Consumer behaviour and the relational dynamics of English premier league supporters in Nigeria

ABSTRACT

The English Premier League (EPL) has one of its largest national fanbases in Nigeria. The city of Yola in Nigeria’s North East State of Adamawa is home to numerous fans of EPL elite clubs. This study examines how supporters of different EPL clubs interact with one another, and their modes of consumption of EPL football in the city. Twenty-four fans were interviewed at purposively selected football viewing centres across the city. The research revealed that within international club competitions like the UEFA Champions League, some supporters demonstrate support for other EPL clubs, despite the traditional rivalries prevalent in domestic contexts. Moreover, some fans opt to support more than one EPL team due to family ties, emergence of African players and periods of success at other clubs. The analysis demonstrates that these two factors can help restrict animosity between supporters and promote peaceful relations among fans in the locality of this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Rookwood, ‘Diversifying the fan experience and securitising crowd management: A longitudinal analysis of fan park facilities at 15 football mega events between 2002 and 2019’.

2. Ben-Porat, ‘Overseas sweethearts: Israeli fans for English Football’.

3. Kerr, ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone: The Use of Brand Equity Framework to Explore the Team Identification of the ‘Satellite Supporter’.

4. Kerr and Emery, ‘Foreign fandom and the Liverpool FC: a cyber-mediated romance’.

5. Rookwood and Spaaij, ‘Violence in football: Overview, prevalence and risk factors’.

6. Chuka and Unwana, ‘Nigeria: as football labour scrambles, what about family?’

7. Otite, ‘Ethnic pluralism and ethnicity in Nigeria’.

8. Matthias, Johannes and Peter, ‘What Drives Inter-Religious Violence? Lessons from Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, and Tanzania’.

9. Cited in Hyde, Nigeria: where football is life.

10. Onwumechilli, ‘Nigeria: media narratives and reports of football from within’.

11. Cheeron Nigeria, ‘’Nigeria Football Market Report 2019: Fans Favourite Player and Most Supported Club’.

12. Olupohunda, ‘Why are Nigerians crazy about Premiership?’

13. By elite clubs we mean those which consistently fight for a place in European competitions like the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League.

14. Majaro-majesty, ‘Ethnicity, Conflict and Peacebuilding: effect of European football support in Nigeria’.

15. Onyebueke, ‘Globalisation, football and emerging urban tribes’.

16. Rookwood and Chan, ‘The 39th Game: Fan responses to the Premier League’s proposal to globalize English football’.

17. Fakuade, ‘Ethnicity and Language’.

18. For instance, Adamawa State is one most hit by the outbreak of rural conflicts in Nigeria. While the predominant narrative of the cause of such conflicts concerns environmental degradation leading to loss of fertile lands, ethnic and religious differences often play a more crucial role and feature prominently in the narrative of conflict. See Owonikoko, ‘Beyond Victimhood: Women and resource conflict between farming and herding communities in Adamawa State’.

19. Tsaaior, ‘Football as social unconscious or the cultural logic of late imperialism in postcolonial Nigeria’.

20. Akindutire, ‘The Historical Development of Football in Nigeria: An Appraisal of Its Emerging Prospects’. See also Alegi, ‘African Footballscapes: How a Continent Changed the World’s Game’.

21. Darby, ‘African football labour migration to Portugal: colonial and neo‐colonial resource’.

22. Omobowale, ‘Sports and European Football Fans in Nigeria’.

23. Rookwood, ‘Invasion games in war-torn nations: Can football help to build peace?’

24. Majaro-majesty, ‘Ethnicity, Conflict and Peacebuilding: effect of European football support in Nigeria’.

25. Ololajulo, ‘English Premiership Fandom: Globalisation and National Identity in Nigeria’.

26. Onyebueke, ‘Globalisation, football and emerging urban “tribes”: Fans of the European Leagues in a Nigerian city’.

27. Tade, “He is Father Christmas when Man-U wins”: UEFA league and the dynamics of spousal relations in Nigeria’.

28. Adebayo, Falase and Akintunde, “Here, we are all equal!”: football viewing centres and the transformation of age social relations among fans in South-Western Nigeria’.

29. Owonikoko, ‘Game of hope, game of addiction: rising football betting among Nigerian youths and its implications for peace, security and stability’.

30. Akanle and Fageyinbo, ‘Football betting in Nigeria’.

31. Majaro-majesty, ‘Ethnicity, Conflict and Peacebuilding: effect of European football support in Nigeria’.

32. Tade, “He is Father Christmas when Man-U wins”: UEFA league and the dynamics of spousal relations in Nigeria’.

33. Szmigin and Piacentini, ‘Consumer Behaviour’.

34. Some of early changes in kick off times were rationalized as a response to apparent but often overstated crowd control issues.

35. Rookwood and Hughson, ‘A history of the English Premier League: Cultures, consumption and commerce’.

36. This sequence was influenced by the COVID19 pandemic in which the traditional ‘black-out’ (prohibiting the televising of English football matches between 2.45pm and 5.15pm on Saturdays, which has been in place since the 1960s to avoid negatively affecting attendances at lower league matches) was temporarily suspended as match attendance was prohibited by law. However, the scheduling of EPL matches has otherwise been spread across the weekend outside of this black-out period.

