Browsing by Subject "fandom"

150 years ago, soccer was an unorganized game in England, yet today it is at the heart of global contemporary culture and attracts billions of fans. The English Premier League is the most popular league in the world with a vast global following. Support for English soccer teams has historically been associated with working-class locality and loyalty, but due to various developments, huge numbers of non-national fans now support English teams. This study uses the theoretical framework of globalization applied to football by Giulianotti and Robertson, and Tajfel and Turner’s social identity theory to investigate how non-national soccer fandom is possible and why it becomes part of a supporter's identity. Although studies have been conducted on this topic, there is a lack of research focusing on Finnish supporters, female supporter, reasons for continued support, and wider interest in England and English entertainment. This study explores Finnish soccer fandom of English teams and aims to answer the following questions: 1) What reasons are given by Finnish soccer fans for their support of English teams? 2) In which ways do Finnish soccer fans of English teams express their support and loyalty to their chosen club? 3) To what degree do Finnish soccer supporters of English teams have a wider interest in England and other English entertainment? My theoretical background provides four main themes and 11 sub-themes which guide both my methodology and results. This study comprises a multi-method approach of 11 semi-structured interviews with Finnish soccer supporters and four participant observations in bars in Finland. Moreover, two content analyses of Manchester United’s and Liverpool FC’s websites are conducted. The findings for all three methods are analyzed using qualitative content analysis to ensure consistency in the study. The findings are plentiful and are organized by sub-themes for each research question, with accompanying quotes from the interview participants. My findings show that Finnish soccer fans initially and continue to support English clubs for a variety of reasons such as family, player from Finland, loyalty, and community. Furthermore, my findings show that Finnish soccer fans are loyal to their English clubs and express their support strongly in a variety of ways. Finally, my findings show that Finns generally have a wider interest in England and English entertainment that goes beyond fandom of their English soccer clubs.