The topic I investigated was to see if the removal of fans in empty stadiums has an effect on performance. I compared to young athletes, male and female, of a similar age who both play for England and clubs from the top tiers of English football.
Similarly, both athletes highlighted that fans have a positive effect on their performance as well as team performance. They made it clear that when fans are missed most is towards the end of the game in a tough or losing situation and you need fans chanting your name and getting behind you to give them an extra boost of confidence to perform better.
Maya described the fans as “the 12th man” in games with Alex suggesting a supportive fanbase can achieve a better performance resulting in better results.
The pair also related their teams performances from this season to previous. Alex suggested that this year Bristol City’s poor run of form has been down to empty stadiums with the squad posting on social media how much the fans have been missed. Maya described football as a “results business” and that when you’re not in form is when you need fans most.
As much as performance and results are important, Maya said: “When you’re playing well it’s nice for fans to be there chanting your name, that’s what I play football for, to entertain fans so they can enjoy the game”.
From the comparison, I concluded that fans have a positive impact on performance and they are needed most in difficult situations to give players that extra boost that can improve performance and results.
