Acknowledgements
I would like to give special thanks to Tessa Borg for her
understanding and patience as an outstanding student support member
of staff over the past 6 years. Thank you for encouraging me to
persist with my studies, despite the extenuating circumstances that
made things extremely difficult for me to focus on the degree when
I nearly gave up. I would also like to thank the participants of
the focus group, which I think helped me to make this a much more
comprehensive study.
Abstract 1
The fundamental objective of the study was to build on the lack
on research into the positive side to football, in an attempt to
change peoples preconceived notions about its supporters and the
culture of fandom. The investigative study endeavoured to probe the
social tendencies of consumers, specifically the supporters of
Manchester City Football Club (MCFC). The researcher discusses
existing literature in the subject area of consumer behaviour in an
attempt to understand how and why football supporters interact
& identify with one another socially. The study used major
theories cited by Richardson concerning fan identification, in
addition to research conducted by Barber (2002), which focuses on
the history of football fandom to date. The background to the study
was based on the Football Passions report (2008), which influenced
the methodology design. The methodology employed a
questionnaire-based survey in conjunction with a focus group of 4
MCFC fans. The most significant discoveries revealed that a
majority of fans derive a high level of enjoyment from their fandom
and displayed a great capacity for loyalty to the team.
Conclusively, it was found that MCFC supporters enjoyed the
atmosphere of a match as much as winning. They valued the sense of
community with the fans above everything else.
Contents
2
Pg 4-7: List of Figures, tables & graphical representations
of results. Pg 8-9: Introduction Pg 10-20: Literature Review Pg
21-25: Methodology Pg 26-39: Results & Discussion Pg 40-42:
Conclusions & Recommendations Pg 43-44: Bibliography Pg 45-55:
Appendix
3
4
5
6
7
Introduction
This investigative study into football fandom at MCFC holds a
high personal interest to the researcher, who has been a lifelong
supporter of the club. The researcher wanted to know how MCFC
supporters perceived each other and what their attitudes were
towards the club itself. The rationale for this study came from the
only other of its kind to date; the Football Passions report
produced by the Social Issues Research Centre (SIRC, 2008). This
study has adapted the theoretical framework of the Football
Passions report by modifying its methodology for a regional
application with MCFC. The objectives of the study were to collect,
analyse and interpret data on the attitudes, thoughts and feelings
of MCFC supporters. The researcher utilised a qualitative approach
to obtain results. The aim was to combine existing theories on
football fandom to reveal unique characteristics of MCFC fans and
how this compared, contributed and contradicted with previous
research. The subject area was consumer behaviour, specifically
focusing on social tendencies of the subjects. The study was
intended to impact on the sport & leisure industry,
encompassing other sports with a popular fandom culture. The report
was structured to initially analyse the primary research collected,
in order to form an appropriate methodology for obtaining data.
This was then analysed and interpreted so that conclusions and
recommendations for further research could be made. The literature
review was intended to set the foundations of the project by
looking at every aspect of being a football supporter. Football
fandom incorporates factors such as emotional attachment and
loyalty of fans, including how they interact as well as the effects
that commerce and media have had upon them. The researcher was
mindful to only collate material which held a valid application to
the study in providing background information or facilitating the
formation of an appropriate methodology.
8
The methodology justifies why a qualitative approach was
preferable to a quantitative advance to obtain useful results from
the sample and discusses the limitations, reliability, validity and
constraints of the research. This section also explains how the
researcher attempted to avoid bias within the desired sample. The
results and discussion section inter-links the results to reveal
trends amongst different types of fans, and attempts to explain
these trends using theories from previous research. Findings from
the respondents of the survey are mostly supported by the
transcript of the focus group, which helped to elaborate on the
underlying reasons behind responses. The conclusion cites the most
useful information that the findings of the study yielded, such as
the explanations for majority and minority response amongst the
participants and the major differences between a high identifier (a
fan that derives high enjoyment from their fandom) and a low
identifier (a fan that displays disloyal tendencies to the team).
The researcher describes the main problems encountered throughout
writing the project, including suggestions on countering the
limitations of the study if further research was continued.
Literature Review 9
Researchers such as Richardson, Jones and Madrigal have long
studied consumer behaviour within sport. According to Funk (2009)
consumer behaviour in sports can represent spending patterns, brand
loyalty, social tendencies and other factors including changing
economic and environmental circumstances. This investigative study
shall endeavour to probe the social tendencies of consumers;
specifically the supporters of MCFC. The researcher will discuss
existing literature in this field in an attempt to understand how
and why football supporters interact with one another socially,
before using the resulting application with the fans of MCFC. The
investigator believes that the sport warrants more research into
the consumers or the phenomenon of football fandom as it is widely
known, according to The Social Research Centre (SIRC 2008). SIRC
states that most European media coverage dating back to the late
1960s was fixed on the negative side to football, being hooliganism
which implied violence. This study will attempt to uncover the
positive side to the beautiful game and its fanatical supporters,
because the everyday exchanges of enthusiastic football followers
are too often disregarded throughout research within this field.
Existing literature into the positive side of football is sometimes
conveyed using statistical analysis to show how committed football
fans are to the sport in terms of match viewing and attendance
figures. For example, research conducted by Mintel (2008) has
revealed that football in the UK has a huge following at a
professional level. The Football Business report by Mintel (2008)
describes an avid fan as someone who watches football every week on
TV or in person. The casual fan is described as somebody who is
interested in football but does not watch games every week. The
findings of this research deduced that there are as many avid fans
as there are casual fans but they differ considerably in character.
The study was based on 2,000 respondents that participated online.
The researcher of this study into football fandom aims to focus on
how attitudes and perceptions differ amongst these different types
of fans at MCFC.
10
The conclusion of the Mintel research ultimately states that
football is the most popular sport in the UK: Footballs status as
the national game is confirmed by the majority of UK adults who
have some degree of interest in the sport. (Mintel 2008: Football
Business (The), section 1.2) The report cites that football has
undergone resurgence in popularity post-Hillsborough and also
attributes the sports growing status to the inception of the
premier league. MCFC has seen a massive increase in media interest
and international recognition recently, following the arrival of
the new Abu Dhabi owners. There have been national tabloid
newspapers such as the Daily Mail writing about the clubs new found
spending power with numerous articles such as Extreme Measures
(01/05/09) and Its almost like watching brazil (03/05/09) according
to the official MCFC website (what the papers say). This makes the
study into fandom at the club a contemporary subject matter to
investigate. The research can probe whether or not there is a
renewed optimism amongst the fans because they are now part of the
richest football club in the world. The telegraph newspaper (2008)
wrote an article about how the credit crunch is affecting the
premier league and it described Manchester City as financially
stable: Bought out with oil billions from Abu Dhabi, City are
probably as safe as it is possible to be. The oil price is tumbling
but such is the fortune of their backers, those losses amount to
loose change. (Telegraph online, 2008) This study cannot make
assumptions on how the clubs fans are feeling based purely on the
wealth of MCFC or the recently positive media attention, it must
acknowledge the theories on football fandom before an appropriate
methodology can be formed. Supporters: Active vs. Passive
11
This sub-chapter shall explore several studies and theories
proposed on football fandom; which appear to consistently
differentiate between the passive and the active fan / supporter.
SIRC (2008) supports the generic consensus; being that the active
fan regularly attends matches and the passive fan will follow his
or her team from the comfort of their own home, thus referred to as
the armchair fan. According to Richardson, (2004, pg 89) Madrigal
has a theory which attempted to distinguish between football fans
in terms of the underlying reasons behind their actions. He
proposed two forms of behaviour exhibited by fans watching their
club at a match: BIRGing: basking in success. CORFing: dissociation
following failure.
