Fan Engagement & Match Attendance
Beatrice Lantz & Vilma Pettersson (2022)
Abstract: To succeed as a sports organization, the ability to draw spectators to the arena is vital. This thesis takes a closer look at Swedish football fans and investigates which factors affect their intention to attend the arena to watch a football game in Allsvenskan. The data was collected through a self-completion questionnaire distributed mainly in Swedish Facebook groups for fans of Allsvenskan football teams. The results indicate that higher team identification, higher expectations, and higher importance of a game positively impact the intention to visit the arena to attend a game in Allsvenskan. There is also a proven difference regarding the intention to visit the arena, dependent on the respondents' gender and the historical performance of the team that respondents are considered fans of.
Alexander Pagot & Lennart Reje (2021)
Abstract: The purpose of the study was to explore the degree to which Swedish football fans believe in the idea that managerial change leads to greater results in football. It also investigates how much fan loyalty affects this belief. The study roots itself in previous work on managerial change literature and examines the phenomenon from a new perspective of fan loyalty. The thesis is of an empirical nature, and data were collected about the opinions of fans through a survey, distributed through Swedish football internet forums. The results show that Swedish football fans seem to believe in the idea that managerial changes lead to improved results. The results also suggest that there might exist a correlation between this belief and the level of fan loyalty. The belief in managerial change among football fans is suggested to be an explanation as to why football clubs often fire the manager in times of poor results. This, even though statistics on managerial change in sports show no clear positive impact on results. The potential correlation between fan loyalty and the belief in managerial change suggests that football clubs should communicate decisions made differently to different groups of fans.
Anton Bergman (2019)
Abstract: The purpose of this Bachelor's thesis was to empirically study how two big Swedish football clubs with similar preconditions can differ substantially in their attendance levels. Since 2013, Hammarby Fotboll and Djurgården Fotboll have shared the same stadium, and since then, Hammarby Fotboll has outrun Djurgården Fotboll considerably in the attendance figures. To gain a greater insight into the clubs' strategies to get their supporters to the games, two semi-structured interviews were conducted with responsible key figures from the clubs. A content analysis of the clubs' official Instagram accounts was carried out to see how they work strategically on Instagram. My findings indicate that the clubs differ in how niche and distinct strategies they have. I argue that Hammarby Fotboll has benefited from its position as underdog, and that Djurgården's ice hockey team, with a high attendance figure, is cannibalizing Djurgården Fotboll's attendance.