37. Rookwood and Chan, ‘The 39th Game: Fan responses to the Premier League’s proposal to globalize English football’.

38. Akindes, ‘The transforming sport TV broadcasting landscape in Africa’.

39. Papaoikonomou, Cascon-Pereira and Ryan, ‘Constructing and communicating an ethical consumer identity: A Social Identity Approach’.

40. Rookwood, “We’re not English we are Scouse!” Examining the identities of Liverpool Football Club supporters’.

41. Rookwood & Spaaij, ‘Violence in football: Overview, prevalence and risk factors’.

42. Rookwood, ‘Managing football hooliganism’.

43. Rookwood, ‘Fan Perspectives of Football Hooliganism: Defining, Analysing and Responding to the British Phenomenon’.

44. Adebayo, ‘Introduction’.

45. In 2018, a census taken by students of Peace and Conflict Studies co-facilitated by the lead author discovered that over 212 FVCs are available in the study area. The areas sampled here are Yola town, Jimeta, Karewa, Namtari, Ngurore, Njoboli, Yolde Pate, Badirisa, Bajabure, Gereng, Girei, Jabi Lamba, Sangere FUTY, Vunoklang, Wuro Jabbe and Bachure. From that period until the time of publication, more may have been established.

46. Rookwood and Adeosun, ‘Nation branding and public diplomacy: Japan’s 2019 Rugby World Cup and 2020(21) Olympics, a global economic downturn and the COVID-19 pandemic’.

47. An Elite club here refers to those that are typically contention for major honours and European Champions League slots.

48. Rookwood and Scremin, ‘CONCACAF’.

49. Ololajulo, ‘English Premiership Fandom: Globalisation and National Identity in Nigeria’.

50. Ibid.

51. Owner of FVC/50 years/Shagari Estate/30 December 2020.

52. Poli, ‘Migrations and trade of African football players: Historic, geographical and cultural aspects’.

53. Paul and Eirik, ‘Differing trajectories: football development and patterns of player migration in South Africa and Ghana’.

54. Agbiboa, ‘Ethno-religious Conflicts and the Elusive Quest for National Identity in Nigeria’.

55. Liverpool fan/41 years/IDI/Sangere FUTY/12 September 2020.

56. Liverpool fan/46 years/IDI/Shagari/30 December 2020.

57. Mike, ‘The Pub as a Virtual Football Fandom Venue: An Alternative to “Being there?”

58. Manchester United Fan/29 years/IDI/Wuro Jabbe/17 October 2020.

59. Kharas, Hamel, and Hofer, ‘The Start of a New Poverty Narrative’.

60. National Bureau of Statistics, ‘2019 Poverty and Inequality in Nigeria: Executive Summary’.

61. Ibid.

62. Manchester City fan/30 years/IDI/Wuro Jabbe/28 December 2020.

63. Ololajulo, ‘English Premiership Fandom: Globalisation and National Identity in Nigeria’.

64. As a season ticket holder on The Kop at Anfield who has seen Liverpool play in over 100 stadia in 30 countries, the second author often instigates and joins in with songs at Anfield, and it is conceivable that, prior to the COVID19 pandemic, some of the chants that Nigerian Liverpool fans may participate in as observed by the first author in the FVCs in Yola could have been simultaneously engaged in by the second author in Liverpool, 10,000 kilometres away.

65. Although not always a genuine replica given the cost of such items – but this has helped develop local industries of producing fake football shirts.

66. Rookwood, “We’re not English we are Scouse!” Examining the identities of Liverpool Football Club supporters’.

67. Arsenal Fan/37 years/IDI/Sangere FUTY/26 December 2020.

68. Chelsea Fan/32 years/IDI/Sangere FUTY/26 December 2020.

69. Owner of FVC/42 Years/IDI/Wuro Jabbe/12 September 2020.

70. Owner of FVC/50 years/Shagari Estate/30 December 2020.

71. Owner of FVC/42 Years/IDI/Wuro Jabbe/12 September 2020.

72. Chelsea fan/28 years/IDI/Wuro Jabbe/28 December 2020.

73. Manchester United fan/35 years/Shagari/30 December 2020.

74. Manchester City fan/28 Year/Sangere FUTY/26 December 2020.

75. Chelsea Fan/39 Years/IDI/Sangere FUTY/26 December 2020.

76. Mewett and Toffolett, ‘Finding footy: Female fan socialization and Australian rule football’.

77. Tade, ‘‘He is Father Christmas when Man-U wins’: UEFA league and the dynamics of spousal relations in Nigeria.

78. Pugsley and Rookwood, “The friendly derby”: Examining the rivalry between supporters of Liverpool and Everton Football Clubs’.

79. Omobowale, ‘Sports and European Football Fans in Nigeria’; Majaro-majesty, ‘Ethnicity, Conflict and Peacebuilding: effect of European football support in Nigeria’.