This theory categorised fans into two sub-groups: high
identifiers and low identifiers. High identifiers have fewer
tendencies to CORF and were described as being more loyal and
emotional. These fans have a greater inclination for self-serving
bias. They would provide lots of vocal support and explain failure
through uncontrollable external factors, such as cheating and poor
refereeing. High identifiers have greater expectations than low
identifiers (more wishful thinking). The researcher of this study
intends to survey Manchester City fans on this theory to find out
if they knowingly distinguish between people that CORF or BIRG.
This could affect the group dynamics of supporters in terms of the
atmosphere created at matches. The vast majority of MCFC fans
continue to support their team without question, even when the
costs (losing) often outweigh the rewards (winning). This suggests
that they are highly socially committed to their role as fans.
These instances can be linked to Madrigals research where a loyal
supporter would never dissociate (CORF) themselves from the team
due to failure.
Richardson (2004) states that Belk says high identifiers derive
more enjoyment from their fandom than low identifiers, as the team
is perceived as part of the extended self. This is thought to make
CORFing more difficult, it may even not be an option as it could be
perceived by other fans as disloyal. Richardson advocates that
Belks research on loyalty has focused on fan identification with
the team. This has lacked explanations into how one fan identifies
with 12
another. Richardson (2004) also speculates that the advantages
of close identification with the 'in-group' of associate fans of
their beloved team entail higher self-esteem, less depression and
superior levels of life satisfaction. It is possible that the
positives of group or fan community membership far outweigh the
negatives of team failure. Fundamentally, once we are aware of the
reality of group membership, it advocates that factors such as
compliance with group norms out of a need or longing for ongoing
acceptance and group membership, could well be important
determinants of fan behaviour. This theory as proposed by Belk and
cited by Richardson (2004) can be applied to the study at MCFC with
regards to the community aspect at the club. The researcher wishes
to look at how strongly fans feel about other fans as a whole
community of individuals identifying with each other and if this
could be as important to them as the result of any given match.
Madrigals research as referred to by Richardson can be linked to a
report produced by the Social Issues Research Centre (SIRC, 2008).
This piece of research, entitled as the Football Passions report,
was an extensive sociological study carried out across 18 countries
in Europe. The objectives of the study were to liberate the
emotions of being a football fan and to measure up to the feelings,
expressions and behaviour of fans associated with support of their
football teams. The researcher can utilise the results of this
report by adapting its framework from an international scale to a
regional scale at MCFC. The report suggested characteristics which
compose different types of fans, which is something that warrants
research at MCFC in order to generate a comprehensive study. This
relates back to the overview of a real fan / armchair fan and
BIRGing / CORFing. A fan was defined by SIRC (2008) as not just a
spectator but a participant. Match attendance is seen as credible
but it comes with an obligation to engage emotionally in order to
positively impact on the teams performance. This definition of a
true fan supports Madrigals theory on BIRGing as cited by
Richardson (2004), in the sense of providing vocal support and
commonly being more emotional and loyal to the team. Moreover, the
Football Passions report (2008) highlighted that across many
countries the fan would refer to themselves as the twelfth man.
They would provide their club with support from the stands by means
of songs, chants and huge banners. The larger multi-square fabric
13
banners would require cooperation, planning and precision
amongst the supporters. This creates prevailing bonds and
friendships which might not otherwise exist in the absence of
football. These fans really do believe that their presence will
help their team to win, they are not just there to observe. Away
from the stadiums it was found that these same followers found the
internet to be a useful tool in checking fixtures, results,
injuries and the sales and purchases of players. A minority of
dedicated individuals would even trawl the internet for up to 6
hours a day. In contrast, the fans with a tendency to CORF as
discussed by Richardson (2004) were referred to in the Football
Passions report as fair-weather supporters. These stereotypes were
described by the participants of the study as not constituting what
it is to be a real fan. They lack an in-depth knowledge of their
teams statistics and history. Regular match-goers are entitled to a
legitimate opinion, whereas the opinions of the fair-weather or
armchair fan are mostly ignored. SIRC (2008, p14) obtained this
example of how people portray an armchair fan: The bloke in the pub
who never goes who starts telling you how [Coventry] City should be
playingIt's like people who [talk politics but] don't vote.
This quote appears to summarise how the opinion of someone who
does not regularly attend matches is largely discredited and
ignored by a season ticket holder for example. The researcher of
this study shall be looking into how important it is to MCFC fans
to watch a match in person and how vital the atmosphere is to them.
This may help to establish the difference between a participant and
an observer.
Gender Football has long since been a male-dominated sport
across the globe and has evolved from its violent past as more
rules and regulations have been implemented by governing bodies of
the sport. For example, following the Hillsborough Disaster and
subsequently Lord Justice Taylors 14
report in 1989, all standing terraces in England were phased out
according to Barber (2002). Williams (2006) refers to how gender
dynamics play a role in the consumption around global sport today.
Williams observes that throughout major football championships,
mainstream department stores successfully promote young womens
clothes which mimic national football uniforms. He proceeds to note
that recently David Beckham appeared as the first ever male to
grace the front cover of popular womens magazine Marie Claire (June
issue, 2002). Conclusively, Williams advocates that the wider shift
of these actions of the ubiquitous and androgynous England football
captain and global idol opened up genuine possibilities of a new
realisation of national community, and also a new sporting identity
for English Football. The potential reasons for the low level of
women watching and attending football matches have been unearthed
by Jones (2008) in an investigative study carried out in England.
The researcher interviewed 38 female fans at English mens football
matches and analysed their responses to offensive or insulting
behaviour by male fans. It could be argued that the data was
collected from a small sample, and is therefore unrepresentative;
however it does provide an insight into womens perceptions of mens
football. The findings illustrated that women employed three
strategies to respond to sexism and homophobia. First, they
articulated their disgust at abuse, occasionally redefining fandom
to exclude abusers. Secondly, they downplayed sexism. The final
strategy was to embrace gender stereotypes, arguing that femininity
was not consistent with authentic fandom and that abuse was a
deep-seated part of football. In conclusion, Jones suggests that
probing non-traditional male fans using a similar framework might
generate useful results. The Football Passions report (2008)
reflects Jones findings in the respect of footballs male dominance.
The report considers Sweden to have the best womens football team
in the world, although the supporter culture of women for women is
not very well developed. Once again, it transpires that match
attendance for womens football leagues is significantly less than
that of the professional male leagues. In the UK, Sport England
(2006) has recognised the importance of social inclusion within
football from grass root to elite level and has launched an
initiative called the FitC scheme. Brown et al. (2006) understands
that many football clubs and their FitC schemes have 15
undertaken a great deal of facilitating access work over the
past 15-20 years with groups including girls and women. The Womens
Sport and Fitness Foundation (no date) is working alongside Sport
England to increase the level of sports participation for women.
The Its Time report aims to highlight the critically low levels of
womens participation in sport and exercise. It cites football as
being the most popular national team sport (and also fastest
growing), yet it is only played by 1% of women, making it the 12th
most popular activity equal with Pilates according to Sport
Englands Game Plan initiative (2002). Womens low participation
rates in football could be attributed to the lack of female
football fandom.
