An examination of sport fandom in the United Kingdom : a comparative analysis of fan behaviors, socialization processes, and team identification

Despite recent cross-cultural analyses of sport fandom, work in the field is still limited. To partially fill this research void, the current investigation investigated sport fandom in the United Kingdom, and included cross-cultural comparison with existing data. Four research areas were reviewed: a) sport fan behaviors, b) socialization into the sport fan role, c) identification with the social role of sport fan, and d) team identification. A sample of 252 students at a university in the United Kingdom completed a questionnaire packet assessing demographics, fandom, fan behaviors, team identification, and the impact of various socialization agents. Results revealed gender differences in behavior (e.g., males reported greater levels of participation than females) and both team identification and fandom were significant predictors of fan behavior. The importance of the father as a socialization agent was highlighted throughout the sample, and levels of identification were generally high. Cross-cultural analysis indicated that socialization agents for the UK were more varied than other countries, UK fans were more likely to watch sport live, and UK males were more likely to watch and discuss sport daily. In general, it was demonstrated that UK fan behavior was closer to that of Americans and, in particular, Australian fans, rather than fans in European (Greek and Norwegian) samples.