Using the Internet to strengthen its identity: the case of Spanish football

Abstract

In an era of rapid development in communications, how are football clubs in Spain responding to changing technologies? In what way is football becoming more sophisticated in its communications with fans? Do football clubs exploit the Internet effectively in their communications, and to what extent are clubs' identities reinforced by the official web pages of Spanish football clubs?

The aims of this study are to examine the ways in which Spanish football clubs employ the Internet to communicate with their fans and to analyse the extent to which they use their official websites to reinforce their club identity. Results from this research suggest that while club websites are at differing – and rapidly evolving – stages of development in terms of content, most clubs are struggling to make effective connections between the ‘placeless’ Internet and their club which is usually strongly embedded in its locality.

Notes

 1 The 20 clubs in the Spanish Primera Liga 2006–07 were Atlético de Madrid, Athletic Club de Bilbao, FC Barcelona, Club Gimnastic de Tarragona, RCD Espanyol, RCD Mallorca, Getafe, Levante, Sevilla FC, Real Racing Club de Santander, Real Betis, Real Sociedad, RC Celta de Vigo, RC Deportivo de La Coruña, RC Recreativo de Huelva, Real Madrid, Osasuna, Valencia, Villarreal, Real Zaragoza.

 2 See Brown, Fanatics! and Perryman, The Ingerland Factor.

 3 See Blain, Boyle and O'Donnell, Sport and National Identity in the Media; Wenner, MediaSport; Crolley and Hand, Football, Europe and the Press, and Football and European Identity.

 4 Giulianotti, ‘Sport Spectators’.

 5 Fernando Roig Alonso, Villarreal CF website, http://www.villarrealcf.es/.

 6 OECD, Survey on Information and Communication Technologies Equipment.

 7 Red.es Report , 2007.

 8 OECD, ‘Broadband bubbling’.

 9 OECD, ‘Broadband Statistics’.

10 Red.es Report , 2006; OECD Survey on Information and Communication Technologies Equipment.

11 Jordana et al., ‘Which Internet Policy?’.

12 Jordana et al., ‘Which Internet Policy?’

13 Since 1978 Spain has been divided into politico-administrative units called Comunidades Autónomas. The term is politically neutral and conveniently avoids specifying whether the unit is a ‘region’ or a ‘nation’. Comunidad Autónomas enjoy a level of autonomy from central government.

14 Jones, Virtual Culture.

15 Red.es Report, 2006.

16 OECD, Survey on Information and Communication Technologies Equipment.

17 Red.es Report, 2006.

18 Red.es Report, 2006

19 Atlético de Madrid's award-winning advertisements are available on their website and provide a good example of a strong integrated communications strategy at the club.

20 Clubs such as Athletic de Bilbao, Atlético de Madrid, Barcelona, Celta, Mallorca, Real Madrid, Valencia and Osasuna include information on the club Fundación on their website.

21 These clubs are Atlético de Madrid, Athletic de Bilbao, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Sevilla, Valencia, RCD Espanyol, Villarreal and Mallorca.

22 Sandvoss, ‘Technological Revolution or Revolution?’, 39.

23 ‘A Cor de Galicia’ has been lauded by the local authorities for its role in the promotion of the Galician language, with at least 75% of its content in Gallego.

24 See Crolley and Hand, Football, Europe and the Press and Football and European Identity for analyses of media coverage of football in the Basque Country.

25 See Castillo, ‘Play Fresh, Play Local’, for a detailed analysis of the Basque-only policy of Athletic de Bilbao, and how the Basque-only policy does not imply a pan-Basque identity.

26 Crolley, ‘Real Madrid v Barcelona’.

27 Martínez-Jerez and Martínez de Albornoz, Hala Madrid; Kase and Urritia, ‘The Real Madrid Way’.

28 Football clubs are wise in not embracing the new technology to the exclusion of other media. While the future clearly involves heavy Internet presence for football clubs, clubs should be careful not to exclude traditional media, at least in the short or medium term. According to research carried out by Selwyn, Gorard and Furling in ‘Whose Internet is it Anyway?’, television and radio remain the information technologies upon which most people rely. Some 58% of their sample were non-users of the Internet, though social and demographic profiles of individuals more likely to use the Internet fit those of the average football fan in terms of age, gender and socioeconomic group.

29 Van Riel, The Principles of Corporate Communication; Argenti, Corporate Communications; Cornelissen, Corporate Communications.

30 Whereas at Liverpool Football Club the manager, the players, the Chief Executive and the website will all talk of ‘The Liverpool Way’ and have some shared understanding of what this implies, there is only limited evidence of this in Spain (at Atlético and perhaps FC Barcelona).

31 For example, it is disappointing that there is little on the Athletic de Bilbao website to convey the ‘Basqueness’ of the club or its unique position in nurturing only Basque players. It is surprising too that Betis or Sevilla do not even mention their Andalusian roots.

32 Giulianotti, ‘Sport Spectators’.