Football is the most popular sport across the world and has been so for a while. If the popularity of the sport is broken down, it all comes down to the fans, their attitude towards the sport, their passion, their love for the game.We see German fans, Turkish fans, Spanish fans, English fans all traveling throughout Europe, supporting their clubs, cheering them up when they undergo a loss and celebrating with them when they win. Fans visit them during open door practice sessions, buy jerseys of their favourite clubs or stars, hope to play like their idols if not with them; they wish to grab every opportunity to be around their favourite stars.
The Global Aspect
The sport would not have reached the same heights it has, had it not been for the fans. Football is the most viewed sport worldwide and it boasts the most number of fans as compared to any other sport. Looking at it from a business point of view, it’s the interest given to the sport by the fans which makes businessmen invest in all aspects of the sport like providing sponsorships and tie-ups, purchasing a certain share in the club, etc.
We as humans look to connect, it is our basic nature. Football supporters are no exception to this, Football fan clubs and other supporter groups came into existence because of the same. Fans that are in different parts of the world can connect with each other via the supporters group. It is something unique because FC Barcelona supporters can connect with each other in London and Chelsea FC supporters can connect with other in Barcelona. These groups are beneficial for fans as it gives them a chance to get to know others who share the same interest, regardless of barriers like age, language, location, etc. Here are a few ways via which a Football Community can develop:-
1) New Technologies
Social media is one of the easiest ways to communicate with the fans. It is also one of the fastest ways to spread news, information and updates about the club and its activities. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram are few social networks on which it does not take long for clubs to establish a fan base and correspond with the fans. Generating a online buzz before the match, sharing interesting news and facts about the club, informing the fans about social events that the club is participating in, exclusive interviews are a few ways by which the club or its supporters can boost the social media image and outreach of the club as a whole.
2) Tangible Benefits And Experiences
Another easy way of communicating with the fans is via newsletters and bulk mailing, most fans or those who are interested in the club would readily subscribe to the newsletters. The community can also use this method to inform the subscribers not just about their current activities but other aspects related to the club like merchandise sales, tickets, club tours, etc. They can also provide the fans with handouts or info-magazines at their residence to give them information about their upcoming events and activities.
3) The Game Itself
Most fans like to play football too. Organising a tournament which would play members of one fan community against the other or an intra-community football match would help not only increase awareness but also give the fans a chance to showcase their skills. The community can also invite past or current players from the club; this gives fans an incentive to participate in the tournaments.
4) Match day Activities
Watching matches alone may sometimes get dull due to which we often end up calling our friends or family members to watch games along with us. A community can tackle the same problem by connecting fans. Match screenings can be scheduled by the community to give its members an experience of watching the match with those who not only share the interest of watching the beautiful game but with those who support the same club as us.
5) Competitive Fun
Many passionate supporters wish to showcase their knowledge about the club. The community in this case can organize different quiz competitions as well as other contests. These can be held at any time, be if during an off season meet or on a match day. The community can also call members of the club for the same which would give the fans to interact with someone who is or at one time was associated with the club. Such activities boost the community’s image and help in the longer run by developing the community.
6) Unique Online Communities
It is important that all members of the community are updated about the club and its activities. The site supports posting of all forms of updates(a text or a video or an image). These updates would be visible to the all the club's fans on the website. The communities can also use these to interact with the fans and help in bringing the fans together. The content and the social media aspects can also be taken care of via this portal and fans can directly connect with the fan community, making communication as a whole, much easier. A 360o solution to community building like Live Chats, Ticketing, Selling Merchandise, Hosting Tournaments and Communications can all be done via The Football Mind portal.
7) Unique Alliances
Communities can have tie-ups with companies that are associated with the club to help its members get discounts and other offers.
Let us assume that Arsenal fans club in a certain city has a supporters group, they can form a tie up with Puma helping them get jerseys and other arsenal merchandise at a lesser price. This would beneficial for both as it entice supporters to be a part of the community and the community would grow in size and develop as well.
Supporters Group or Football Supporter’s Community needs do things the right way and uniquely so as to grow in size as well as develop in terms of quality. Only after doing so, it is possible to provide the members with experiences that they can cherish. We see multiple communities being established and dissolved every day. A supporters group generally makes it easier not only for the fans but for the club as well. Effective communication with members plays a key role in the survival of the community. The fans feel like a part of the club as they provide a sense of belonging that comes from an environment which only these groups can provide. In the long run, a supporters group help in the development of the sport.
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