English Premier League Football Research Articles

The Roar of the Crowd: How Interaction Ritual Chains Create Social Atmospheres

Atmospheres are experiences of place involving transformations of consumers’ behaviors and emotions. Existing marketing research reveals how atmospheric stimuli, service performances, and ritual place-making enhance place experiences and create value for firms. Yet it remains unclear how shared experiences of atmosphere emerge and intensify among groups of people during collective live events. Accordingly, this article uses sociological interaction ritual theory to conceptualize “social atmospheres”: rapidly changing qualities of place created when a shared focus aligns consumers’ emotions and behavior, resulting in lively expressions of collective effervescence. With data from an ethnography of an English Premier League football stadium, the authors identify a four-stage process of creating atmospheres in interaction ritual chains. This framework goes beyond conventional retail and servicescape design by demonstrating that social atmospheres are mobile and cocreated between firms and consumers before, during, and after a main event. The study also reveals how interaction rituals can be disrupted and offers insight as to how firms can balance key tensions in creating social atmospheres as a means to enhance customer experiences, customer loyalty, and communal place attachments.

No Fans, No Home Advantage?

For much of the Covid-19 pandemic so far, English Premier League football has been played behind closed doors, without fans in the stands. Alan Jackson considers what effect this may have had on so-called "home advantage".

Analisis Akurasi Model Altman Modifikasi (Z”-Score), Zmijewski, Ohlson, Springate dan Grover Untuk Memprediksi Financial Distress Klub Sepak Bola

This study aims to find an accurate financial difficulty prediction model in English Premier League football, and also to compare with previous research so as to obtain the results of a financial difficulty prediction model that can be used for all football clubs. The way to determine the sample to be examined is using purposive sampling technique with a population of 49 English premier league clubs from 1992-2018, so that the number of samples obtained is 37 samples and then grouped in the categories of financial distress and nonfinancial distress. The method for analyzing data uses the model's accuracy test by comparing the model's prediction results with financial distress and nonfinancial distress sample categories and considering the results of the type 1 and type 2 error levels of each model. Error level 1 results from the sum of prediction errors that are actually financial distress but the results of the prediction of the nonfinancial distress model and vice versa. The results show that the model that has the highest level of accuracy for predicting financial distress in English premier league soccer clubs is the Zmijewski model with an accuracy rate of 72%.
 Keywords: Financial Distress, Football Club, Accuracy Test, Error Rate

The Role of Administrative Creativity in the Functioning of the Administration of Sports Clubs for Football in Iraq from the Point of View of Players of Excellent Clubs

Management scholars unanimously agree that club administrations live in different conditions to renew their needs and the surrounding conditions, which makes their need for administrative creativity extremely important, so club managers must be keen to develop and develop their capabilities to contribute to solving problems and participate in decision-making that gives them the opportunity to generate ideas New creativity, and the most prominent thing that sports clubs do is their participation in sports forums in order to achieve various goals, and that sports vision has risen in many Arab and international countries. To high levels due to its use of a lot of knowledge and scientific information in various fields with the aim of improving the level of administrative performance now and friendly, and this shows us the importance of the role of managing the phenomenon of administrative creativity and the extent of its impact on the performance of the work of these departments in the clubs, which makes it imperative for the club’s departments to be distinguished by fertility of thinking Creative and increase activities for excellence in administrative work. Therefore, administrative creativity is one of the basic decisions in managing the club's business. The researcher used the descriptive approach of the stereotyped survey because it is more appropriate to the nature of the problem, so the sample method was chosen (intentional) and the research sample consisting of (579) players was chosen for sports clubs participating in the English Premier League football. Season 2020–2021 100% for the research community, the sample was distributed as follows: First: The exploratory research sample, which included (20), players from the research community. Second: The final application sample included (362) players from the research community. The researcher presented the results of the measure of the role of managerial creativity in the performance of administrations of soccer sports clubs in Iraq from the viewpoint of players of excellent clubs.

