Myths and Pitfalls

New supporters are more likely to come from those who play or have played the game:

Wrong. Playing football might result in some players becoming supporters, but the evidence is everywhere you look, in every community right across Scotland that people who play football have very little interest in watching it.

This includes people currently playing and those who have previously played whatever playing standards they have achieved.

Children, or anyone for that matter, assuming they are fit enough are far more likely to play football because they are already watch it. Why? Because, it satisfies the decision-making criterion essential to establishing this desire to play. i.e. having already made up their own mind about football, they are now self motivated to play it. More importantly, they and more likely to develop better playing skills though this higher motivation level.

Dad was Rangers Supporter and little Jimmy will follow in his Dad’s footsteps:

This of course does happen all too frequently, to the extent that it is almost a forgone conclusion, but should parents question whether this seemingly natural progression is wise?

In almost all instances the answers are likely to be yes. Why?

Because, such a progression interferes with the child’s need to decide over their own environment and community. To a child living in Stranraer, that’s where the child’s environment starts off and as it makes it’s own decisions, these are likely to relate to the extended community that the child is part of.

Making these decisions isn’t simply about supporting football clubs. It is about how good the child feels about itself. It’s confidence, happiness, social development and education attainment are all affected as a result and can be undermined if the child’s own control over the decisions is interfered with.

It is more beneficial for the child’s development allow the child to decide to support Stranraer than to a Rangers supporter just because it’s family tradition.

Support levels are determined by success on the park:

Surely the most utterly misguided view that plays like a stuck record in Scottish football. Not everyone can win leagues and cups, so football has to offer something else to supporters so that they will come back, irrespective of the clubs league position.

Fostering the success myth breeds selfishness amongst the fan base and generates false expectations that cannot always be met. This simply adds to the pressures on your club and reinforces reasons for not attending when clubs fail to meet those expectations.

Success on the park is obviously important and may attract some new supporters but is more likely to bring back those fickle fans who are more transient in their support of your club. These same supporters will be the first to desert you when things don’t go so well.

Raising the standard of play will attract new support:

Another stuck record that clubs put their faith in.

When people first come to football as spectators there will always be a speculative element. Curiosity or whatever. Analyse this any way you like but people are attracted to watching football because of social aspects first and foremost. Whether or not your club is playing better football is unlikely to be a deciding factor in attracting new support.

It is however, a vital part of keeping supporters once they venture through the turnstiles. The key trick is to get them there in the first place.

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