More decision-aid technology in sport? An analysis of football supporters’ perceptions on goal-line technology

Abstract

The introduction of decision-aid technology in sport, such as goal-line technology (GLT) in football, has generated minimal literature on supporters’ perspectives. This paper aims to investigate Scottish football supporters’ perceptions towards GLT. Two hundred and seventy Scottish supporters completed a questionnaire to assess their satisfaction with GLT and factors that influence their level of satisfaction. The majority of Scottish supporters trust the technology applied in football and favours its use. However, they are dissatisfied with GLT in part because GLT is considered to detract from the atmosphere resulting from contentious goals which supporters appreciate and lessen the debate around crucial decisions. Findings also showed that football supporters are against GLT viewing in the stadium and do not welcome future decision-aid technology in football.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Stephen Morrow for his assistance in writing this article.

Notes

1. Collins and Evans, Public Understanding of Technology, 135.

2. Bal and Dureja, Hawk Eye, 107; Collins, Philosophy of Umpiring, 135; Collins and Evans, Public Understanding of Technology, 135; Li, Lin, and Zhang, Hawkeye and Football Development, 44; Nlandu, Goal-line Technology in Soccer, 451; Royce, Refereeing and Technology–Reflections, 53; Ryall, Arguments against Goal-line Technology, 439.

3. Surujlal and Jordaan, ‘Referees and Technology in Soccer’, 245.

4. Collins and Evans, 2008, Public Understanding of Technology, 135.

5. Blatter, ‘FIFA’s Position on Technology’, https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1819534/FIFA.com%20-%20%20FIFA%E2%80%99s%20position%20on%20technology%20in%20football%20.htm (accessed January 7, 2014).

6. Ibid.

7. BBC Sport, ‘Blatter on Disallowed Goal’, http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2010/8771294.stm (accessed October 21, 2013).

8. FIFA, ‘IFAB on Goal-line Technology’, http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/organisation/ifab/media/news/newsid=1320761/ (accessed May 22, 2015).

9. FIFA, ‘Goal-line Technology’, http://quality.fifa.com/en/Goal-Line-Technology/ (accessed May 22, 2015).

10. BBC Sport, ‘Confederations Cup’, http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22921076 (accessed October 21, 2013).

11. FIFA, ‘Goal-line Technology’, http://quality.fifa.com/en/Goal-Line-Technology/ (accessed May 22, 2015).

12. FIFA, ‘IFAB on Goal-line Technology’, http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/organisation/ifab/media/news/newsid=1320761/ (accessed May 22, 2015).

13. Blatter, ‘FIFA’s Position on Technology’, https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1819534/FIFA.com%20-%20%20FIFA%E2%80%99s%20position%20on%20technology%20in%20football%20.htm (accessed January 7, 2014).

14. Hunt, Bristol, and Bashaw, Classifying Sports Fans, 439.

15. Hogg, ‘Social Identity Theory’, 555; Turner, ‘Redefinition of the Social Group’, 15.

16. Albert, Ashforth, and Dutton, Organizational Identity and Identification, 13.

17. Haynes, ‘The Football Imagination; Potter and Keene’, Sports Fan Identification, 348.

18. Haynes, ‘The Football Imagination’.

19. Hunt, Bristol, and Bashaw, Classifying Sports Fans, 439.

20. Ibid.

21. Vallerand et al., Passion and Sports Fans, 1279.

22. Giulianotti, Taxonomy of Spectator Identities, 25.

23. Giulianotti, Taxonomy of Spectator Identities, 25; Hunt, Bristol, and Bashaw, Classifying Sports Fans, 439; Vallerand et al., Passion and Sports Fans, 1279.

24. Giulianotti, Taxonomy of Spectator Identities, 25.

25. Brickson, Identity Orientation, 82; Leeuwen, Quick, and Daniel, Sport Spectator Satisfaction Model, 99; Scott and Lane, Organizational Identity, 43.

26. Trail and James, Sport Consumption Motivation Scale, 241.

27. Wann and Branscombe, Sports Fans, 1.

28. Fink and Parker, Spectator Motives, 210; Hoye and Lillis, Travel Motivations of Fans, 13; Woo et al., Motives Among Football Spectators, 38.

29. Gayton, Coffin, and Hearns, Sports Spectator Identification Scale, 1137; Jones, Football Fandom, 123.

30. See Norris, Wann, and Zapalac, Sport Fan Maximizing, 157; Parry, Jones, and Wann, Sport Fandom, 251.

31. Wann and Branscombe, Sports Fans, 1.

32. Gayton, Coffin, and Hearns, Sports Spectator Identification Scale, 1137; Jones, Football Fandom, 123.

33. Hogg, ‘Social Identity Theory’, 555; Turner, ‘Redefinition of the Social Group’, 15.

34. McCollough, Berry, and Yadav, Customer Satisfaction, 121; Patterson, Expectations and Product Performance, 449.

35. Leeuwen, Quick, and Daniel, Sport Spectator Satisfaction Model, 99.

36. Ibid.

37. Dietz-Uhler and Murrell, ‘Fan Reactions to Game Outcomes’, 15.

38. Leeuwen, Quick, and Daniel, Sport Spectator Satisfaction Model, 99.

39. Dietz-Uhler and Murrell, ‘Fan Reactions to Game Outcomes’, 15.

40. Leeuwen, Quick, and Daniel, Sport Spectator Satisfaction Model, 99.

41. Ibid.

42. Charleston, Determinants of Home Atmosphere, 1150; Uhrich and Benkenstein, Sport Stadium Atmosphere, 211; Yoshida and James, Customer Satisfaction with Game, 338.

