Periodic Reporting for period 1 - FEDev-WF (Developing Fan Engagement For Increasing Participation, Attendance and Commercial Value in Women's Football)
Reporting period: 2021-10-11 to 2023-10-10
The FEDev-WF project primarily addresses the challenge of inadequate fan engagement in Women’s Football (WF), particularly in Ireland, compared to Men's Football. Despite notable improvements in stadium attendance and viewership for WF in recent years, this growth remains inconsistent and unsustainable, largely confined to national teams. Many countries, including Ireland, still face significant challenges in engaging fans at the club level. A critical gap exists in research on WF fandom. Furthermore, strategies for increasing fan engagement at WF clubs are under-researched, and there is a noticeable absence of a framework for fan engagement in WF.
The overall objectives of this project were:
1. Identifying factors shaping WF fandom.
2. Investigating current fan engagement practices in successful WF clubs.
3. Designing a holistic fan engagement framework for WF.
The project holds significant importance for society for several reasons:
1. Promoting gender equality in sports.
2. Economic and Social Benefits:
Boosting fan engagement in WF offers substantial economic and social benefits. Enhanced engagement not only leads to higher attendance and viewership but also boosts related economic activities. Increased interest and visibility in WF encourage greater participation among girls in sports, fostering inclusivity and equality in athletics. Additionally, WF, known for its family-oriented atmosphere at stadiums, provides an excellent opportunity for family entertainment, contributing to leisure opportunities and the mental well-being of sports enthusiasts.
3. Policy Implications: The project's evidence-based recommendations are set to significantly impact policy-making in sports governing bodies, aiming to foster the growth and sustainability of WF from grassroots to professional levels. These policies will focus on developing and retaining young female talent, particularly in football academies.
The overall objectives of this project were:
1. Identifying factors shaping WF fandom.
2. Investigating current fan engagement practices in successful WF clubs.
3. Designing a holistic fan engagement framework for WF.
The project holds significant importance for society for several reasons:
1. Promoting gender equality in sports.
2. Economic and Social Benefits:
Boosting fan engagement in WF offers substantial economic and social benefits. Enhanced engagement not only leads to higher attendance and viewership but also boosts related economic activities. Increased interest and visibility in WF encourage greater participation among girls in sports, fostering inclusivity and equality in athletics. Additionally, WF, known for its family-oriented atmosphere at stadiums, provides an excellent opportunity for family entertainment, contributing to leisure opportunities and the mental well-being of sports enthusiasts.
3. Policy Implications: The project's evidence-based recommendations are set to significantly impact policy-making in sports governing bodies, aiming to foster the growth and sustainability of WF from grassroots to professional levels. These policies will focus on developing and retaining young female talent, particularly in football academies.
In the first phase of the project, 46 in-depth interviews were carried out with various WF stakeholders in Ireland. The interviews broadly sought to understand the main factors shaping contemporary WF in Ireland and to identify the most common challenges experienced by WF fans there. The findings revealed the following themes about Irish WF:
1. A Gendered Product
There is a noticeable lack of information and media coverage. This is compounded by the sport’s lower commercial appeal. Additionally, the match schedules for WF are often less favourable than men’s schedules. These issues are deeply intertwined with gender perceptions and underscore the need for a concerted effort to address gender equity in Irish football, particularly at club level.
2. A Gendered Space
The study found gender-based disparities in various football environments in Ireland, including stadiums and other facilities, at clubs, and in schools, wherein a significant gap exists in support and resources between girls' and boys' football programmes. Online, including in forums and social media, these inequalities persist, with female players, fans, and journalists experiencing different levels of support and sometimes hostility.
3. A Gendered Fandom
The findings highlighted a gendered fan culture with unique origins and potential development. Unlike men's football where peer camaraderie is common, WF fandom typically starts within families, highlighting the role of parents in fostering a love for the sport among the younger generation. However, there's a divide in fans' expectations for the future of this fandom.
4. Gendered Relationships
The findings revealed significant disparities in how female players are treated compared to males, including issues like unequal pay and poorer facilities. Fans and stakeholders often see supporting WF as part of a broader push for equality, sometimes leading to less critical reactions to poor performances. However, WF also faces detractors who question its legitimacy and engage in abusive behaviour, especially online.
In the second phase, which structured to investigate the current state of fan engagement practices in WF , I expanded my ethnographic observations and enhanced my understanding of fan engagement through a series of field observation at stadiums.
A thematic analysis of my ethnographic observation field notes and interviews with fan engagement experts revealed the following themes. These themes are crucial for fan engagement in WF games:
1. Digital Communication
In summary, it includes providing information on players and their profiles on the website, game day details, instructions on how to purchase tickets, ticket categories and pricing, information on how fans can submit their questions and how these will be addressed by the club, guidance on travelling to the stadium, and many more details.
