pandemic years have influenced football-related antisemitic discourses on Twitter. Tweets were scraped using the Twitter application programming interface and 4CAT (a capture and analysis Toolkit), producing a dataset of 7,917 unique posts. The authors performed thematic analysis of the Tweets and a selection of the Tweets was analyzed in depth using narrative digital discourse analysis. The findings show how these Tweets, while seemingly targeted exclusively at football opponents, contribute to wider exclusionary discourse in football and society that may have become more aggravated during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In common opinion, football fandom constitutes a male space as men are perceived to be more 'authentic' and engaged fans, more attached to the club. This article makes a contribution to the discussion on the differences between female and male fans and their modes of engagement. We aimed to answer the question of whether there are any differences between male and female supporters in: (1) self-stereotyping (agency, communion, independent self-construal, interdependent self-construal), (2) strength of the bond with the fandom and perceived personal gains from attachment to the club (identity fusion with other fans, collective action on behalf of the fan community, self-expansion) and (3) acceptance of aggressive behaviours. We applied a mixed-method approach and conducted both in-depth interviews with female football fans and quantitative analysis based on a survey among Polish football supporters. In contradiction to gender stereotypes, the results of a study conducted among 864 fans show that women saw themselves as more agentic than men did, had a stronger independent self-construal, and declared more self-development and stronger personal gains that can be achieved due to the participation in fandom culture. Moreover, gender differences in the strength of identity fusion and collective action tendency on behalf of the fandom were not significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Nigde University Journal of Physical Education & Sport Sciences / Nigde Üniversitesi Beden Egitimi ve Spor Bilimleri Dergisi is the property of Journal of Physical Education & Sports Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Increased reports of domestic violence and abuse (DVA) have been identified following football games. Yet, the relationship between DVA and football culture remains qualitatively underexplored. To better understand this phenomenon, we conducted a focus group with male, non-abusive football youth fans to gain their perceptions of why domestic violence increases following football matches in England. Using thematic analysis, we present a unique insight into the link between DVA and football culture. The findings align with previously identified risk factors for DVA, including the role of alcohol consumption, gambling, and other violent behaviours. We also identified game-specific (e.g., the intensity of winning or losing) and individual factors (e.g., previous exposure to violence and awareness of what constitutes DVA) as heightening the effects of these cultural behaviours, alongside an increased sense of identity with 'football culture' after attending a game. We conclude by considering the implications of these findings for policy and practice, such as considering placement of advertising campaigns during matches to increase awareness, increasing threats of punishment and considering the scheduling of matches to reduce triggers of such cultural, and often violent, behaviours associated with football fandom. In addition, we call for further research in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper aims to propose an integrated model to evaluate sponsorship effectiveness in newly organized professional football teams. To achieve this, the effects of fan identification as the psychological connection of sports fans with a sports team, on sponsorship perceptions, such as attitude towards the sponsor and brand image, and sponsorship response, such as purchasing intention, were examined. In addition, the mediating role of consumer sponsor perceptions in the relationship between fan identification and purchasing intention was tested. The data were gathered from 255 fans of Alagöz Holding Iğdır football club. Confirmatory factor analyses (Amos 23 IBM) and PROCESS analyses (SPSS) was conducted in statistics. The findings supported our model, which proposes that fan identification has a direct impact on sponsorship perceptions and response, and that sponsorship perceptions mediate the relationship between fan identification and sponsor response. The main contribution of this paper is the incorporation of fan identification, attitude towards sponsor, sponsor brand image, and purchase intentions within an integrated sponsorship model, and testing of their interrelations which have not been empirically tested in the context of a newly formed professional football team. Practical implications for both sports team marketers and sponsors are explained in the paper.