Costs vs. Rewards of Football Fandom
Research conducted by Jones (2000) acknowledges a theory
proposed by Stebbins into the profit hypothesis. In summary, the
theory dictates that the perceived benefits of taking part in an
activity exceed the perceived costs. This can be used to explain a
continued engagement in a serious leisure activity. The rewards
consist of self-actualisation or self-gratification, such as the
elation experienced by a fan when their team wins a match. The
costs could be embarrassment or anxiety triggered by conceding
goals and ultimately losing a match. The 16
study at MCFC will investigate to what extent the costs of
fandom can potentially outweigh the benefits and how supporters
feel about this. In terms of monetary costs incurred by Football
Fandom aside from the purchase of ticket sales and club
merchandise, the Football Supporters Association (FSA) was born in
the late 1980s. In accordance with Barber (2002) various FSAs had a
significant impact on clubs across the whole country. The notion of
the FSA was formed following the 1985 Heysel disaster according to
Barber. The author advocates that the FSA was created so that fans
could organise themselves in a way in which their voices would be
heard and respected. One such Liverpool fan called Rogan Taylor
described their impact: The organisation was sucked into a football
vacuum where real supporter representation was virtually unknown.
It was gratefully discovered by a media that had never had a fans'
outfit it could rely on to deliver something that sounded like an
authentic voice of the supporters. (Barber 2002, section 3.1):
The FSA subsequently reaped the rewards of their efforts, most
notably in enabling refunds to be made available following
abandoned football matches: 70% of FA Cup Final tickets to be given
to supporters of the two participating clubs. 10% of available
space at Premiership grounds to be allocated to away supporters.
Campaigning for safe standing areas to be retained at football
grounds (implemented in bottom two divisions of the Football
League) The establishment and maintenance of Fan Embassies at major
international tournaments (Italia '90 and Sweden '92). 17
(Barber 2002, section 4.1) It is largely debatable today whether
or not fans have any real say in the decisions influencing their
club, especially in the Premier League. The negative influences of
fandom within the Premiership would appear to be attributed to the
arising economics. Sport England (no date) cited that monies
generated through TV coverage from Sky and the BBC were worth 600m
from 1997-2002. Supporters had little say in these contracts, yet
it affected them directly. The BBC won a landmark Football League
contract in 2007 in a joint bid with Sky. They can now show
Football League and Carling Cup matches from 2009-2012 worth 88m
per season according to the BBC website (2007). According to Barber
(2002), as more money is pumped into football and competition
increases amongst the major TV networks to secure the rights to
matches, more fans have become shareholders of large clubs yet most
lack voting rights. Barber also states that local clubs are now in
international markets and outside of local influence. The author
goes on to describe the 1990s as the decade of Fan Power.
At Manchester City, during the 1993-94 seasons, the fans
objected robustly to the clubs chairman Peter Swales. This campaign
eventually led to former player Francis Lee taking over the club.
Swales later admitted that the roots of the Maine Road 'fan power'
movement ran deeper than this single initiative: I always think
that when Howard Kendall left Manchester City the supporters
appointed Peter Reid... the supporters had decided that he was the
man and they weren't going to accept anybody else... From then on
they were always going to have a say in any major decision, whether
that was a player coming in or a player going out, a manager going
out or a manager coming in, a chairman going out or a chairman
coming in.
18
(Barber 2002, 4.3): The MCFC study will explore how much of an
impact fans are making today with decision making at the club as
opposed to 15 years ago when the above quote was indicative of the
times. The researcher shall endeavour to find out how things might
have changed in the last decade in terms of what fans today are
able to influence at the club. Conn (2009) has offered some insight
into the changes which the club has recently undergone. Khaldoon Al
Mubarak, Sheikh Mansour's emissary has insisted that they are not
about to replace MCFC Manager Mark Hughes. They have backed Hughes
to spend 135m on players, describing him as "the brightest young
manager in the Premier League". Conn discusses the unwavering
loyalty of the Abu Dhabi owners as they recognise the experience
and solid virtues of Hughes. The writer speculates that the new
owners of the club and the strategic advisor Simon Pearce are torn
about what to do with Hughes and with the club itself. This is
between: ...their commitment to loyalty and to long-term planning
and the instinct to see their money bear instant results. The
limitless cash of the Sheikh makes it an exciting time to be a
Manchester City supporter, and there is a great deal of talk about
the summer signings to take place with the intention of securing
more big names for the team. This study investigating fandom at
MCFC is concerned with how hopeful supporters are about the clubs
future. Considering the clubs new found fame and fortune, coupled
with Mark Hughes bringing a fresh face with innovative ideas and
promises to sign world-class players, the principal investigator
predicts a majority of optimistic fans. Not long after Hughes
became the new Manager for MCFC, he made the following statement:
(MCFC official programme 2008, pg5) It has been quite a fortnight
for Manchester City, hasnt it? The news of an imminent club
takeover followed by the breaking of the British transfer record
all in one day ensured that the football spotlight was well and
truly on the blue half of Manchester on 1st September 2008!
19
Methodology The descriptive nature of the research carried out
so far within the leisure and tourism industry is referred to by
Veal (2006) as explanatory. This is because it endeavours to
explain trends observed when mapping patterns of behaviour in areas
or activities. The author adds that explanatory research can assist
in the process of identifying causality, providing that the
investigator is thorough in the collection, analysis &
interpretation of data. The issue of causality can determine why
for example there has been a rise in A and a decrease in B;
although to establish that a rise in A has been directly caused by
a decline in B is a much more challenging task. The principal
investigator decided that an entirely qualitative approach was
appropriate for this study in order to obtain useful data from
participants. The aim of the study was to analyse and interpret the
attitudes, behaviours, thoughts and feelings of MCFC supporters.
Firstly, a multiple choice questionnaire-based survey was utilised
to conduct the research which employed a respondent-completion
format for participants. The participants read the questions and
wrote their answers down on paper. Veal (2006) advocates that a
qualitative research project can 20
collect reasonably little information on, for example 200 people
because it is the way in which the data is analysed that can yield
comprehensive results. Veal states that research about interactions
between members of a group including the attitudes and beliefs of
those individuals warrants a qualitative approach. In contrast, a
quantitative project is more concerned with acquiring a limited
amount of information from a large number of people. For these
reasons, the researcher of this study justified the former
advance.
A desired sample size of 200 participants was intended to
complete the questionnaire-based survey. The research design
entailed collecting data via a printed copy in addition to an
electronic version posted online. The questionnaire design was
split into three categories: Affiliation with the club During the
match and preparation Attitudes towards the club
Splitting the questions amongst these sub-headings had two main
advantages. The structure of the survey was easier for respondents
to understand and it also facilitated the analysis of data for the
researcher. The Marketing Manager of MCFC (Ian Howard) granted
permission for the investigator to select participants at random
within the grounds of the club. The specific location of where the
surveys were carried out was at the City Store, which is an
official retail outlet representing the club to sell its
merchandise. This was preferable in order to obtain a more diverse
sample from mixed age groups and both sexes. The research was
conducted on both match & non-match days between 12 and 2pm. As
per Ian Howard, the investigator was required to wear clothing that
displayed the University logo.
21
The study relied more heavily on the online survey (identical to
the hard copy) and adapted the framework used in the Football
Passions report (2008) produced by the Social Issues Research
Centre. Questions 3, 4, 5, 7, 11 & 14 were borrowed from the
SIRC report, albeit modified slightly to make them more relevant to
MCFC. The online survey was posted on three popular websites that
act as unofficial forums for users to discuss any topic relating to
the club. The selected websites were as follows:
http://bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk http://www.bluewatchmcfc.co.uk
http://www.mancityforum.com The survey was modified so that users
could reply to the online post by copying + pasting its content,
then deleting the choices to leave the desired response for each
question. One of the reasons for submitting it online was down to
the success and enthusiasm of respondents from the Football
Passions report (2008) and also the Mintel report (Football
Business, 2008). Secondly, after reviewing the literature relevant
to this study it was apparent that the internet was widely used by
football fans as a convenient resource for information on players,
transfers and issues affecting their teams. Additionally, by
putting the survey online it helped to reduce bias. Veal (2006, pg
284) states that: The researcher seeks to achieve
representativeness and to minimise bias by adopting the principles
of random sampling. This statement suggests that random sampling is
not methodical, which is certainly not the case. It simply means
that all members of the given population have an equal chance of
being included in the sample. This can be related to the online
version of the MCFC survey as the total number of members on a
supporter forum makes up the population. Moreover, according to the
blue moon website there are 12864 members in total. The respondents
were selected at random in the sense that they were logged on to
the website at the time of the questionnaire being a hot topic
(most viewed), and a percentage of users who viewed the post
decided to respond. Every time a user responded to the online post,
the questionnaire would rise to the top
22
of the discussion forum, thus causing more users to see it as
they logged on and generating additional respondents. The dedicated
users of the online forums made for an ideal target audience.
