Transnational football fandom in Hong Kong: attitudes towards commercialization and local supporters

Abstract

ABSTRACT Although Asia is an important market for elite European men’s professional football clubs, scholarly attention about transnational supporters from Asia is limited. Based on qualitative interviews and an online survey with Hong Kong-based fans of European clubs, this study shows that the research participants do not regard themselves as less authentic supporters than local fans. However, a hierarchy of fans exists in their imagination since they regard the perceived loyalty to the club and associated practices of local fans should be emulated. While the Hong Kong-based transnational fans may want to become like the local supporters, being beneficiaries of the globalization of the game and the different immediate social networks they are embedded in help explain why they are less critical of the commercialization of the game than the local supporters and their different understandings or feelings of rivalry. The findings can also contribute to debates concerning cultural globalization.