This article investigates the emerging segment of the cryptocurrency market related to football fan tokens (FFTs)--digital assets used for engagement with professional football clubs around the world. More specifically, the authors study the investability of FFTs from the perspective of risk and return. They find that FFTs generate a whopping 150% return on the first trading day. This return is significantly larger if the FFT market cap is higher, the FFT offer price is lower, the football team displays better historical performance, and the team is located in a relatively small metropolitan area with a high GDP per capita. They also find that in the long run, FFTs severely underperform all major crypto benchmarks, including NFT, DeFi, Meme, and bitcoin. Moreover, the returns to FFTs tend to be highly volatile (160% annualized). Intriguingly, they show that the real-life performance of football teams does not affect the contemporaneous market performance of their FFTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines and analyzes the role of marginalized football fans (also known as Ultras) in Algeria’s 2019 popular movements, through analyzing the narratives (songs, hymns) produced by such fans whether prior to or during movements. Where the voices of the marginalized society in Algeria heard? This study argues that for these marginalized segments, the popular movements were a means to be reintegrated within the crucible of society. Especially so after an Ultra song had become a major icon of the movements, which had a major impact in halting illegal immigration. Yet this matter did not last long and withered with the decline of the popular movements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research attempts to measure the motivation for football fans to travel abroad for short periods on multiple occasions to attend small-scale events. Fans of an English football team who travelled to away matches in the 2019/20 Europa League were surveyed (n = 235). A Sport Short Visit Tourism scale is developed through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The results found that there were 11 factors, measured by 31 variables, when considering the motivation to travel. Most notably, the results indicated that the experience of the trip was more important than the football match itself. Indeed, the fear of missing out was the most significant factor, particularly in those aged below 40. This study has expanded the current literature regarding sport tourism to cover a new context: fans of a club travelling for a short period to attend a specific small-scale event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amaç: Bu çalışma tüketici kişilik yapısının marka nefreti üzerine etkisini ölçmek amacıyla yapılmıştır.Yöntem: Araştırmanın evrenini Antalya ilinde ikamet eden 18 yaş ve üzeri futbol taraftarları oluşturmaktadır. Çalışmada nicel araştırma yöntemi kullanılmış olup, veriler çevrimiçi anket yöntemiyle elde edilmiştir. Toplamda 405 anket değerlendirmeye alınmıştır. Elde edilen veriler SPSS paket programı kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Elde edilen verilere frekans analizi, faktör analizi, regresyon analizi, farklılık analizleri uygulanmıştır.Bulgular: Yapılan frekans analizi sonucunda en fazla nefret oranı Galatasaray taraftarlarının Fenerbahçe’ye karşı olduğu ortaya çıkmıştır. Nefret nedenlerinin ise genel olarak takım taraftarlarının kışkırtıcı davranışlarından olduğu ortaya çıkmıştır. Yapılan regresyon analizi sonucunda ise asi, bilge, vatandaş, kaşif ve bakıcı kişilik yapılarının marka nefreti üzerinde etkileri olduğu ortaya çıkmıştır. Sonuç: Genel olarak futbol taraftarlarında diğer futbol kulüplerine karşı nefret duygusunun olduğu söylenebilir. Bu durumun en büyük nedeni olarak kışkırtıcı davranışların olduğu anlaşılmıştır. En fazla marka nefret duygusunu içinde barındıran kişilik yapılarının ise asi ve bilge kişilik yapıları olduğu anlaşılmıştır.

Introduction: This research has been conducted so it can help to understand the feelings of love and hatred towards the opposing team and their supporters of football club fans and to determine and control the fans’ aggression. Objective: This study aims to adapt the Love–Hate Scale for Sports Fans (LHSSF) to the Turkish context to evaluate the fanatic (love and hate) feelings of football fans. Methods: The study groups consisted of 205 football fans aged 18–58 years (mean age = 30.11). The original version of the scale consists of seven items and two sub-dimensions. To test the construct validity of the scale, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted, and internal consistency coefficients for the reliability of the scale were calculated. Results: According to the EFA result, the scale consisted of two sub-dimensions. In addition, the Confirmatory Factor Analysis was tested. In the performed analyses, the χ2/df, GFI, AGFI, CFI, IFI, SRMR and RMSEA goodness-of-fit indices were examined. The obtained values indicate that the fit indices are at a good fit level. Conclusions: The study reached significant findings indicating that the LHSSF adapted to the Turkish culture for Sports Fans can be used as a valid and reliable measurement tool in measuring love and hate levels among fans.