Furthermore, for the online participants the absence of the
researcher allowed them to complete the survey in their own time.
Gratton et al. (2004) suggests that a postal questionnaire (or
online in this case) can increase the chance of obtaining genuine
responses to questions of a sensitive nature, as a respondent is
not inhibited by the presence of a researcher. Gratton et al. also
highlight the potential problems arising from this form of
questionnaire. If a researcher is not present there will be no
chance for the respondent to seek clarification, which is why
questions have to be clear enough for each participant to
understand. This is why the investigator used simple statements for
respondents to agree or disagree with. According to Gratton et al.
(2004), another problem with using postal / online questionnaires
is that there is no opportunity to probe, meaning that a respondent
cannot elaborate on their answers or justify their selections. In
an attempt to uncover the underlying reasons behind the selections
made by respondents the researcher held a focus group with four
fans. There were eight of the multiple choice questions chosen for
discussion so that the group could expand on their answers and
provide further insight towards their perceptions of the club, its
fans and its future. The definition of validity, as per Veal (2006)
is: The extent to which the data collected truly reflects the
phenomenon being studied. The researcher intended the focus group
to further substantiate findings from the survey to make for a much
more comprehensive analysis. Veal also advocates that the idea of
interviewing a group of people together as opposed to individually
is becoming popular amongst researchers. According to Veal (2006)
the researcher becomes the facilitator of a discussion instead of
the interviewer as such. This format encourages the participants to
interact with other members of the focus group, as well as with the
researcher. The focus group was conducted at the researchers main
residence and lasted for approximately 54 minutes. The researcher
picked out questions which were not self-explanatory
23
and consisted of a more open-ended nature. From the affiliation
with club section, questions 3 & 4 were chosen because the
researcher expected a varied response from fans. This was depending
on how socially committed they were to their role and whether it
was family or other peers such as friends that led to them
supporting MCFC. Only question 7 was chosen from section 2
experiences before and during a match as the researcher was
particularly interested in how fans would describe the atmosphere
in the grounds when around other fans, in relation to watching the
match itself. The final section regarding the attitudes of fans
towards MCFC was a major component of the study and therefore all 4
questions were brought into discussion at the focus group. The
session was structured so that each participant would answer the
question before the researcher shifted to the next. In this way the
group was in sync, which opened up to the possibility of debates
and individuals making more in-depth contributions. All dialogue
was recorded using a laptop and Dictaphone as a double
precautionary measure in case one failed. The session was recorded
so that the researcher could easily type up transcripts for
analysis afterwards. Whilst transcribing the recording into a word
processed format, the laptop recording was found to be of much
higher quality in its clarity and volume. Another reason for the
laptop file being preferential over the Dictaphone recording was
the ability to pause, rewind and fastforward the dialogue with
ease. The participants gave their permission to be recorded prior
to the session commencing. In between questions the researcher
would only interject if it was felt to be necessary, for example if
the conversation was detracting from the topic or occasionally to
ask a group member to elaborate on a point made. These prompts were
infrequent and mostly occurred when the researcher believed that a
relevant secondary issue had been raised, as a result of the group
discussing their answers with each other surrounding a particular
question. If the researcher did ask the group an unplanned question
he was careful not to lead them or express any opinion whatsoever.
It was especially pertinent for the host to remain neutral in order
to avoid researcher bias. In conclusion, through the means of
collating previous research and literature on football fandom,
obtaining results from the questionnaire-based survey and the focus
group, the researcher created a triangulation which formed the
project.
24
Results & Discussion Once the researcher had collated all
data obtained via the questionnaire-based survey it became
immediately apparent that the sample was made up of predominantly
males, which represented a majority 87 respondents of the entire
sample, only 16 were females (103 participants in total). However,
the researcher was not especially concerned with this disparity, as
the aims were to investigate the attitudes, beliefs and feelings of
MCFC fans in general. Moreover, as a post-research evaluation the
researcher acknowledged that both gender and age could have been a
non-essential variable to analyse. This was due to noting that a
similar methodology used by SIRC (2008) as referred to in the
literature review did not record the sex or age of its
participants. It was unfortunate that the desired quota of 200
participants was not achieved, which could be seen as
disadvantageous in terms of the reliability of this study, in
addition to its representativeness of MCFC supporters. The
breakdown of where the completed surveys were obtained is as
follows: 70 online 29 at the MCFC Eastlands stadium 4 from the
participants of the focus group
The researcher found it difficult to find many willing
respondents at the grounds of the club as many cited a lack of time
or interest to partake in the questionnaire, this was despite
several trips on both match and non-match days. In contrast, the
online respondents added additional information which will be
referred to whilst interpreting these results. The high response
rate online coupled with the occasional opinion expressed by
respondents supports the theory proposed by Gratton et al. (2004),
which advocates that a respondent is uninhibited by the absence of
a researcher and has their own free time in which to respond. For
instance, within
25
the section of the survey Your affiliation with MCFC, 32 online
respondents added to their multiple choice answer to justify it. In
response to question 3, many (that agreed with the statement) wrote
something to the effect of I would dump a girlfriend but never
MCFC, Girlfriends come and go MCFC is for life. This question had a
majority of males that either agreed or strongly agreed (73%), and
an 88% agreement for females, which can be linked to the positive
majority response of Q5 (94% / 93%) as per fig 1.4 & 1.5: Q5. I
feel a stronger sense of loyalty to MCFC than I do for the national
side Fig 1.4 Males
Fig 1.5 Females
One respondent online commented always club before country. The
positive feedback as reflected in the graph above and also some of
the comments made (online) in relation to Q3Age of indicate that
MCFC supporters are less inclined to CORF (dissociation through
failure) as
discussed by Richardson (2004). The fact that most respondents
agreed that their relationshipAge of to the club is like having a
long-term partner suggests that they are loyal fans who would
not
abandon their team if things were going badly. One participant
from the focus group described how his girlfriend can irritate him
and sometimes make him cry just like MCFC can when they lose
consecutive matches, yet he strongly agreed (in Q5) that his
allegiance to the club is greater than it is for the England side.
Similarly, another member of the group said that the older he gets
the more involved he has become with the club in the same sense
that his relationship with his wife gets stronger. He also
mentioned that City gets into your blood, suggesting that it is a
life-long commitment just like marriage. These statements reveal
that they view the team at MCFC as an extended part of themselves,
making it difficult for them to CORF. Richardson (2004) cited Belks
theory in these circumstances, whereby if a fan believes that (s)
he is part of the team, CORFing may not even be an option because
it might be perceived as disloyal by fellow supporters. Fans with
fewer
26
tendencies to CORF are referred to by Richardson (2004) as being
both loyal and emotional, which reflects on the results of this
study showing that of the 103 respondents, 51% of males and 81% of
females admitted to having cried when watching MCFC play. In
addition, 81 % of both males and females admitted to hugging or
kissing a stranger when MCFC have scored, which suggests that the
fans have a strong emotional attachment to the team. When the
researcher asked the focus group about whether their presence at a
match can directly affect the way it is played, the contributions
were in unanimous agreement. An individual referred to himself as
the twelfth man at every game, he speculated that when 48,000 fans
are shouting a players name it must give them a lift and help them
to play better. This contributes to previous research that was
carried out by SIRC (2008) that recorded most of the fans they
surveyed referring to themselves as the twelfth man, because of the
massive support that they give their team by providing huge
banners, songs and chants. Two other participants added that the
club has had the best win-at-home ratio in the premier league,
whereas only 2 games have been won away all season (2008-2009). One
person insinuated that as there are only usually 5,000 seats
available at an away match (for MCFC fans) the vital crowd support
is missing.
