Becoming Fans: Socialization and Motivations of Fans of the England and U.S. Women’s National Football Teams

Allison, Rachel; Pope, Stacey

doi:10.1123/ssj.2021-0036

Becoming Fans: Socialization and Motivations of Fans of the England and U.S. Women’s National Football Teams

Allison, Rachel; Pope, Stacey

Authors

Rachel Allison

Professor Stacey Pope stacey.pope@durham.ac.uk
Professor

Abstract

The professionalization, commercialization, and mediatization of women’s football have opened new opportunities for fan attachments, engagements, and identities. Yet limited empirical research has addressed how or why fandom develops for women’s football, particularly in comparative perspective. We rely on in-depth interview data collected with adults in England (n = 49) and the United States (n = 53) who attended live matches of the 2019 Women’s World Cup to address pathways into and motivations for fandom. We find that awareness of and attachment to women’s football developed through exposure to women’s football mega events or online women’s football communities, through having played football, or after being recruited by existing fans. For English fans only, fandom included when men’s teams added women’s sides or through attending local women’s matches. Motivations for fandom included connections to players, family, and friends, appreciation of athletic talent, a commitment to gender equality, entertainment, and the inclusivity of fan cultures.

Citation

Allison, R., & Pope, S. (2022). Becoming Fans: Socialization and Motivations of Fans of the England and U.S. Women’s National Football Teams. Sociology of Sport Journal, 39(3), 287-297. https://doi.org/10.1123/ssj.2021-0036

Journal Article Type	Article
Online Publication Date	Dec 16, 2021
Publication Date	2022-09
Deposit Date	Apr 1, 2022
Publicly Available Date	Apr 1, 2022
Journal	Sociology of Sport Journal
Print ISSN	0741-1235
Electronic ISSN	1543-2785
Publisher	Human Kinetics
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	39
Issue	3
Pages	287-297
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1123/ssj.2021-0036

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Copyright Statement
Accepted author manuscript version reprinted, by permission, from Sociology of Sport Journal, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1123/ssj.2021-0036. © Human Kinetics, Inc.