43. Charleston, Determinants of Home Atmosphere, 1150.

44. Uhrich and Benkenstein, Sport Stadium Atmosphere, 211.

45. Ibid.

46. FIFA, ‘Keeping Football Human’, 17.

47. Ibid.

48. Li, Lin, and Zhang, Hawkeye and Football Development, 44; Singh, Level Playing Field, 81.

49. Ross, Sport Technology; Stone, Football in Everyday Life, 169.

50. Madrigal, Satisfaction with Sporting Event, 205.

51. Li, Lin, and Zhang, Hawkeye and Football Development, 44; Collins, Philosophy of Umpiring, 135.

52. Ryall, Arguments against Goal-line Technology, 439; Nlandu, Goal-line Technology in Soccer, 451.

53. Collins, Philosophy of Umpiring, 135.

54. Ryall, Arguments against Goal-line Technology, 439.

55. Collins and Evans, 2008, Public Understanding of Technology, 135.

56. BBC Sport, 2014

57. Cairns, The Hybridization of Sight in Sport, 745.

58. Ross, ‘Sport Technology’; Gillis, ‘Time for the Umpire to Strike back’, 38–39

59. Bal and Dureja, Hawk Eye, 107.

60. BBC Sport, ‘Gianni Infantino’.

61. By Football Fans Census, ‘Goal Line Technology’, http://www.footballfanscensus.com/FCBgoallinetech.pdf (accessed September 17, 2013); YouGov, ‘Goal Line Technology’, http://d25d2506sfb94s.cloudfront.net/cumulus_uploads/document/n8btkavhir/YG-Archive-210612-football-goal-line-technology.pdf (accessed October 18, 2013).

62. Hattrick Global Football Voice, ‘Global Football Survey’, http://www.sportindustry.biz/news/view/11194/over-half-of-england-fans-favour-goal-line-tech (accessed October 4, 2013).

63. UEFA, ‘UEFA Backs Infantino for FIFA Presidency’, http://www.uefa.org/mediaservices/newsid=2325766.html (accessed May 2, 2016).

64. FIFA, ‘GLT replays’, http://quality.fifa.com/en/Goal-Line-Technology/Install-goal-line-technology/Replays (accessed May 2, 2016).

65. Gob, McCollin and Ramalhoto, Likert Scales, 601.

66. Wann and Branscombe, Sports Fans, 1.

67. Hu and Bentler, ‘Covariance Structure Analysis’, 1; Kline, Structural Equation Modeling.

68. Ibid.

69. FIFA, ‘Keeping Football Human’, 17.

70. Singh, Level Playing Field, 81.

71. Cairns, The Hybridization of Sight in Sport, 745; Li, Lin, and Zhang, Hawkeye and Football Development, 44; Stone, Football in Everyday Life, 169; Uhrich and Benkenstein, Sport Stadium Atmosphere, 211; Ross, Sport Technology.

72. Nlandu, Goal-line Technology in Soccer, 451.

73. Collins and Evans, Public Understanding of Technology, 135.

74. Hogg, ‘Social Identity Theory’, 555; Turner, ‘Redefinition of the Social Group’, 15.

75. Dietz-Uhler and Murrell, ‘Fan Reactions to Game Outcomes’, 15.

76. Leeuwen, Quick, and Daniel, Sport Spectator Satisfaction Model, 99; Ross, Sport Technology; Stone, Football in Everyday Life, 169.

77. Dietz-Uhler and Murrell, Fan Reactions to Game Outcomes, 15.

78. Ibid.

79. Giulianotti, Taxonomy of Spectator Identities, 25.

80. Collins and Evans, Public Understanding of Technology, 135.

81. Cairns, The Hybridization of Sight in Sport, 745.

82. Ryall, Arguments Against Goal-line Technology, 439.

83. Ibid.

84. Uhrich and Benkenstein, Sport Stadium Atmosphere, 211; Collins, Philosophy of Umpiring, 135.

85. Platini, ‘GLT at Euro 2016’, http://www.football.co.uk/fifa/platini-may-use-glt-at-euro-2016/4514515/#ejdTdRDMUqFc4c83.97 (accessed May 1, 2015); UEFA, ‘UEFA backs Infantino for FIFA presidency’, http://www.uefa.org/mediaservices/newsid=2325766.html (accessed May 2, 2016).

86. Collins, Philosophy of Umpiring, 135.

87. Ibid.

88. Madrigal, Satisfaction with Sporting Event, 205.

89. Collins, Philosophy of Umpiring, 135.