Examining attitudes towards homosexuality among young, athletic BME men in the UK

This article examines the influence of ethnicity on sporting men’s attitudes towards homosexuality. We employed Herek’s Attitudes Towards Lesbians and Gay Men, Revised Version (ATLG-R) scale to collect data with British undergraduate sports students, as well as interview data with the players of an English Premier League (EPL) football academy, to show that black and minority ethnic (BME) men espouse more conservative attitudes towards homosexuality than their White counterparts. This, we theorize, is attributable to multiple factors, such as socialization into a fundamentalist version of Christianity by family, and the influence of immigration from countries where attitudes towards homosexuality remain more conservative in comparison to the UK. In documenting these findings, this research is consistent with other studies which document higher rates of intolerance among groups of BME men.

Managing the return to sport of the elite footballer following semimembranosus reconstruction

Hamstring strains are the most common injury in elite football and typically occur during high-speed running. Despite its important contribution to power production in the late swing phase, injury to...

The Covid-19 Pandemic and the social life of English Premier League Football Fandom in Eldoret, Kenya

ABSTRACT English Premier League Football Fandom (hereafter referred to EPLFF) has infiltrated the everyday life of the ordinary people in Eldoret, working its way into the communal and commercial aspects of life here. Studies have shown that this trend is popular in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa as well. In this study we argue that this essentially global cultural form has been affected by the Covid-19 Virus Pandemic in ways that resonate with its social function and that this varies from one locality to another. Using data from a long-term ethnographic study of EPLFF and sociological introspection on lived experience here in Eldoret, the authors revisit the normally active sites of EPLFF-dominant social sites to capture and reflect on the social function of this popular cultural practice that is now changed because of the social impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic.

DEEP MULTILAYER NEURAL NETWORK FOR PREDICTING THE WINNER OF FOOTBALL MATCHES

In this work, we draw attention to prediction of football (soccer) match winner. We propose the deep multilayer neural network based on elastic net regularization that predicts the winner of the English Premier League football matches. Our main interest is to predict the match result (win, loss or draw). In our experimental study, we prove that using open access limited data such as team shots, shots on target, yellow and red cards, etc. the system has a good prediction accuracy and profitability. The proposed approach should be considered as a basis of Oracle engine for predicting the match outcomes.

DEEP MULTILAYER NEURAL NETWORK FOR PREDICTING THE WINNER OF FOOTBALL MATCHES

In this work, we draw attention to prediction of football (soccer) match winner. We propose the deep multilayer neural network based on elastic net regularization that predicts the winner of the English Premier League football matches. Our main interest is to predict the match result (win, loss or draw). In our experimental study, we prove that using open access limited data such as team shots, shots on target, yellow and red cards, etc. the system has a good prediction accuracy and profitability. The proposed approach should be considered as a basis of Oracle engine for predicting the match outcomes.

Brand capabilities in English Premier League clubs

ABSTRACTResearch question: While brand management has attracted considerable academic attention over the past three decades, the brand capabilities within sport organisations, as well as their corresponding brand processes and brand managers’ perceptions, can be still considered unchartered territory, despite their key role in the wider brand management process. Differing to existing studies, this research focuses on English Premier League (EPL) clubs in an attempt to uncover the current brand capabilities landscape, by investigating practitioners’ views and brand guidance, training, updates and control processes in practice.Research methods: Qualitative data were generated from semi-structured interviews with marketing managers from 30 EPL football clubs, conducted in two phases with each club, in order for the progress in brand capabilities to be also studied.Results and findings: By capturing the brand processes and practitioners’ perceptions, the existence of diverse views and systems is outlined, indicating that the brand capabilities landscape of the EPL consists of three broad categories; the advanced, the antithetic and the atypical brand. Each is linked to different brand processes and perceptions. The perceptions and practices uncovered reveal the existence of brand misconceptions among the clubs, while highlighting the slow pace of, challenges and resistance to, change in the existing practices.Implications: Outlining the current brand capabilities landscape of the EPL clubs in this study allows for a non-pre-prescribed view of brand processes and perceptions in practice, while illustrating the potentially unanticipated forms that brand capabilities can take in the context of sport.