The survey results support the opinions of the focus group and
the research conducted by SIRC, as shown by fig 1.8 1.9: Q7. As a
fan, I feel that our presence has a direct effect on how the game
is played Fig 1.8 Males
Fig 1.9 Females 27
In contrast to the twelfth man citation, figs 1.8 & 1.9 also
highlight a small number of fans who do not believe that their
presence at a match makes any difference to how MCFC play. There
were 6% of female fans and 19% of male fans that either strongly
disagreed or disagreed with the statement. It could be argued that
this minority of respondents constitutes what it is to be a
fair-weather supporter as discussed within the Football Passions
report (2008). The fairweather supporter is described by SIRC as
someone who lacks an in-depth knowledge of the team and does not
attend regularly. However, the researcher can only speculate on
this point because the survey did not have any questions relating
to the frequency of matches attended by fans, or their knowledge of
the clubs history and statistics. There is only some evidence
within the findings of this study to support this. The minority of
respondents also disagreed to providing vocal support at a game and
disagreed that it is equally as important to be around other fans,
as it is to watching the game. Within Experiences before and during
a match all 4 members of the focus group strongly agreed on how
important the atmosphere of the grounds is during any given match.
One member talked about the singing amongst the fans and how he
loved the banter between the two sets of supporters, adding that he
sometimes spends more time singing, laughing and shouting than he
does actually watching the game. Another person pointed out that
if, for example the away supporters were banned from attending a
game the atmosphere would suffer as a result, especially during an
end-to-end game (away supporters situated directly next to a home
stand). This person described the presence of the away supporters
as electrifying the atmosphere and also referred to the atmosphere
as part of the enjoyment of the game. He called MCFC supporters a
breed of people who are real fans because of all the trials and
tribulations theyve been through. One individual called the singing
at football matches a competition as to who is the loudest and
ultimately the most supportive of their team. He explained that
providing strong vocal support for the team gains the respect of
away fans which boosts his self-esteem. It is clear from these
28
comments just how valuable the atmosphere is to fans and how
much they enjoy revelling in it. Therefore these members of the
focus group can be described as high identifiers, because as stated
by Richardson (2004) a high identifier derives more enjoyment from
their fandom than a low identifier, plus they are more emotionally
involved with their team and are loyal. This also supports the
definition of a true fan as cited by the Football Passions report
(2008), described as someone who is not just a spectator but a
participant who wants to positively impact on their teams
performance.
Figs 2.6 2.7 illustrate an overwhelming positive response from
the surveys respondents answering Q11: Being around other fans in
the atmosphere of the grounds is as important as watching the game
itself Fig 2.6 Males
Fig 2.7 Females
The sample could be described as biased due to the 18-24 year
olds making up 46% of the total sample, yet such is the risk of
random sampling. However, the researcher did not target this age
group over any other and as per Veal (2006) using a random sampling
technique gives all members of a given population an equal chance
of being included in the sample. These graphical representations
echo the answers of the focus group, with all 18-24 year old
respondents of males and females answering agree or strongly agree.
The only exception was a 6% anomaly (3 male respondents) who
disagreed. One explanation for this anomaly can be 29
examined by a contribution from the focus group, which debated
why some people might disagree with question 11. The group implied
that a marginal number of MCFC fans are scared of success because
they literally dont know what it feels like. A participant who
joined in with this discussion talked about an older fan that
stands behind him every home game shouting constant abuse at the
players even when they are performing well and MCFC are winning. He
said that this man criticises the team at the first sign of
weakness and only praises them when MCFC score. This type of fan
fits the profile of a low identifier, as cited by Richardson
(2004). This is someone who does not derive much enjoyment from
their fandom and will immediately dissociate himself from the team
following failure. The low identifier is not emotionally involved
when supporting and lacks a distinct sense of loyalty to the team.
The general trends of the questions (to agree or disagree) can
attempt to vaguely distinguish between the true fans that enjoy
basking in success (BIRGing) as mentioned by Richardson (2004) and
the fair-weather supporters as described by SIRC (2008). However
the responses from the survey and focus group can provide some
insight into the positives and negatives of fandom with regards to
the costs against the rewards of being a fan of MCFC. Question 12
was intended to make respondents of the survey decide how much joy
they derive from being a fan of the club and how big a part this
plays in their lives by including the words self-esteem and life
satisfaction within the statement. Research conducted by Jones
(2000) acknowledges a theory proposed by Stebbins into the profit
hypothesis. The theory dictates that the perceived benefits of
taking part in an activity exceed the perceived costs. This can be
used to explain a continued engagement in a serious leisure
activity. The rewards consist of self-actualisation or
self-gratification, such as the elation experienced by a fan when
their team wins a match. This theory however, fails to explain why
a fan would continue to support their team when the costs of fandom
potentially outweigh the rewards. The participants of the focus
group made contributions that contradict with Stebbins profit
hypothesis theory. One person talked about a match against Hamburg,
where MCFC were knocked out of the UEFA cup competition, yet it was
still a thoroughly enjoyable day for this individual:
30
The Hamburg game changed my life! I had never seen anything like
it [thousands of MCFC supporters brought inflatable objects into
the grounds]. I want the atmosphere to be like that every game. I
left the stadium feeling great (Appendix 1, pg 37) Despite the huge
cost of fandom on this occasion, the reward of a life-long
unforgettable atmosphere outweighed the cost to the individual.
This contradicts with Stebbins theory as cited by Jones (2000).
Despite such a great loss as a fan, this individual will continue
to engage in their fandom, experiencing self-actualisation and
self-gratification. Another member of the focus group added that he
had never left a football match with such mixed emotions, feeling
so high about the match result, yet so dejected at the same
time.
The results from the survey highlight that the majority of the
sample agreed or strongly agreed with the statement from question
12: I believe the community of supporters at MCFC gives me a high
level of self-esteem and life satisfaction Fig 2.8 Males
Fig 2.9 Females
31
These results outline that the 18-24 year olds appear to derive
the most enjoyment and satisfaction from the community of
supporters at MCFC, with the 25-35 year olds evenly split. This
suggests that the 18-24 year olds are more actively involved with
the club and socially committed to their role as fans. A 24 year
old from the focus group described the community of supporters at
MCFC as a family. He talked about a hugely popular pub themed for
MCFC opposite the stadium, saying that everybody likes each other.
He compared this to a pub in the centre of Manchester filled with
1200 people that could potentially see trouble and fighting break
out.
