Since the inception of the Football Association 154 years ago, the landscape of the beautiful game has changed remarkably. The game has grown, evolved and adapted to the needs of its ever-growing audience. Here at ticketgum.com, we investigated the most prolific ways in which football has changed over the years, and the general direction football is heading towards.
The survey
We wanted to go a step further and speak to older fans of the game, and their perceptions of how the game has changed over time and to discover whether they prefer the heydays of pre-premier league football. The survey was conducted among 486 self-confessed football fans aged 35–65.
The Premier League – quality, cost and standards
The Premier League, which was founded in 1992, was by far the most significant change to the game. It was set up due to the breakaway of Football League First Division from the Football League in order to take advantage of lucrative television deals that were being offered. Since then, it has grown into the most watched sports league in the world, broadcasting to 212 territories and earning 2.2 billion in domestic and international television rights.
Credit: Lee Davy/ Flickr.com
Changing face of the audience
Football was once a sport whose audience was primarily working-class men. Today it has a wider reach, with fans of all ages, social-classes and ethnicities.
Traditionally a masculine, no-go area for women, today there are more women in Britain than ever before watching the game, at 7.7 million (A third of all UK fans).
More parents bring their children to attend football games too as it has become a safer environment, and going to watch the football has become a more common pursuit for the whole family.
It has been argued that the high cost of football tickets and season tickets has resulted in a more middle-class audience attending a game. Football stadiums used to be run-down. Today, they are vast, with 90,000 capacity stadiums, holding multiple bars, food stands and luxury restaurants, where regulars can be granted expensive memberships, entitling them to access more facilities.
Of those surveyed, these were the results regarding their perception of change towards football.
- 74% think there are more female spectators today than in the past.
- 66% think football has increased in popularity.
- 70% believe football today has a wider appeal.
- 38% believe football has become more ‘middle-class’.
Credit: Pavel L Photo and Video/ Shutterstock
Changes to safety
The Hillsborough disaster of 1989 was a tragedy that caused the death of 96 football fans who were crushed in the crowded stands. This rightly saw the way stadiums were filled change forever.
Standing terraces at stadiums are no longer allowed – instead venues are entirely seated, allowing venues to easily account for numbers, whilst separating fans in different areas of the stadium.
Whilst football violence has not been eradicated, during the game at least it has plummeted rapidly, with 86% of those surveyed believing it has declined.
With these huge capacity stadiums, venues are aware that security has to be tight – bags are checked, certain items are banned and games have a strong presence of police and security personnel.
- 82% believe there is less violence during matches.
- 59% would take their children to a football game.
- 75% think football is safer in general for spectators.
HansBruckmann / Pixabay – Creative Commons
Changes in player expectations
The average football pitch today is 105 metres by 68 metres, but in the past they were smaller. Players are now required to run longer distances in a shorter amount of time; therefore, needing more stamina and higher fitness levels.
Buying and selling football players is big business today, with Neymar’s recent transfer to Paris-Saint-Germain in a world record transfer fee of £198 million, resulting in much press attention and controversy. His transfer and the price he was bought for has become a major talking point for football fanatics and even those with limited interest.
The competitive nature of football teams wanting the best players has driven up playing standards.
- 40% believe football has become too money oriented.
- 31% think it has become too expensive to attend a game.
- 90% believe the quality of play has improved.
Credit: Eugene Onischenko/ Shutterstock
19% preferred football in the past.
Nick, 63, Reading
“I’ve been a football fan since I was a boy, I used to go to the stadium with my Dad and watch football matches. Football was a different sport back then, it wasn’t flashy like it is nowadays; it was just your regular working man’s sport.
To be honest, I feel like it has lost its spirit a bit. Most players you’d see on the field lived locally; you knew them and not from the papers. Today it’s all money, celebrities and private jets.
Stadiums don’t have the same atmosphere as when we had the terraces. Now I know they weren’t safe, but they were exciting, there was a thrill in spectating that you don’t get today.”
However, the majority (74%) believe football has changed for the better.
Karen, 59, East Sussex
“I think football has become more exciting and today has a wider appeal. As a woman, I don’t feel unsafe attending games like I would’ve done when I was younger, I wish I could’ve gone then but it was a male domain.
The standard of play has become much greater and football is the most exciting sport of present day. It has become more expensive to go to, but you’re paying for a quality stadium and quality play, so I don’t mind. The game needed to adapt and move on with the times and the Premier League gave it the boost it needed in my opinion.”
62% feel positive about the future of football.
