English Premier League Football Clubs Research Articles

When jokes aren’t funny: banter and abuse in the everyday work environments of professional football

ABSTRACT Research question As with most professional institutions, English Premier League football clubs offer insightful, unique opportunities to more fully comprehend the cultural significance of banter and abuse within workplace environments. This article offers a new, critical perspective that provides a better understanding of the distinctive, intricate social discourses surrounding banter in the daily lives of professional footballers by answering the research question: What is the cultural significance of banter within the competitive work environments of English Premier League players? Research method Data were collected from 10 male participants (aged 18–30) by means of qualitative semi-structured vignette interviews. Each participant was interviewed on three separate occasions (30 interviews). Results and findings The data and subsequent analysis illustrate how banter is an accepted and legitimised discourse within professional football, but promotes considerable anxiety, stress and unhappiness in work environments. Implication This study provides an original insight into the attitudes professional football players hold towards banter. Contributing to the existing research that has examined forms of abuse within sport, this article aims to better inform the management and development of athlete well-being and player care.

Interchangeability of optical tracking technologies: potential overestimation of the sprint running load demands in the English Premier League

ABSTRACT Purpose The purpose of this study was to assess the agreement between match-derived running load outputs; total distance (TD), high-speed running (HSR) and sprint distance (SPR) obtained by two optical tracking systems. Methods Data were collected from 31 elite footballers from the first team and under-21 squads of an English Premier League (EPL) football club across three competitive matches. One EPL game (game 2) and one under-21 Premier League game (game 3) were played at the team’s home stadium and one EPL game (game 1) at an away venue. All matches were tracked concomitantly using eight colour cameras sampling at 10 Hz (PROZONE®) and six high-definition motion cameras sampling at 25 Hz (TRACAB®). Results TD displayed a perfect (r = 0.99) correlation while HSR and SPR displayed very large (r = 0.81 and r = 0.73) correlations between TRACAB® and PROZONE®. Mean biases were 5% for TD, −3% for HSR and 61% for SPR. Between games, mean biases for TD were 6% for game 1, and 5% for game 2 and game 3. For HSR, 9% for game 1, −5% for game 2 and 6% for game 3 and for SPR, 31% for game 1, 71% for game 2 and 84% for game 3. Conclusion TD and HSR can be interchanged between PROZONE® and TRACAB®, to allow accurate interpretation between the two optical systems. PROZONE® overestimated SPR compared to the TRACAB®, with the magnitude of difference considered meaningful, altering interpretation of historical match outputs, sprint volume trends in the EPL and forecasts of the modern game.

Predictors of time to return to play and re-injury following hamstring injury with and without intramuscular tendon involvement in adult professional footballers: A retrospective cohort study

ObjectivesIn one English Premier League football club over four seasons, 1) describe the number of hamstring strain injuries (HSI) sustained using the British Athletics Muscle Injury Classification (BAMIC); 2) determine if intramuscular tendon HSI influenced the time to return to play (TTRTP) and reinjury rate; 3) determine the predictors of TTRTP and reinjury. DesignRetrospective cohort design. MethodsAll first team players who sustained a HSI between 2014 and 2018 were included. Players underwent an MRI scan that was graded by a Radiologist using the BAMIC (0a-4) criteria. TTRTP, reinjury rate and information on suspected predictors were recorded. ResultsThirty-five HSI experienced by 24 players (age = 26 ± 4 years) were recorded over the 4 seasons. There was a difference in TTRTP between grades 1a and 2c (P = 0.007), but not between 2b and 2c (P = 0.845). Grade of HSI (P ≤ 0.001) and removal of the player (P < 0.001) were predictors of TTRTP, with each increase in grade resulting in an additional 3 days of TTRTP, and being removed, an additional 11 days. Grade and all other predictors did not influence reinjury rate, albeit higher odds were evident for previous HSI, experiencing the HSI during sprinting, passing a ball or stretching, and reported increase days of pain during walking. ConclusionsHSIs extending into the intramuscular tendon (2b cf. 2c) did not influence TTRTP or re-injury, albeit TTRTP was affected by the BAMIC grade and if the player was removed from activity.