Another 24 year old from the group added to this, describing the
eclectic mixture of people in this pub for MCFC fans: There could
be a criminal, a priest...but its all just one big family of MCFC
supporters brought together (Appendix 1, pg 37) This high
importance placed on community by the participants of the survey
and the focus group contributes towards extending the research
conducted by Belk, which according to Richardson (2004) has lacked
explanations into how one fan identifies with another. It would
appear that an MCFC supporter can socially identify with a fellow
fan in a place like the aforementioned pub, which is exclusive and
creates a tight-knit community of like-minded people. One focus
group member mentioned that during busy periods, an MCFC supporter
is required to show a season ticket in order to gain entry. This
suggests that the patrons of the pub are mainly true fans by the
definition of the Football Passions report (2008), as they
literally have to prove that they are regular match attendees to
gain entry. In response to question 13 about how optimistic fans
were about the future of MCFC, the researcher had anticipated a
unanimous agreement with the statement. Overall, 97% of males
32
and 94% of females either agreed or strongly agreed. This could
be attributed to the clubs new found fame and fortune, after MCFC
was taken over by Abu Dhabi (the sheikhdom of eastern Arabia and
capital of the United Arab Emirates). The focus group was in
agreement about feeling highly optimistic about the clubs future.
One member described the take over as raising the profile of the
club and putting MCFC on the map.
Another member was equally as enthusiastic: Were riding on the
crest of a wave. We have the foundations of a decent club, the
making of a good Manager (Appendix 1, pg 38) When the researcher
introduced question 14 to the focus group, he quoted literature
previously collected within the primary research of the study, by a
former chairman of MCFC Peter Swales: I always think that when
Howard Kendall left Manchester City the supporters appointed Peter
Reid... the supporters had decided that he was the man and they
weren't going to accept anybody else... From then on they were
always going to have a say in any major decision, whether that was
a player coming in or a player going out, a manager going out or a
manager coming in, a chairman going out or a chairman coming in.
(Barber 2002, 4.3): Through providing this background information
to the question the researcher intended for the focus group to
comprehend the relevance of the statement, in terms of the extent
to which fans held an influence over MCFC in 1993-94, compared to
the present day. This was followed by the group raising sub-issues
surrounding the statement and offering different perspectives
on
33
their opinions. For example, a 49 year old group member agreed
that the above quotation was indeed reflective of those times,
although today things have changed significantly. He mused that the
outside influence of commerce and media interest has caused
football to revolve around money, taking it away from the working
mans game. He also linked this to the Arabs that have bought the
club, referring to their vast power. He summarised that the culture
of the game has changed. These comments can be directly related
with research conducted by Barber (2002) who described local clubs
as being in international markets now and outside of local
influence. Barber describes the 1990s as the decade of fan power
which has long since passed. A different group member offered an
alternative perspective; he described the decision making at MCFC
as a pecking order: I answered strongly disagree (to question 14).
Its a 5-tier hierarchy and we [the fans] are at the bottom. The
owners have got the final say, but the board can pressure the
owners. The media can twist things and say whatever they want; look
at what they did to get rid of Sven (Goran Erikson) as the England
Manager. Then you have the players who can say if they are not
going to play... (Appendix 1, pg 40) This statement shows that the
fan fully grasps that there are factors out of his control that
influence major decisions at MCFC, yet when the researcher asked if
he resented this he replied that it is just how football is and he
accepts that. This is also reflective of another point made by
Barber (2002). The author suggested that as more money is pumped
into football and competition increases amongst the major TV
networks to secure the rights to matches, more fans have become
shareholders of large clubs, yet most lack voting rights. Figs 3.2
& 3.3 below show a majority disagreement from respondents to
question14:
34
The results show that 98% of males disagreed with the statement,
and 88% of females respectively. However, 3 of the online
respondents added that MCFC is trying to listen to the fans more by
concentrating on the operational end of the club. A member of the
focus group elaborated on this issue. He said that the fans have
been demanding cheaper tickets and cheaper season ticket prices,
and that they have now been going down in cost. He cited how the
fans had originally requested a special singing section to be built
to raise the atmosphere in the grounds; this has happened. Also, he
mentioned that fans have expressed a wish to make the stadium
safer: Fans have said they want a cop, like at Anfield [Newcastle
United Football Club stadium] so that the away fans cant break up
our singing section. It is apparent that the members of the focus
group are avid fans as referred to by Mintel (2008) as they have an
up to date extensive knowledge of most things going on at MCFC, and
they are all season ticket holders.
Conclusion & Recommendations
Following a comprehensive analysis of the qualitative data
collected for both the survey and focus group session the
researcher is able to make several deductions about MCFC
supporters. The vast majority of the fans which took part in the
study had few indicative tendencies to 35
CORF (dissociate themselves from MCFC due to failure). The
findings distinguished between a high identifier, being someone
that derives a high level of enjoyment from their fandom and a low
identifier, which can be described as a disloyal individual.
Graphical representations of the results indicated a general trend
of 18-24 year olds being cited as the most emotionally attached to
MCFC and the most loyal (predominantly high identifiers). The focus
group supported the survey results by revealing that MCFC fans make
a long-term commitment to the team, in a similar way to having a
long-term relationship with a girlfriend or boyfriend. The findings
of the study proved to have direct links with previous research
into football fandom. With regards to how fans felt about their
role as fans, 97% of survey respondents genuinely believe that
their presence at a match positively impacts on the teams
performance. This was backed up by the results of the focus group,
with an emphasis being placed on fans referring to themselves as
the twelfth man as cited in the Football Passions report (2008).
The members of the focus group feel like participants at a match
and not just spectators, because they are emotionally attached to
the team. The focus group revealed that the community aspect of
being an MCFC supporter is very important to them and that
providing strong vocal support at a match is crucial. This is not
just to positively impact on their teams performance, but also to
gain the respect of away fans and to be recognised by other MCFC
supporters as a true fan. A significant 98% majority of respondents
to the survey either disagreed or strongly disagreed that they have
any influence over major decisions at MCFC. This was discussed at
length during the focus group, which attributed the outside
influences of commerce and media interest as uncontrollable factors
that have changed the culture of the game. This was also in stark
contrast to the 1990s, when fans did have a major say in the
decisions at their club in relation to a player, manager or
chairman coming in or going out of MCFC. These beliefs of the focus
group supported research by Barber (2002) that described local
clubs as now being in international markets which were outside of
local influence. The focus group did however unearth the fact that
fans can and have influenced decisions regarding club operations.
Members of the group speculated that MCFC are listening to fans
ideas on reducing ticket prices and implementing a designated
police officer to protect fans from away supporters. 36
After triangulating the academic research with the results of
the focus group and the survey, the researcher addressed the
research problem and revealed a more positive side to football at
MCFC. The researcher found that the most difficult part of forming
the project was collating existing literature that was relevant to
its aims and objectives. It became apparent that the phenomenon of
football fandom is a relatively new field of research, hence why
all the referees used in this study are post year 2000. Having
combined existing theories into fandom concerning how fans identify
with each other and interact with their team, the researcher was
able to illustrate the group dynamics of MCFC fans. The most useful
information to come from the results was the unwavering loyalty of
the fans that valued the atmosphere at a match as equally important
(if not more) as winning. The researcher believes that he has
contributed towards the innovative study of football fandom and
added to previous research significantly by examining and
interpreting the mindset of an MCFC football supporter.
Furthermore, to the best of the researchers knowledge it is the
first time that a study of this kind has focused on a specific
sample through considering the variables: age, sex, regional
location and an exclusive target audience. However, if the study
were to be replicated the researcher recommends that age and sexes
are non-essential variables to consider. This is partly because the
researcher struggled to make many useful observations about trends
relating to the age or sex of a respondent, but mainly due the
random sampling technique which was employed. Random sampling will
always produce an unpredictable sample, but it is entirely
appropriate in order to gain a representative sample for this type
of study concerning the attitudes, thoughts and feelings of people
who all support football. If further research conducted obtained a
sample that was equal in the number of males, females and age
groups it would conflict with the umbrella of fandom, which is
inclusive not exclusive. In addition, both the primary and
secondary research undertaken in this study has showed that
football is still a largely male-dominated sport; therefore
obtaining a sample as described above would prove to be
difficult.