2. Stadium Experience
In summary, it includes pre-match entertainment, fan zones, kids’ activities, live music, mascot, etc., all contribute to extend the match day experience and to offer more value, so the more they are promoted as integral to the match day, the more likely new fans and families will turn up early to enjoy them.
3. Social Media and Online Presence
In summary, the utilisation of social media must go beyond just sharing information and broadcasting, as previously outlined, to become a proactive tool for engagement.
4. People
Clubs demonstrating exceptional fan engagement clearly exhibit a management philosophy centred on fan-centricity. Valuing their fans is fundamental to their approach, evident in their strategies, plans, and recruitment processes.
The final phase was structured to accomplish the third objective of the project. The primary focus was to apply the insights gathered from the first and second phases. The final framework included the following seven blocks, based on which a fan engagement strategy can be designed:
Fan Research and Insights.
Engagement Strategies.
Community and Grassroots Programmes.
Media and Content Creation.
Partnerships and Sponsorships.
Monitoring and Evaluation.
Player and Fan Interaction.
1. A Gendered Product
There is a noticeable lack of information and media coverage. This is compounded by the sport’s lower commercial appeal. Additionally, the match schedules for WF are often less favourable than men’s schedules. These issues are deeply intertwined with gender perceptions and underscore the need for a concerted effort to address gender equity in Irish football, particularly at club level.
2. A Gendered Space
The study found gender-based disparities in various football environments in Ireland, including stadiums and other facilities, at clubs, and in schools, wherein a significant gap exists in support and resources between girls' and boys' football programmes. Online, including in forums and social media, these inequalities persist, with female players, fans, and journalists experiencing different levels of support and sometimes hostility.
3. A Gendered Fandom
The findings highlighted a gendered fan culture with unique origins and potential development. Unlike men's football where peer camaraderie is common, WF fandom typically starts within families, highlighting the role of parents in fostering a love for the sport among the younger generation. However, there's a divide in fans' expectations for the future of this fandom.
4. Gendered Relationships
The findings revealed significant disparities in how female players are treated compared to males, including issues like unequal pay and poorer facilities. Fans and stakeholders often see supporting WF as part of a broader push for equality, sometimes leading to less critical reactions to poor performances. However, WF also faces detractors who question its legitimacy and engage in abusive behaviour, especially online.
In the second phase, which structured to investigate the current state of fan engagement practices in WF , I expanded my ethnographic observations and enhanced my understanding of fan engagement through a series of field observation at stadiums.
A thematic analysis of my ethnographic observation field notes and interviews with fan engagement experts revealed the following themes. These themes are crucial for fan engagement in WF games:
1. Digital Communication
In summary, it includes providing information on players and their profiles on the website, game day details, instructions on how to purchase tickets, ticket categories and pricing, information on how fans can submit their questions and how these will be addressed by the club, guidance on travelling to the stadium, and many more details.
2. Stadium Experience
In summary, it includes pre-match entertainment, fan zones, kids’ activities, live music, mascot, etc., all contribute to extend the match day experience and to offer more value, so the more they are promoted as integral to the match day, the more likely new fans and families will turn up early to enjoy them.
3. Social Media and Online Presence
In summary, the utilisation of social media must go beyond just sharing information and broadcasting, as previously outlined, to become a proactive tool for engagement.
4. People
Clubs demonstrating exceptional fan engagement clearly exhibit a management philosophy centred on fan-centricity. Valuing their fans is fundamental to their approach, evident in their strategies, plans, and recruitment processes.
The final phase was structured to accomplish the third objective of the project. The primary focus was to apply the insights gathered from the first and second phases. The final framework included the following seven blocks, based on which a fan engagement strategy can be designed:
Fan Research and Insights.
Engagement Strategies.
Community and Grassroots Programmes.
Media and Content Creation.
Partnerships and Sponsorships.
Monitoring and Evaluation.
Player and Fan Interaction.
The findings from all three phases of the project have made significant contributions to both the academic literature and the football industry. As detailed earlier, this research project has been instrumental in understanding the factors that shape WF fandom in Ireland. By meticulously addressing a notable gap in both academic research and practical applications within the football industry, this work sets a new benchmark in the study of WF fan engagement. Its innovative approach combines theoretical insights with practical strategies, offering a unique contribution that is both academically rigorous and industry-relevant. Furthermore, the research approach, objectives, and methods developed during this project have the potential for application in other research settings, extending their impact beyond the immediate context.
Portions of the findings have already been shared with club administrators, and there are plans to disseminate these insights to additional stakeholders. The wide dissemination is expected to inform and enhance the fan engagement strategies and plans of clubs and other governing bodies.
Portions of the findings have already been shared with club administrators, and there are plans to disseminate these insights to additional stakeholders. The wide dissemination is expected to inform and enhance the fan engagement strategies and plans of clubs and other governing bodies.