In good times and bad times: a model of fan loyalty drawn from Turkish Super League supporters

Abstract

Fans' attitudes to their teams and their opponents reflects a broad field of interest in sports studies, in which the issue of team identification is very important. The purpose of this paper is to study the relationship between football fans' attitudinal loyalty, behavioural loyalty, hatred of opposing teams, the importance of winning and team identification. Using convenience sampling, 786 football fans responded to questions regarding these four constructs and their level of identification with their team. The data obtained were analyzed according to the methodological principles of the structural equation model. The analysis showed that the constructs of winning and hatred towards the opposition (schadenfreude) influence team identification. It also indicated that identification with one's team in turn has a significant impact on behavioural and attitudinal expressions of team loyalty. The research results present strategic information that sports marketing experts might use in the development of team loyalty and also suggest important opportunities for new research.