37
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4.3, Last accessed May 1 2009 at http:www.le.ac.uk/ Gratton et al
(2004). Research methods for sport studies. [online]. 284, Last
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39
Appendix 1: Transcript of Focus Group
This focus group was conducted at the main residence of the
principal investigator with four supporters of MCFC: Participant 1
(P1) 24 yrs old Participant 2 (P2) 18 yrs old Participant 3 (P3) 49
yrs old Participant 4 (P4) 24 yrs old
40
The researcher selected 8 questions from the questionnaire-based
survey for general discussion with the group. The session lasted
for 54 minutes and was recorded with the permission of participants
using a laptop. Audio Transcript Q3. Being a fan of MCFC is like
having a long-term girlfriend / boyfriend. P1: I answered agree. My
girlfriend can regularly p** me off and upset me, sometimes I think
that the things she does are ridiculous in the same way that City
can disgust me with shambolic performances and even make me cry
occasionally. P2: I also answered agree, because you are committed
to a girlfriend in the same way that you are to MCFC, you have to
see your club play just as you have to make time to see a
girlfriend. P3: Agree. It gets into your blood, the older I get the
worse it gets; football on a Saturday afternoon has become a way of
life for me during my lifetime. P4: I disagreed. I can see my
girlfriend whenever I want and can get rid of her too! But MCFC is
for life. Q4. I think that supporting the same team as my parent
(s) is an important part of our relationship. P1: I agree. I spend
time with my Dad and we bond together at the pub when watching City
games...I cant imagine what it might be like if he was a Manchester
United supporter, I dont think that we would talk about football as
much. P4: I disagree because neither my Mum or Dad have ever taken
me to a game it was my Uncle that introduced me to MCFC so Id have
to say yes to family but no to parents. P3: I would disagree
because when I was a kid my Dad was never that interested in
football, it was more the mates that I knocked about with that
influenced me, so it was my own discipline. 41
This is why I steered more towards the blue side than the red.
Luckily, all of my side of our family are MCFC supporters today.
Q7. As a fan, I feel that our presence has a direct effect on how
the game is played. P1: I would be amazed if anyone put disagree
for this because you are the twelfth man at every game. The
atmosphere is buzzing & pumping, the team picks the game up
when 48,000 fans are screaming players names, it must give them a
lift. P3: I agree. After Hamburg (16/04/09 City won 2-1) the
atmosphere in the ground was as good as I can ever recall at a City
game. There was a Derby game years ago when we beat MUFC 51 and a
European game against Valencia with a memorable atmosphere similar
to Hamburg. P1: On the other hand, when we lost against Nottingham
Forest (03/01/09 0-3) the atmosphere was awful the whole match,
there was no singing at all and the team played badly. P2: We have
had the second most home victories in the league this season, it
speaks for itself. Yet we have only won 2 away games all season;
only a small number of fans can attend away games and the maximum
capacity is usually only 5,000 seats available. P4: I agree. We
have the best win ratio at home, so I have to agree with what P1
said about being the twelfth man. I still have to point out that we
can sing our hearts out but the game does not always go our
way!
Q11. Being around other fans in the atmosphere of the grounds is
as important as watching the game itself. P4: I strongly agree. I
can sometimes spend more time singing / laughing / shouting at the
away fans than actually watching the game I love the banter between
the 2 sets of supporters.
42
Songs that are sung about players, the away supporters and MCFC
as a club are usually constant at a home game. P2: I strongly
agree. I cannot imagine a game without any singing or shouting, it
would be weird. P3: I agree. If, for example the away supporters
were banned from the ground the atmosphere would be no way near as
good as it is, especially when a game is end-to-end (away
supporters situated directly next to a City stand) this electrifies
the atmosphere. Obviously we want to win but the atmosphere is
still very important to me, its part of the day, and part of the
enjoyment of a game. P1: I strongly agree. At times I have listened
to the away fans songs for 10 minutes, its all about singing as a
competition as to who is the loudest and the most supportive of
their team. You want City to win but not its not just about that.
You want to be respected as a better set of fans, you want the
opposition to leave thinking that City fans give great support. Ive
missed goals in the past by getting so caught up picking their fans
out to taunt, its just all part of the banter. A good example is
that I left the Middlesbrough game (07/02/09 City won 1-0)
remembering the Bloke who lifted his kilt up when we were taking
the p** out of him! Researcher: You raised another interesting
point there, about MCFC having a reputation to protect as fans? P1:
Oh yeah, the whole point of us moving to the singing section this
season was to get more involved, to be recognised and respected by
both home and away supporters. P3: I think that the fact that weve
supported the team that we support shows that we are real fans,
unlike MUFC for example, who only have their level of support due
to their success. If they had gone through the trials and
tribulations that we (MCFC supporters) have gone through over the
past 30 years I bet they would have much less support today. Were a
breed of people, City supporters...So many ups so many downs we are
a unique set of supporters.
43
P1: A lot of City fans are scared of success, as they dont know
what it feels like [refers to a fan who sits behind him every home
game who constantly shouts abuse at players, even when the team is
doing well]. P4: Chelsea & Manchester United dont have many
songs, City have loads even if some of them are stupid [cites song:
We are not, were not really here, we are not were not really here,
its just like the fans of the invisible man, were not really
here!]. P1: Did you know that this song originates from a match
played against Millwall when City fans were disallowed from
attending for fear of trouble, but we won. During the game after a
few weeks later, a small number of fans sung were not really here
because of the previous victory in the total absence of support.
P3: Ok, so where did the bananas come from? (At the Hamburg game
thousands of City supporters brought giant inflatable bananas) P1:
When we once played Southampton FC a City player at the time had a
strange name similar to a brand of bananas, so they fans started
singing about him and it caught on. Q12. I believe that the
community of supporters at MCFC gives me a high level of selfesteem
and life satisfaction. P2: I agree. The Hamburg game changed my
life! I had never seen anything like it; I want the atmosphere to
be like that every game. I left the stadium feeling mint!
(Mancunian P4: That game made a lot of people very happy, apart
from P1! P1: Ive never before walked out of the ground with such
mixed emotions; I felt so high about the win, but so dejected at
the same time, it was the strangest feeling Ive ever had. (Even
though City beat Hamburg 2-1 it was not enough on aggregate, so the
team did not go through to the next stage of the competition). P4:
The community of supporters at MCFC is like a family. When I meet
someone that is a City fan I instantly like them. Whereas, if they
are a Manchester United fan Im a bit so-so. 44
P1: I look forward to going to City, having a few pints with the
boys, a bit of banter then watching the Blues play football. P4:
Like in Mary Ds (hugely popular pub themed for MCFC opposite
stadium)...its a pub filled with 1200 City fans, & everybody
likes each other. You could go to a pub in the centre of Manchester
filled with a bunch of rowdy lads and potentially see a lot of
trouble. P1: What you were saying before P4, it is such a mixture
of people there could be criminals, a priest but its all just one
big family of MCFC supporters brought together. P3: [Tells anecdote
of how a friend of his (Manchester United supporter) was once
brought to Mary Ds & he thought it was the rummest pub Ive ever
been in meaning very intimidating / rough. P4: Its such a
tight-knitted community at MCFC that sometimes (during very busy
periods) you need to show a season ticket in order to gain entry to
Marys. Q13. I am optimistic about the club's future. P2: I strongly
agree. Look at where we are now; we bid for Kaka, and it got to the
point where it was a 50/50 chance on the night of signing him. If
wed of been successful it might have changed a lot of things for
City. P4: I also strongly agree. The transfer window for Robhino
was 32.5m, as opposed to Samaras at 5m 5 years ago. The foundations
have been built now. If youd of asked me this question 10 years ago
Id of disagreed. It is a fact that MCFC is now the richest club in
the world; 10 years ago not many international clubs even knew who
we were. Now, the likes of Barcelona & AC Milan recognise us.