Purpose: In this study, the authors examine consumer attitudes toward a professional soccer club's proenvironmental initiatives and evaluate whether key themes are consistent with those found in previous research of fans in different sporting contexts. Design/methodology/approach: The authors analyzed empirical material provided by 147 highly identified supporters of a Major League Soccer team. Using template analysis, the authors compared codes, categories and themes with those previously identified in a reference group of National Football League (NFL) fans. Findings: Twenty-three preliminary codes, nine categories and four themes were established by the researchers. Three themes – Considering Environmental Action, Business Insights and Impacting the Fan Experience – were all consistent with the NFL reference group. A fourth theme, Public Visibility, focused on the possibility that the club's proenvironmental initiatives could provide a competitive advantage over rival cities and positively influence local programming and behaviors. Originality/value: The results of this study support the notion that fan characteristics may differ across various demographic and structural contexts and fans' recognition that a club could leverage its community standing to promote proenvironmental action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hashtag activism has been receiving a lot of attention from academics and the media due to its power as a symbol of protest and its ability to open debate on important social issues. Social network sites (SNS) stand out as online platforms where people spend time and communicate with each other and hashtags offer interesting features to leverage message reach. SNS users adopt hashtags to share their opinions and often to influence the decisions of others, such as peers, politicians, and brands. Despite the relevance and attention that hashtag activism has received from the media and public opinion, literature on this topic is still scarce, particularly in terms of its impact on brands and business strategies. This article aims to fill this gap by exploring hashtag activism conveyed by sport fans. A netnographic study was conducted regarding the hashtag #juninhonocorinthiansnao, directed at a Brazilian football club. The study demonstrates that brand lovers use hashtag activism to protect brand values and to fight against actions that are not coherent with the essence of the brand and its communication, transforming it into a tool for brand control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this research is to verify the actual situation of the fans in the Shkëndija Football Club from Tetova. A total of 315 male and female fans of different ages were included in the research, where 287 respondents are male and 28 are female. The research was carried out by means of the Questionnaire, which included 58 questions. Based on the opinions of the respondents, we can freely say that the answers in general as well as the free opinions expressed by the fans of KF Shkëndija are very important and worth analyzing in detail. Based what we sow from the results and from the history of the club's establishment, the suspension of the club and its reestablishment, the establishment of the Balliste fan group, the announcement of the state champion for the first time, the arrival of FC Shkëndija before the threshold of extinction due to of not having sponsors, and in the end the sponsorship of the club by Ecolog and the recent historical achievements of FC Shkëndija, we can conclude and recommend as follows: - FC Shkëndija from Tetova is a serious club which in recent years is at the peak of historical achievements, therefore the organization of this club as well as its management should be done by professionals and not by groups of people who know how to form impenetrable clans. Therefore, the leadership of the club should be modified or built according to the needs of the club and not the needs of individuals. FC Shkëndija in order to have the primacy of a serious club with a world character needs a football Academy in which both athletes and coaches will be educated, trained and selected, and why not train the club's fans as well. Such a thing can only be done under the management and leadership of the Ecolog. - FC Shkëndija needs to find ways to preserve the football talents that emerge from its own school, such a concern is often encountered by players, parents and football professionals who know best how to make that assessment. - Indeed, as the fans stated in most cases, the treatment and care of FC Shkëndija towards the fans is not up to par and it must be improved for the benefit of both parties, since fans have existed, exist and will exist, but the club also needs the fans, the more educated and prepared they are, the better they will reflect on the club. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, fan loyalty is one of the important issues that come to the fore in the field of sports. The football branch or the football industry also constitutes its fields of study. Sports Sciences also examines these issues with sub-disciplines such as sports marketing, sports economics, sports sponsorship, sports management and club management. Because of this, it is thought that the psychological attachment of fans to the team influences their consumption behavior. In this study, according to opinions of the students, psychological commitment to the team and football supporter consumption behavior levels were determined and the relationship between these two phenomena was investigated. The sample of the study consists of 348 football supporter students from Bayburt University. Questionnaires were collected by random sampling method. As a data collection tool in the study; personal information, Football Supporter