Kevin first launched the on-line project in collaboration with Staffordshire University in November. It initially examined the lifestyles and attitudes of fans from all of the North-East’s teams: Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Sunderland, Hartlepool and Darlington. Kevin received over 450 responses and the main findings include:
Kevin said: ‘I’d like to thank all the fans who took part in the first stage of this project.
Some of the findings were surprising, such as 54% not regarding match attendance as an important part of being a fan. Is this a start of a new trend or just a blip? Fans also clearly feel that ticket prices are too high.
‘I’d like fans from all over the UK, not just the North-East, to take part in the next stage of my research, where I’m exploring their personal experiences as supporters. The kind of questions I’m asking is, are fans affected by current prices? Are we likely to see more empty seats at premiership games? Will these trends continue? The survey will only take 15 minutes to complete on-line at http://football.tees.ac.uk/
The project is part of a longer three-year study. The eventual findings will appear in the journal Soccer in Society.