BILLY BREMNER MEMORIAL JOIN OUR CAMPAIGN
Date: 4th December 2020
We at the SFSA believe that fans are the most important stakeholder within Scottish football. Without you, football is nothing, and so it is vital that we know your thoughts and opinions on how the game is run and have a fair opportunity to have your say. Our organisation is there to offer you a platform to express these views and we will be the ones to ensure they are heard by those at Hampden Park who run our game.
Our members audit was your chance to voice your opinion on several issues and let us know what you would like us to focus on. Below you will find the results to the questions asked in the audit and answered by you, our members. A huge thank you to all who contributed.
Findings
It comes as no surprise to us that over 97% of you are missing the live football experience. This is what football is all about is something we deeply miss. We hope that with the new year comes a return to stadia for more supporters across the country.
63% of those who answered have a season ticket for their club, highlighting the amazing support that we fans provide to our Scottish clubs. Despite Covid, fans have continued to pledge their hard earned money for season ticket renewal, with many refusing refunds to help their club get through this difficult season.
54% of you have stated that you pay to watch live streaming of games, with many stating that this is included with the purchase of your season ticket. £10 to £15 was the most common price range for PPV matches, answered in Q5.
Just under half of you (47%) have subscribed for every match so far with 30% having not watched any matches. This highlights two extremes, with either all or nothing being the most common results. Those with season tickets may be those watching every match with and those who aren’t season ticket holders may not wish to stream the games at all. This highlights the impact Covid has had on many clubs as streaming games may not be appealing to most fans and as a result clubs are nowhere near to hitting similar numbers as a common match day.
55% percent of you said that ALL grounds should allow fans with a modest start and full protocols with a roadmap to build numbers. This highlights the desire to see the game return to all clubs and not have a team miss out due to size. 24% said that clubs with smaller grounds should be given priority, suggesting that there is an understanding that smaller clubs are more dependent on revenue generated through turning turnstiles and are more susceptible to collapse should Covid restrictions continue.
70% of you have said they would return to the same level of games, once fans are again permitted into stadia. This highlights the real desire of fans to return to watching live football in person. 23% said they would either wait for a vaccine or would attend less matches. With a vaccine getting ever closer, hopefully those in this category won’t have long to wait.
Over 82% of you would attend the same level of games as before once a vaccine has been rolled out, with 14% saying they would attend even more games. Again, highlighting the real desire from fans to return to stadia.
90% of you believe that we have no say in how our game is run. With the secrecy of the JRG and lack of involvement opportunity for fans via SPFL/SFA this really isn’t a surprise and reminds us of the importance of having a national association for fans. The stronger we grow together, the greater influence we can have on our game and put greater pressure on those who run our game to do right by fans, implementing more democratic change.
90% of you also believe that fan involvement in the decision-making process would be beneficial to our game and we at the SFSA agree. We are working hard to make progress in this area on your behalf and will continue to voice the opinions of fans until we are fairly represented at the highest level.
There were a wide variety of answers to this question, each as important as the other. Amongst the most common were:
72% of you said you are not involved in a supporters group and 70% of you said you didn’t know if your team’s supporters groups were SFSA members or not.
Transparency is important for all organisations and this is something we will look to address. If your supporters’ group is a member then you should know about it!
Thank you again to those who contributed to the findings and for your continued support as we grow the organisation, your membership is very much appreciated.
(634 responses, collected from 24/10/20 – 14/11/20)
Report presented by Murray Napier, SFSA Project Manager
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