Managing organizational reputation in response to a public shaming campaign

Sport has embraced social media, intensifying the (online) coverage of sport organizations and athletes. Until now, the role that social media has played in the renaissance of public shaming in sport has received little attention. To address this gap, the authors present a novel case study of a public, online shaming campaign against an English Premier League football club by one of their own supporters. Data were collected from multiple sources, including online sources and organizational documents that informed both the creation of semi-structured interviews and the development of a process model of public, online shaming. Findings reveal how a supporter query was mishandled by the club. In response, the supporter turned-activist launched a low-scale online shaming campaign about disability discrimination. The campaign escalated in profile to gain national media attention. Within the framework of Online Reputation Management, the authors present the organizational response that sought to bolster the club’s reputation by deploying a series of internal and external responses. The authors conclude that to minimize the potentially negative effects of public shaming in sport, sports organizations should implement specific reputation management practices but ones that monitor online sources for potential issues and crises.

Are football managers as efficient as coaches? Performance analysis with ex ante and ex post inputs in the Premier league

ABSTRACTThere is a controversy on sport performance literature about what type of inputs might explain more deeply the performance of sports clubs (inputs specification controversy). By one side, several papers have analysed sports teams’ performance using the match-related statistics or wages as inputs, well-known as ex post inputs. By other side, some authors have criticized the use of these ex post inputs, and recommend the use of ex ante inputs, as the market value of the players. We have analysed the performance of football teams estimating technical efficiency with three different inputs specification. The methodologies employed were data envelopment analysis (DEA) and a bootstrapped DEA. Our sample is composed by English Premier League football clubs, during three seasons (2012/13–2014/15). The DEA results indicate that the correlation between the three models is positive and significant. The DEA-bootstrapped results help to restate the robustness of the estimations and endorsed the inputs choices. The correlations of the estimations with market value and match-related statistics are the most striking (90% and 94%, DEA and bootstrapped DEA), which indicate that the existent discussion related to the use of match-related statistics as input is unjustified, because it does not affect significantly the efficiency estimations.

Modeling the impact of players' workload on the injury-burden of English Premier League football clubs.

The loss of players through injury is known to affect team performance in many sports; it is important, therefore, for professional teams to be able to quantify the likely injury-burden that will be encountered throughout a season. A kinetic model, based on the rates at which match and training injuries are sustained and resolved, a team's squad size and the 2017/2018 season fixture schedule for teams competing in the English Premier League, is used to produce daily forecasts of injury-burden experienced by a typical team. The incidences and median severities of match (incidence: 26.9 injuries/1000 player-match hours, 95% CI: 21.5-33.7; severity: 17.5days, 95% CI: 13.0-28.0) and training (incidence: 4.3 injuries/1000 player-training hours, 95% CI: 3.4-5.5; severity: 14.0days, 95% CI: 11.0-22.0) injuries were determined using data collected from four English Premier League football clubs during the 2016/2017 season. Time-to-recovery curves for the match and training injuries sustained in the Premier League closely matched the time-to-recovery curves predicted by the kinetic model used in this study. The kinetic model predicted higher match and lower training injury burdens and a higher overall injury burden for successful teams competing in both national and European club competitions compared to teams competing only in national competitions. The model also showed that, in terms of injury-burden, there were no benefits in adopting a 4-week mid-season break during the season: reducing the number of clubs competing in the Premier League would, however, reduce the overall injury burden during a season.

