What brings youngsters into the stadium? Sociopsychological predictors of soccer attendance among Belgian and Portuguese young fans

Abstract

While in some countries across Europe soccer games attract full stadiums on a regular basis, in other countries, such as Portugal, the stadiums reveal many empty seats in big up-to-date facilities. On the other hand, in Belgium, the construction of bigger stadiums is being planned to substitute the current out-dated facilities. In both cases, it is important to understand why people, and specifically the young fans, attend or do not attend games. Therefore, the main objective of this research is to find out what takes Belgian and Portuguese youngsters into the soccer stadium. We performed a fandom related survey to 16-19 years old fans, more specifically 173 Belgian (81.5% male) and 188 Portuguese (50.5% male) high school students. We analysed data employing structural equation modelling in AMOS. Lifestyle, defined as a set of patterns, distinct from others, based on values, attitudes, and orientations, emerged as the strongest predictor of soccer attendance for youngsters. Team identification was also a significant predictor for Belgian young fans. Marketing implications of these findings are discussed.