The importance of fans' attachment to a sports club for match attendance in Hungarian football
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15170/MM.2024.58.01.06Keywords:
Sports marketing, attachment, qualitative, in-depth interview, footballAbstract
THE AIM OF THE PAPER
Building fan loyalty and attracting new fans to a club is essential in a developed sports economy. In Hungary, this has been an unresolved problem for decades, while new stadiums have been built with spectacular investments, but their utilisation for domestic football league matches could be significantly improved. Our research investigated the characteristics and significance of the relationship between match attendance and fans' attachment to the club for Mol Fehérvár FC, a Hungarian first division football team in the OTP Bank Liga in the 2022-23 season. In our research we investigated the factors that shape the perception of a football club, the psychological attachment of fans to the club, and the relationship between match attendance and club attachment.
METHODOLOGY
To answer the research question, qualitative research was conducted using 26 in-depth interviews. The interviewees were first invited to participate in the research in connection with three matches in Székesfehérvár, and then additional subjects were identified through invitations placed in the supporter community.
MOST IMPORTANT RESULTS
Our results show that the club has lost the way that its supporters have traditionally expected of it, and that it lacks the respect and appreciation of its fans. This may explain the problem of low attendance, as emotional attachment is a key determinant of loyalty in sport. Furthermore, our results also indicate that in many areas the club can initiate change that can bring about fan loyalty.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Through the example of the club under study, this research highlights the particular case of the Hungarian football league system, which questions the importance of the supporter, and even raises the question of whether clubs need supporters at all. This draws the attention of the sports marketing profession to the responsibility of brand ownership and the importance of managing fan loyalty. The research results also indicate that comprehensive strategic planning based on fan opinion can help to address the fan loyalty problem.
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