Developing individuals whilst managing teams: perspectives of under 21 coaches within English Premier League football

The aim of this study was to explore under 21 Development coaches’ thoughts, perspectives, and approaches within this phase of development at English Premier League (EPL) football clubs. Data were collected via one-to-one semi-structured interviews with six under 21 development coaches from six different EPL clubs. Data were subjected to thematic analysis. Findings suggested that under 21 development coaches were situated, culturally and sometimes physically, in-between the academy and first team environments, trapped between two distinct cultures. Under 21 coaches also had contrasting views and approaches with regards to the development of under 21 players and the importance of winning at this stage of development. Participants appeared to favour creating environments that can replicate the first team environment to prepare under 21 players for the transition. The study concludes by proposing more support for under 21 development coaches is required from key stakeholders, regarding clarity of the role and players development.

Understanding players' transition from youth to senior professional football environments: A coach perspective

The aim of this study was to explore: (a) sociocultural features of a first team environment perceived to influence a player's progression, (b) the ways in which young players should manage these features and (c) how coaches operate to assist young players during specific phases in the youth-to-senior transition. Semi-structured interviews with eight elite development coaches in English Premier League football clubs generated two higher order categories: fitting in with standards of first team environment (e.g. handling social dynamics in the first team group) and facilitating shared perception of transition across key stakeholders (e.g. communicating with first team staff). Together, these findings indicate the need for young players to navigate between conforming, adapting to and breaking with specific features of the first team environment to successfully progress in the youth-to-senior transition to professional football.

Marketing outsourcing in the English Premier League: the rights holder/agency interface

ABSTRACTResearch question: While marketing outsourcing may offer a clear means for revenue generation and cost efficiency, there is a need to go beyond the outsourcing decision itself to address ‘how’ outsourcing can be managed successfully. Differing to existing studies, this study examines the dynamic nature of marketing outsourcing from the rights holder and agency perspectives in an overlooked setting.Research methods: Qualitative data were generated from semi-structured interviews with marketing managers from 30 English Premier League (EPL) football clubs and with 10 marketing agency account managers. The clubs included in this study had all participated in the EPL, and all 10 marketing agencies interviewed had been contracted at some point in time to these clubs.Results and findings: By capturing both sides of the rights holder/agency interface, this study includes a neglected perspective (i.e. agency) to more accurately examine the principal–agency relationship in marketing outsourcing. The findings add greater nuance to the drivers/motivations and barriers/constraints that are typically cited in sport management and marketing studies, providing a new framework to understand the relationship dynamic and guide successful sport marketing outsourcing initiatives.Implications: Though outsourcing can be an impactful business decision, the success of marketing outsourcing in football is dependent upon the balance of conditions across the rights holder/agency interface. Specifically, while pushing factors may contribute to effective marketing outsourcing, resisting factors undermine the rights holder–agency relationship. However, in nurturing key necessary features both parties can limit resisting factors and emphasise push factors for shared value creation.

The Promotion of Physical Literacy through an “Active Classroom” Environment: A Case Study of the Manchester United Enterprise Foundation

Most people think football clubs such as Manchester United as providers of sports entertainment; however, the workings of English Premier League Football Clubs goes much wider than playing football and developing world class football players. Many clubs now recognise that their Brand identity can provide them with additional revenue opportunities, such as the creation and delivery of educational programmes. Sports science is one obvious area where football clubs, such as “Manchester United”, have become recognised as world class developers of elite athletes through the implementation of their specialist training and coaching techniques. Many of these training techniques are now being developed into programmes e.g. Move with Manchester United and are being delivered across the National Curriculum at both primary and secondary levels. Alongside the development of sports programmes, leading football league clubs have identified other educational areas namely Enterprise and Employability, as opportunities where they can add value through the enhancement of children’s educational experience. In this paper we aim to provide an insight into how a leading premier league football club, namely Manchester United, has developed an educational programme which combines both Enterprise and Physical education through an “active classroom” environment. We aim to demonstrate that a leading football club can successfully develop and implement curricular based programme which develops both elements of Entrepreneurship and Fundamental Motor Skills (FMS). For this pilot study, 22, year 5 pupils aged 9 - 10 were put through a 9 week programme and were assessed against a range of 14 Fundamental Movement Skills comprising Balance, Hopping, Skipping, Jumping, Throw into a Hoop, Balance Bean Bag on Head, Throw and Catch, Bounce and Catch, Bowling, March in Ladders, Jump and Twist, Pass with inside of foot, Stand with one foot on the ball, dribbling. Pupils were assessed on their ability to Master each of the 14 skills before and after the intervention of the programme. Results indicated that through the intervention of the programme, pupils showed a significant improvement in 6 out of the 14 fundamental movement skills. These results indicate that organisations, such as leading football clubs, can play a pivotal role in the development and delivery of the educational programmes such as that described in the case study. This could be of potential value to educational policy makers when deciding on how to best allocate resources into both primary and secondary education.