Everyone knows us now; I think a lot of big players will come. P2:
The whole profile of the club has been raised. Barcelona have
started talks with us, 5 years ago they would never have spoken to
us. Now they see us in the press and they want to negotiate terms
for player transfers. 45
P4: The money brought in by the Sheikh has put us on the map.
P1: I agree, Id like to strongly agree but something always seems
to go wrong. If anyone can screw up having the richest club owners
in the world, it is MCFC. P4: Well, its not going to happen
overnight is it! Were talking 3-5 years down the line. Researcher:
If the Sheikh abandoned the club and sold MCFC would your answers
be different? P2: Yes. Until now we had never dreamed of bidding
for the likes of Robhino. P3: I have to strongly agree. I think
that were on the crest of a wave, got the foundations of a decent
team, the makings of a good Manager. Elano said in the papers last
week that he is hoping to stay on at the club. In previous seasons
players have always wanted to leave. I feel as though what may
potentially happen with bringing some bigger names in; people are
going to start taking notice and long may it continue. I feel that
the team in the last 2 or 3 performances is starting to fit. P4:
Yeah, and its a young squad that can only grow and get better.
Researcher: Would you go as far as saying that the players are
fighting for their futures at the club now? P4: Definitely, Mark
Hughes can get his cheque book out and sign anybody! Q14. I believe
that the fans, including myself have a real say in major decisions,
such as a manager, player or chairman coming in or going out.
Researcher: Advises the group of some background information on the
reasoning behind this statement. As mentioned in the literature
review, during 1993-94 when Peter Swales was chairman the fans
vigorously contested his position and he stepped down in the end.
He described how he had underestimated the power of the fan
movement:
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From then on they were always going to have a say in any major
decision, whether that was a player coming in or a player going
out, a manager going out or a manager coming in, a chairman going
out or a chairman coming in. P3: I think that was most certainly
the case in those times, but not today as the premiership has moved
20 paces forward. Back then it was the old division one.
Researcher: Why do you think that things have changed? P3: More
outside influences have come into the game, not so much about the
fan base anymore. It is more commercialised today with the media
interest and it revolves around money. I think that as loud as
(fans) may shout, they (MCFC) wont listen. Take Manchester United;
when the Glaziers took over there was uproar from the fans but it
made no difference. P1: They have (MCFC) started to listen to fans
a bit more lately, but not in terms of players or chairmen coming
in or going out. P2: You can now e-mail your thoughts to Cook
(Garry Cook, Executive Chairman) and he will reply to you giving
his opinions and justifying the actions of the club. P3: I think it
is a bad thing, because it is a working mans game but the outside
influences of commerce have taken it away from us a bit. Whether it
will return I dont know. The pressure of the fans doesnt seem to
make a difference. Take the Arabs that have bought our club; they
have so much power and theyre not from the same culture as us. I
think that the culture of the game has changed. P4: I answered
strongly disagree too. I looked at it from a different angle. I put
it as the owner has their say in any decisions [yes or no] then the
board (of directors) then the media then the players, with the fans
at the bottom. Researcher: So you see it as a hierarchy? P4: Yes,
its a 5 tier hierarchy and we are at the bottom. The owners have
got the final say, but the board can pressure the owners. The media
can twist things and say whatever they want; 47
look what they did to Sven to get rid of him as the England
Manager. Then you have the players who can say that they are not
going to play, they can fake injuries. Look at Robhino (MCFC
player), he is supposed to have a major say; theyve said in the
papers that he is rumoured to have a direct line to the Sheikh. I
dont know if this is true or not, but I do know that big stars at
major clubs do have talks with their Managers to suggest players
for the national side; you hear about it all the time. P2: The
Sheikh has a huge say in decisions now. When we made a bid for Kaka
I dont think that Hughes even wanted to sign him, but he probably
had only a 20% stake in the matter. If the Sheikh wants to buy a
player he will try to get him no matter what. P1: [Discusses the
influence on MCFC fans over the club]. Football matters no, other
things, maybe. The fans have been demanding cheaper tickets and
season ticket prices; they have been going down. The fans asked for
a special singing section to be built to raise the atmosphere; they
(MCFC) have put one in. Fans have said we want a cop like at
Anfield (Newcastle United Football Club Stadium) so that the away
fans cant break up our singing section. There are rumours that the
club is thinking about it. City fans said they wanted bananas and
the club said ok well have an inflatable day. P4: That is more
petty things thought isnt it? Researcher: This is more the
operational end of things then? P1: Yeah it is, I think that the
club is starting to listen to our ideas. Garry Cook is now holding
regular chairman meetings, focus groups with fans, supporter groups
just to try and understand what we want. P4: I would agree with
those points. I disagree with the statement (Q14) but I agree that
the little things to do with the operations of the club they are
trying harder. P1: I do get the impression that the Sheikhs do want
to make it a fans game. In contrast if we look at the Glaziers who
own Manchester United its all about making money. They dont
know
48
anything about football, they rarely go to a match and when they
do, if United score the Glaziers just sit there emotionless. They
have no loyalty to the club whatsoever. Researcher: Going back to
the fact that everyone here disagreed with the statement of
question 14; do you resent this? P4: Well its just how football is,
I accept it. Although if it wasnt for the fans there wouldnt be
these high cost player transfers and wages; the fans make the game
what it is today. Q15. Football is like a religion to me. P4: Im a
Christian but I dont really follow the religion. I can think of
City as my religion because I constantly follow it. Everyday Im on
the MCFC website and the Blue moon forum (unofficial online
supporter forum). City is the biggest part of my life. Church for
me is like Eastlands (MCFC stadium); I go there and I worship the
players, so my answer is strongly agree. P3: I also strongly
agreed. Its part of being a football fan just as I answered one of
the earlier questions; its in your blood. I dont have a season
ticket these days, and partly because and dont take this the wrong
way P1, I was paying to get him through his education with
University fees. Before then I had always held a season ticket, but
now I just go at any available opportunity that I have. If Im not
at a match, the radio is on or Im looking at every Sky Sports
channel that I can see. My Saturday afternoon, if City are playing
is dominated by whatever their activities are; who they are playing
and where its taking place. P1: If you are a religious man you
might read the bible. If you are a City fan you will read
everything possible on the club; whether that is online news, match
day programmes or any form of literature relating to MCFC. I buy
every single programme, every book on my heroes and favourite
players both past & present. When I was a kid I used to buy the
Pink (popular insert about football from the Manchester evening
news during the nineties). P4: You know what I used to do, I used
to skive school (play truant) at lunch to go and buy the Pink. I
couldnt wait because sometimes if I went after school instead it
was sold out!
49
P3: Half the reason that the game of football has become as
powerful as it has done is because that is the power it has over
people. The marketing effect of what football does; the
sponsorship, the kit, the boots and kids skiving school to buy the
Pink. P1: Religion can cause war and football causes war. How many
scraps are there amongst City and United fans because of the
rivalry between them? How often do families fall out because one
person supports City, another, United. P4: How about the fact that
City has always been known as a largely Protestant club, whereas
Manchester United is generally Catholic. P3: That is going back a
very long time though! P4: Yes I know but this is why City has
always had a close bond with Glasgow Rangers (known to be
traditionally Protestant in their fan base). [Refers to the UEFA
cup final on 14/05/08: Glasgow Rangers vs. Zenit St Petersburg] We
were singing Rangers songs alongside their fans, and they were
singing City songs with us. There is actual religion within
football as well.
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