ABSTRACT

This paper questions traditional notions of supporter loyalty and monogamy through reporting research into a group of football fans who identify as supporters of Worcester City FC and a professional football team. Whilst it is not uncommon for non-league fans to also identify with a professional team, extant research is yet to qualitatively explore the relationship such fans have with two different football clubs. Through interviews with a sample of 10 fans from the Worcester City FC Supporters’ Trust, the research explored erosion of the relationship with their professional team and the Premier League and the attraction of Worcester City and non-league football. Participants expressed disillusionment with ‘modern football’ but also discontent with some aspects of Worcester City. However, supporting Worcester City provided participants with satisfactions, meanings and identities embedded in the distinctive phenomenologies of non-league football that are largely absent from experiences supporting their professional team.

摘要

本文通过对一群被认为是伍斯特城足球俱乐部和职业足球队支持者的球迷进行报告研究，质疑传统的支持者忠诚度和一夫一妻制的概念。虽然非联赛球迷也认同一支职业球队的情况并不少见，但现有的研究尚未定性地探讨这些球迷与两个不同足球俱乐部之间的关系。通过对来自伍斯特城足球俱乐部支持者信托基金的 10 名球迷样本的采访，该研究探讨了与他们的职业球队和英超联赛的关系的侵蚀以及伍斯特城和非联赛足球的吸引力。参与者对“现代足球”表示失望，但也对伍斯特城的某些方面表示不满。然而，