A Holistic Performance Assessment of English Premier League Football Clubs 1992–2013

This paper devises and tests a statistical model (the PAM) to measure the financial and sporting performance of professional football clubs. The PAM has been applied to a longitudinal data set of English football clubs (21 clubs between 1992-2013) to identify trends in performance. The results show that a small number of clubs have created an imbalance within English football and that there has been evidence of a 'financial crisis' at individual clubs. For the majority of clubs, overall performance appears to vary over time in cycles. In addition to measuring holistic performance of professional football clubs in England, the paper has developed a statistically robust model that progresses research in the field. This new model has the potential to be adapted to fit other professional team sports to test league viability. It can also be used by the clubs themselves to set objectives and to analyse performance against competitors.

The challenge and impact of engaging hard-to-reach populations in regular physical activity and health behaviours: an examination of an English Premier League ‘Football in the Community’ men's health programme

ObjectivesTo investigate the challenges that men from hard-to-reach (HTR) populations encounter when attempting to commit to regular participation in physical activity and health behaviours, and to explore the psychological and social effects of participation in a twelve week football-led health improvement intervention. Study designA twelve week football specific physical activity intervention targeting men from HTR populations was delivered by Everton Football Clubs' Football in the Community (FitC) scheme as part of a national programme of men's health delivered in/by English Premier League (EPL) football clubs. Men living in homeless shelters and/or recovering from substance misuse were recruited over a period of three months. The programme consisted of a two hour football session, twice weekly, alongside the dissemination of healthy living messages. Football sessions were conducted by a qualified FitC coach. MethodsThis research was conducted during a twelve week period of immersed practitioner-research. Ethnographic and observational methodologies were adopted. Psychosocial issues were discussed with participants through informal client–researcher interactions and data were logged via field notes. Records of attendance were logged. Participants who failed to attend a session were contacted and their reason(s) for non-attendance were recorded. Data were analysed using deductive and inductive reasoning. ResultsDespite the apparent ambition of the participants to regularly participate in the FitC programme, adherence to the programme was poor. Economic, environmental and social barriers to engagement in the programme were apparent. Engagement in the programme resulted in positive psychosocial developments; the development of structure, social interaction and social capital. ConclusionCommunity based football-led health improvement programmes endorsed by professional football clubs appear well positioned to connect with, and attract, men from HTR populations. The evidence suggests that such programmes can improve psychosocial health amongst these populations. However, a bottom-up programme design and management strategy is required in order to reduce the challenges facing HTR participants when attempting to regularly engage in physical activity and health behaviours.

Supporting lifestyle risk reduction: promoting men’s health through professional football