A case study assessing possession regain patterns in English Premier League Football

ABSTRACTRecent years have seen significant attention awarded to possession regains in football. This case study examines possession regain patterns of an elite English Premier League team across three seasons from the 2015–16 season to the 2017–18 season (n = 106). A series of regressions are conducted in order to determine: what impact possession regains had on attacking performance, which players were most productive with possession post regains and which other factors influenced the number of successful possession regains by the subject team. Results revealed that possession regains in the opponent’s half were highly significant and had a positive impact upon attacking performance (p = 0.006). Possession regains that occurred on the left-hand side of the playing field led to more productivity in front of goal (p = 0.028). The quality of the opponent was also revealed to have a significant impact upon the number of possession regains (p = 0.025). It is concluded that possession regains high up the playing field are crucial to the subject team’s attacking success. Furthermore, players performing on the left side of the playing field were more productive with possession regains than those playing centrally or on the right.

The Attacking Process in Football: A Taxonomy for Classifying How Teams Create Goal Scoring Opportunities Using a Case Study of Crystal Palace FC.

PurposeWhilst some studies have comprehensively described the different features associated with the attacking process in football they have not produced a methodology of practical use for performance enhancement. This study presents a framework of comprehensive and meaningful metrics to objectively describe the attacking process so that useful performance profiles can be produced.MethodsThe attacking process was categorized into three independent situations, no advantage (stable), advantage, and unstable (potential goal scoring opportunity) situations. Operational definitions for each situation enhanced their reliability and validity. English Premier League football matches (n = 38) played by Crystal Palace Football Club in the 2017/2018 season were analyzed as an exemplar.ResultsCrystal Palace FC created a median of 53.5 advantage situations (IQR = 16.8) and 23 unstable situations (IQR = 8.8) per match. They frequently utilized wide areas (Median = 21.5, IQR = 9.8) to progress, but only 26.6% resulted in unstable situations (Median = 6.0, IQR = 3.8), the lowest rate compared to the other advantage situations.ConclusionThis classification framework, when used with contextual factors in a multi-factorial manner, including individual player contributions, will provide practically useful information for applied practice. This approach will help close the so called theory-practice gap and enable academic rigor to inform practical problems.

Safeguarding, Chaplaincy and English Professional Football

In recent years, English professional football has been rocked by allegations of historical sexual abuse and safeguarding concerns around young players. This paper examines the potential contribution that sports chaplains can make to the specific welfare needs of elite youth footballers within the wider context of safeguarding practices and protocols. Comprising a small-scale, sociological study involving welfare personnel at English Premier League and English Football League Championship clubs, the paper identifies the scope and potential of sports chaplaincy in relation to the practical outworking of safeguarding policy. Findings reveal that elite youth footballers face a number of pressures specific to the highly competitive environment in which they work and that various safeguarding issues routinely arise amidst these pressures. The paper concludes by suggesting that sports chaplains are ideally placed to provide safeguarding and wider welfare support to young players as a consequence of their independence from team management structures and their prioritization of holistic care above performance-related issues.

Acceptability of HIV testing for men attending televised football venues in Uganda