Consumption Behavior Scale and Psychological Commitment to the Team Scale were used. Descriptive statistics were performed with SPSS 25 program and Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was performed for compliance with normal distribution, Pearson Correlation Analysis was performed to determine the relationships between scales, and Simple Regression Analysis was performed to determine whether psychological commitment to the team was a predictor of football supporters' consumption behavior. As a result of the research, while no relationship was determined between the age variable and the scale sub-dimensions, it was seen that there was a positive significant relationship between the sub-dimensions of resistance to team change and loyalty to the team and all sub-dimensions of the football supporter consumption behavior scale. Psychological commitment to team was found to be a significant predictor of football supporter consumption behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current research show first part of brand architecture and brand association, how are integrated to examine the role of the league brand on the relationship between the role of league brand consumer's support for individual teams is important for the successful management and marketing with licensed products of both leagues and teams. As this paper will show, professional sports teams unite to produce a league product that, while initially produced to provide entertainment for spectators, is now sold to four distinct groups: fans, associations, communities, and corporations. Justification and aim of the study. Income from licensed products is considered particularly important for football teams survival around the world. To date the research on the perceptions of sport team fans on the licensed football team products is scarce and particularly in the Baltics countries. In this line the present study was set to investigate the purchase intentions and behaviors towards licensed products as well as perceptions of experience, aesthetics and word of mouth for Latvian football fans. Material and methods. A self-completed online questionnaire was used for the purposes of the research and a total sample of 54 football team fans in Latvia was collected. Descriptive statistics, including frequencies, percentages, means, medians, standard deviations were calculated, Cronbach's a coefficient was also used to explore the reliability of the constructs. The analysis was run using the statistical program SPSS. Conclusions. The results revealed average purchase intentions and experience from the licensed products, while aesthetics and word of mouth were evaluated higher. The majority of the participants had bought licensed products of their favorite team. This study contributes to the existing theory and offers practical implications particularly for football teams that aim to increase their income by investing in the licensed merchandise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the decline in average student attendance at college football games nationwide, it is important for marketers to understand the constraints inhibiting student attendance. The current study addresses this issue by testing for differences in constraints affecting student nonattendance decisions based on their passion for the home team. Data were collected from students not attending games on six college campuses during actual football games. A total of 33 potential constraints to attendance were assessed. Results indicated statistically significant differences among intrapersonal, event-specific, and marketing-related constraints. Regardless of passion level, prior commitments to school and work were among the most highly-rated constraints to attendance. For highly-passionate fans, beverage costs, poor team performance, and watching the game on television were also highly-rated constraints. Low-passion fans, however, were constrained by time commitment necessary to attend, as well as lack of interest in football. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses articles within the issue on topics including co-creation of corporate social responsibility (CSR) through social media; the relationship of football fans and sponsoring brands; and sustainability.

Although scholars have examined numerous facets of broadcast sports, limited research has explored the use of statistics in these broadcasts. Reference to statistical summaries of athlete or team performance have long been a component of sport broadcasts, and for some viewers the rise of fantasy sport has led to even greater interest in quantitative measures of athlete or team performance. To examine the presence and nature of statistical references in sport broadcasts, this study examines National Football League telecasts over time to identify changes in the frequency, type, and presentation form of statistics. Findings revealed an emphasis on individual player statistics over team statistics, as well as an increase in on-screen graphics over time. The study also revealed a simultaneous decrease in statistical references relayed orally by broadcasters. These findings illustrate the importance of statistics as a storytelling tool, as well as reflecting technological innovations in sports broadcasting. In addition, they suggest a possible evolution in audience consumption habits and desires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An interview with National Football League's (NFL) Digital Media manager Rong Hua is presented. Topics include an overview of the NFL at its China office, the application of digital strategies for NFL promotion and the introduction of TianTian NFL (TTNFL) local fantasy game for Chinese football spectators. Also mentioned are Hua's brief background and how she ended up working at the league.