For men, unhealthy lifestyle behaviours including physical inactivity, a poor diet, smoking and excess alcohol represent major, modifiable causes of non-communicable disease worldwide. Innovative approaches that seek to overcome the barriers that men experience when attempting to deploy more self-care to manage these behaviours are required. This study assessed the outcomes of a 12-week men’s health promotion intervention delivered in and by professional football clubs. Data comprised self-reports from 1667 men aged 18–75 years from 16 English Premier League and Championship football clubs. A multinomial logistic regression model estimated the probability of self-reporting a number of baseline lifestyle risk factors compared to a reference group with none. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests assessed differences in lifestyle risk profiles. Over 85% of participants presented with multiple risk factors. Men aged ≥35 years were least likely to present all four risk factors (OR: 0.45, 95% CI: 0.23–0.88), whereas unemployed men (OR: 3.64, 95% CI: 1.78–7.51) and those with no social support network (OR: 5.10, 95% CI: 2.44–10.50) were most likely to self-report all four lifestyle risks. The prevalence of risk factors was significantly reduced post-intervention (z = −7.488, p < 0.001, r = −0.13), indicating a positive effect, and potential public health significance. Findings show that men can respond positively to behaviourally-focused interventions delivered in familiar and local settings, like professional football clubs.

Effectiveness of a community football programme on improving physiological markers of health in a hard-to-reach male population: the role of exercise intensity

The present study evaluated the effectiveness of participation in recreational football during a community health programme, on physiological markers of health within a hard to reach population. Nine men (Age: 33 ± 9 years, Mass: 75.4 ± 13.7 kg, Height: 1.74 ± 0.07 m and Body Fat: 19 ± 2%) were recruited to participate in the study in collaboration with an English Premier League Football Club. Participants completed the 12-week football-based programme which included two coached football sessions each week. Physiological tests for blood pressure, resting heart rate, cholesterol and an anthropometrical test for body composition were completed at three time points during the study (Weeks – 1, 6 and 12) in an attempt to evaluate the impact of the intervention on health. During each training session, measurements of intensity (%HRmax, identified from the yoyo intermittent level 1 test), duration and rating of perceived exertion were made. The 12-week programme (mean HRmax throughout programme = 75 ± 4% beats min−1; mean RPE throughout programme = 6 ± 1) elicited few changes in physiological markers of health with the only significant change been a decrease in resting heart rate from weeks 6 to 12 (87 ± 22 beats min−1 at week-6, to 72 ± 17 beats min−1; p < 0.05). These data would suggest that the current community football-related health project was not effective in improving physiological markers of health, but was able to maintain their level of health. A lack of improvement may be due to the low intensity of sessions and a lack of coach education for the promotion of sessions that aim to improve health.

‘I just want to watch the match’: a practitioner’s reflective account of men’s health themed match day events at an English Premier League football club

This study reflects on the effectiveness and delivery of a series of health themed match day events at an English Premier League Football Club which aimed to create awareness and motivate men to adopt recommended health behaviours. A range of marketing techniques and activities were adopted within a targeted space and time to increase men’s exposure to health information. The first author adopted a practitioner-cum-researcher role and was immersed in the planning and delivery of the events utilising the principles of ethnography. Data were predominately collated through observations and personal reflections logged via autobiographical field notes. Data were analysed through abductive reasoning. In general, men were reluctant to engage in health-related behaviours on match days. However, subtle, non-invasive approaches were deemed successful. Positive outcomes and case studies from the latter techniques are presented and suggestions for effective strategies that will better engage men in health information and behaviours are made.

Fit Fans: perspectives of a practitioner and understanding participant health needs within a health promotion programme for older men delivered within an English Premier League Football Club

Fit Fans was a men’s health promotion intervention delivered within an English Premier League Football Club (2010–2011), which aimed to support the local community dwelling older men in lifestyle promotion (physical activity [PA], diet and well-being). The purpose of this study was to provide a reflexive account of a practitioner and the needs of participants. Seven men (mean age 58 years) attended weekly PA and lifestyle sessions over an eight-month period. Baseline physiological measurements included body mass index, resting blood pressure and abdominal girth. Principles of ethnography and observational research (i.e. field notes, reflective diary) were adopted by the practitioner. Unexpectedly, the cohort exhibited a range of serious diagnosed illnesses that challenged the practitioner’s skill base and experience in the delivery of the intervention. Reflections of the practitioner and the stories of the progression that participants made add insight to future football in the community programmes.

