Poll shows football fans’ top wishes for club, including free tickets and youth investment
Football fans have revealed their top priorities if they were to become club owners for a day, according to a poll of 2,000 supporters. The wish list includes reducing ticket prices, investing more in youth academies, and implementing eco-friendly measures such as installing solar panels on stadium roofs.
The survey also found that fans would like to distribute free tickets to those who can’t afford them, impose a cap on player wages, and facilitate more interactions between players and fans.
Chris Houghton, CEO of egg, the company that commissioned the research, said: “We’ve loved hearing what fans would do if they were club owners for a day. Football plays such a big part in many of our lives, so it’s no wonder there is so much passion and inspiring ideas about what would make the nation’s favourite teams even better.”
While owning a football club may be a distant dream for most, the study found that 48% of fans would still like to have more say in how their club is run. Fan-focused advisory boards were suggested as a way to increase supporter involvement, with 78% believing more clubs would benefit from this approach.
Nearly three in ten (28%) respondents believe their club could improve its spending habits, citing player transfers, team kits, and marketing as areas where too much money is invested.
The research reveals that fans are keen to see more investment in local community initiatives (41%), stadium upgrades (34%), and mental health and wellbeing services (33%). A quarter of respondents believe a significant portion of the funds should be allocated to green initiatives.
A whopping eight out of ten fans believe sustainability is crucial in football and should be prioritised by clubs, with 74% admitting they are unaware of any environmental initiatives at their club.
This shift towards valuing eco-friendly policies is mirrored in fan attitudes towards sponsorships, with 47% stating they would be unhappy if their clubs partnered with a fossil fuel company. If clubs insist on investing in fossil fuels, 61% believe these should be offset by doing more for the environment.
Fans also want their favourite teams to address other top eco issues such as energy consumption (44%), recycling (42%), and managing their carbon footprint (38%).
These sentiments were echoed in the changes fans hope to see by 2030, with 22% dreaming of solar-powered stadiums.
While 18% hope for improved recycling facilities, and 16% expect to see players travelling more sustainably within the next five years.
Chris commented: “This data shows that it isn’t just the scores and wins every aspect of the club is important to fans, including sustainability.
“As more and more of us become aware of the issues affecting the environment and take steps to be more eco-conscious, we also want to see this mindset shared by the players and teams we love so much.”