This paper describes the outcome of an artefactual field experiment of group discrimination using sports fans. The behavior of individuals whose identity is deeply tied to a larger group or popular institution is politically important, particularly when it comes to crafting public policy. Sports fans provide a unique opportunity to study individuals who openly identify their in-group and rival groups. The study identifies within-subject group-based discrimination by quantifying the difference in dictator game takes (out of a possible $10) between fans of an individual's self-professed team and fans of an individual's self-professed rival. Fifty-two sports fans each participated in nine separate power-to-take dictator games with group identification spanning three levels (NCAA Division III, NCAA Division I, and professional) of football fandom. The results suggest that individuals discriminate between in-group and out-group members. The average takings ratio with same-team fans is 0.657 while the average takings ratio with other-team fans is 0.848 and the difference of 0.190 is statistically different from zero. We discuss the results in the context of team and league governance focusing on fan interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionToday, football is one of the important elements in the process of socialization of social actors, especially young people; any weakness in this area can provide the ground for deviant behaviors, especially violence and aggression. Due to the prevalence of football and its wider field compared to other sports activities that bring a large number of spectators during the matches, this sport has faced more violent behavior of fans and spectators among various sports activities. Meanwhile, the extent, severity, and damage caused by ethnic demands have made ethnic issues an important issue at the level of sports, society, and even the world. The sport of football, with the competitive atmosphere it creates, encourages the formation and demarcation of rival groups, and its continuation over time strengthens and perpetuates existing polarizations. In this regard, the Tractor Club is a sports club popular and attractive to its fans and has become a social and nationalist phenomenon for them. Some of the team's fans also strongly insist on their ethnic identity, and the team's games have implicitly become a scene of protest and ethnic demands. Therefore, the growing tendency towards football, attention to the inherent characteristics of this sport, and the fact that a football team can be a symbol of a group or ethnic group influence and direct the behavior of its fans. In this regard, the present study aimed to examine the sociological relationship between the ethnic identity and aggression among supporters of the Tabriz Tractor Football Team. The theoretical framework for the research is based on the Birmingham School of Cultural Studies, the Leicester School, and the Axel Honneth Recognition Theory. Materials and MethodsThe research method of this study is survey. The statistical population includes all the fans of the football team of Traktorsazi present in Yadegaramam Stadium in Tabriz, numbering 70,000 people, of which 400 people were selected based on Cochran's statistical formula by the purposive sampling method. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect data. Content validity of structural type and structural validity were used to estimate the validity of the scales, and Cronbach's alpha technique was used to measure the reliability of the measuring instruments. SPSS software was used to analyze the data. Discussion of Results and ConclusionsThe theoretical and field findings of the present study confirm that ethnic identity as an important factor in the occurrence of aggressive behaviors of fans of the tractor manufacturing football team has a significant effect. In this regard, the results of the correlation between the ethnic identity variable and fan aggression showed a linear relationship between all components of ethnic identity (interest in Turkish language and literature, ethnic affiliation, interest in Turkish art and music) and aggressive components (psychological and physical aggression) in terms of aggression. The hypotheses are confirmed and the type of relationship is positive and direct. Also, the results of multivariate regression analysis indicate that the variables present in the regression model could explain 37.9% of the dependent variable changes. According to Axel Hunt's theory, it can be acknowledged that social actors are able to understand the degree of social exclusion and humiliation resulting from a lack of recognition by existing structures. In this regard, institutional and structural actions to delay the recognition and disruption and denial of the recognition of culture and art, literature, and especially language, as manifestations and main components of the ethnic identity of the actors (fans of the tractor manufacturing team) may lead to aggression and the use of violent tools by fans to prevent the reproduction of their negligence and denial of identity or rejection through such behaviors. A look at the statistics of the spectators of the Tabriz Tractor Manufacturing Team, which are in fact the most basic material and spiritual assets of this team, requires that this very valuable potential for the province's football be used properly by the relevant authorities. The presence of large and enthusiastic spectators in the matches of the tractor manufacturing team is a potential capital that, if accompanied by proper management, can become an opportunity with positive effects on managers, spectators, the professional football league, and the sports community. Accordingly, providing a suitable context for preserving and strengthening and, in Hunt's words, recognizing the language, music, literature, art, culture, history, etc. of all ethnic groups marginalized by relevant institutions, institutions, and systems seems more and more necessary to reduce and prevent this social harm.