Ethnographic engagement from within a Football in the Community programme at an English Premier League football club

The present paper draws upon six years of applied practitioner research experience of the authors who were based within a Football in the Community (FitC) programme at an English Premier League football club in a deprived community in the UK. The paper explores the critical emergent issues concerned with participant recruitment, engagement and retention within a range of FitC physical activity, health improvement interventions with the following populations; primary school children, families, men aged 18–35 years and men aged 55 years and above. Results are drawn from a range of ethnographic, reflective and observational data collection and analysis techniques undertaken by the authors. A first person writing style is used alongside creative non-fiction vignettes. Results relating to the effectiveness of a range of behaviour and lifestyle change interventions are discussed. The authors conclude with a series of proposed operational and strategic ways forward for FitC schemes.

Frequency and trends in foot and ankle injuries within an English Premier League Football Club using a new impact factor of injury to identify a focus for injury prevention.

Foot and ankle injuries are common in football. Prevention strategies exist in order to decrease the incidence of such injuries and minimize the number of days that a player is unavailable for selection. Injuries were recorded over a 4-season period while the team was playing in the English Premier League (EPL). We present the epidemiology of foot and ankle injuries within a professional football club and offer a calculation that may be of use in the future to identify areas of injury prevention. Anterior Talo-Fibular Ligament (ATFL) injuries and fifth metatarsal fractures were of high impact as they were both common and resulted in significant time periods where the player was unavailable. This is the first time an EPL club has been prepared to publish data regarding injury. Our findings may be used by others to focus their prevention strategies on the injuries with the highest impact.

Health improvement for men and hard-to-engage-men delivered in English Premier League football clubs

Unhealthy behaviours represent modifiable causes of non-communicable disease. In men, concern focuses on those (i) demonstrating the poorest health, exacerbated by a lack of awareness of the risks that their lifestyles pose and (ii) who neither consult their doctor nor use health services. Classed as 'hard-to-engage', distinctive strategies are needed to reach these men. Impact and process evaluations assessed the effect of a programme of men's health-delivered in/by English Premier League football clubs. Men attended match-day events and/or weekly classes involving physical activity and health education. Validated self-report measures for demographics and lifestyle behaviours were completed pre- and post-intervention. Intention-to-treat analysis was performed on pre-versus-post-intervention differences in lifestyle profiles, whereas interviews (n = 57) provided men's accounts of programme experience. Participants were predominantly white British (70.4%/n = 2669), 18-44 (80.2%/n = 3032) and employed (60.7%/n = 1907). One-third (n = 860) 'never' visited their doctor. Over 85% (n = 1428) presented with combinations of lifestyle risk factors. Intention-to-treat analysis showed improvements (P < 0.001) in lifestyle profiles. Interviews confirmed recruitment of men who were hard-to-engage and unhealthy. Men were attracted through football and/or the clubs, whereas specific design factors impacted on participation. Limitations include use of self-reports, narrow demographics, small effect sizes, lack of follow-up and the absence of non-completers in interviews.

‘Black and whiters’: the relative powerlessness of ‘active’ supporter organization mobility at English Premier League football clubs

This article examines the reaction by Newcastle United supporters to the resignation of Kevin Keegan as Newcastle United manager in September 2008. Unhappy at the ownership and management structure of the club following Keegan’s departure, a series of supporter-led meetings took place that led to the creation of Newcastle United Supporters’ Club and Newcastle United Supporters’ Trust. This article draws on a non-participant observation of these meetings and argues that although there are an increasing number of ‘active’ supporters throughout English football, ultimately it is the significant number of ‘passive’ supporters who hamper the inclusion of supporters’ organizations at higher level clubs. The article concludes by suggesting that clubs, irrespective of wealth and success, need to recognize the long-term value of supporters. Failure to do so can result in fan alienation and ultimately decline (as seen with the recent cases of Coventry City and Portsmouth).