BackgroundWorldwide, HIV remains a major public health challenge, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Literature indicates that men’s involvement in HIV testing, care, and treatment services is lower compared to women, therefore novel approaches are required to engage men in the cascade of HIV care. This study aimed to explore men’s perception on the provision of HIV testing services in venues where English Premier League football games are televised.MethodsAn exploratory qualitative study was conducted between February and May 2018. Six focus group discussions were conducted with 50 conveniently selected men aged 18 years and older using a pre-tested discussion guide. All focus group discussions were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically.ResultsOverall, HIV testing at venues telecasting English Premier League football games was acceptable to men. There was a very strong preference for health workers providing testing and counseling services be external or unknown in the local community. Possible motivators for testing services provided in these settings include subsidizing or eliminating entrance fee to venues telecasting games, integrating testing and counseling with health promotion or screening for other diseases, use of local football games as mobilization tools and use of expert clients as role models.ConclusionsThis study suggests that HIV testing services at venues where EPL football games are televised is generally acceptable to men. In implementing such services, consideration should be given to preferences for external or unknown health workers and the motivating factors contributing to the use of these services. Given that HIV testing is currently not conducted in these settings, further research should be conducted to evaluate the feasibility of this approach as a means of enhancing HIV testing among Ugandan men.

A Content Analysis of Gambling Operators\u2019 Twitter Accounts at the Start of the English Premier League Football Season

The use of social media is now an established strategy to engage and maintain customer loyalty. The purpose of the present study was to examine the Twitter accounts of ten of the largest online sports betting operators in the UK to determine what marketing strategies were employed. More specifically, this study analyzed 3375 tweets posted by the operators during the opening weekend of the 2018–2019 English Premier League football season using a content analysis methodology. The results demonstrated that multiple strategies, including hashtags, were used to link gambling operator tweets with major sporting events, and the use of numerous promotional campaigns. Notably, over 90% of the tweets contained no responsible gambling information. The quantity and content of social media posts underline the need for a review of the current advertising regulations in the UK. Further research should examine how exposure to sports betting social media marketing influences gambling behavior.

Analysis of time-wasting in English Premier League football matches: Evidence for unethical behavior in final minutes of close contests

Football is an important field of human endeavor that has the potential to project behavior into other spheres of life. Due to its competitive nature, football offers a platform for the employment of a variety of unethical behaviors. Although deliberate time-wasting is against the rules, it is rarely, if ever, enforced by the referees. Such conditions create an environment in which individuals receive huge incentives to act dishonestly while facing minimal risks and costs. By analyzing the amount of time passed from the action that caused the ball to go out of play until the action that sent the ball back into play during all the matches of the 2014–15 season of the English Premier League, we were able to assess the extent of time-wasting. Results showed that leading teams during the final minutes of matches when scores were close spent almost twice more time tacking goal-kicks and free-kicks after offside, they were also significantly slower (p < 0.01) at taking throw-ins and free-kicks after foul.

Determining unstable game states to aid the identification of perturbations in football

ABSTRACTAlternative approaches to the reductionist method for analysing football are needed to better understand factors typically not considered, for example off the ball runs by teammates. The dynamical systems approach, where the complex relationships between players is emphasised, predicts that goal scoring opportunities are preceded by instability in the balance between the two teams’ behaviours. The aim was to create operational definitions for determining unstable game states to facilitate the identification of perturbations, that is the causes of instability. Validity tests involving four English Premier League (EPL) football coaches and two performance analysts and subsequent reliability tests established five unstable game states; penalty box possession, counter attack, ratio of attacking to defending players, successful cross and successful shot. Eighteen EPL matches were analysed to present exemplar statistics for three teams of different standard (based on final league position) suggesting that teams create unstable situations differently, likely due to individual player characteristics, with home advantage and opposition strength effects, suggesting this may be a component of what constitutes a performance indicator for a team. Future studies need to consider individual player actions that create instability as well as provide objective measures that substantiate findings.

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.

Spikes in acute:chronic workload ratio (ACWR) associated with a 5–7 times greater injury rate in English Premier League football players: a comprehensive 3-year study

ObjectivesWe examined the relation between global positioning system (GPS)-derived workloads and injury in English Premier League football players (n=33) over three seasons.MethodsWorkload and injury data were collected over three consecutive...

How Performance Feedback Affects Acquisitions: Evidence from the English Football Premier League

Why do some firms acquire resources with greater intensity than others? When do firms acquire higher quality resources or resources from more distant locations? Drawing on the behavioral theory of ...