Unveiling the stadium turnout: Predictors influencing local spectator attendance in football leagues

• Published in: Journal of Physical Education and Sport
• Main Author: Nazarudin M.N.; Padli; Abdullah M.F.; Noordin Z.; Abdullah N.M.; Mazalan N.S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Editura Universitatii din Pitesti 2023
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85181674681&doi=10.7752%2fjpes.2023.12393&partnerID=40&md5=93f82ed2b64fb33ad6adb05063480f2c

For sports to thrive in the long run, it is crucial to understand what motivates fans to attend games and tournaments. This study investigated the factors influencing home-game attendance for a professional football team. 370 supporters who were 18 years of age or older freely completed the surveys at a Malaysian Football League game held at Stadium Likas in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Two surveys used a five-point Likert scale to gauge team loyalty (The Tsiotsou scale, 2013) and spectator satisfaction (Oliver, 1980). The Stadium Attendance and Non-Attendance Reason Scale (SANARS) used a Likert-type scale ranging from 1 to 7 to measure stadium attendance, general atmosphere, team impact, and personal relaxation. Cronbach's Alpha for the scales ranged from 0.76 to 0.84, demonstrating excellent reliability and validity. The data was analyzed using SPSS 23.0 package software, using both descriptive statistics and Structural Equation Modelling. Attendance at a stadium was shown to be significantly affected by factors including general atmosphere, spectator satisfaction, team loyalty, personal relaxation opportunities, and team effect. This research also showed how fans' satisfaction during games and the team effect influences fan loyalty. In conclusion, the long-term viability, growth, and success of football clubs and leagues depend on identifying and anticipating the characteristics that affect fan attendance. In the future, researchers may look into why local supporters refrain from frequenting their home stadium. When assessing the effectiveness of the proposed model, it is also essential to consider the demographics and regional behaviours of fans. © JPES.