In the late 1980s the English Football Association (FA) published its Blueprint
for the Future of Football, which promoted the conversion of ‘going to a match’
on a Saturday into having ‘integrated leisure experiences’.28 The FA envisaged
that, in the style of North American sport, future attendees at football matches
would be attracted by a festive atmosphere. At a cursory level this approach
appeared successful. In the post-1990 Taylor Report era of stadium reform in
England, many long-serving grounds were abandoned and modern facilities were
constructed to meet the Report’s requirements following the 1989 Hillsborough
Stadium disaster in Sheffield. Attendances increased as the game’s image
improved, and stadiums were transformed in the public mind from being sites of
hooligan battles to venues for family entertainment. This change resulted in a
near tenfold increase in ticket prices, which placed significant strains on the
ability of working-class men, football’s primary constituents, to sustain regular
attendance. Pay television operators and clubs capitalised on this by trying to
convert many to virtual spectatorship. During the 2001–02 season, for example,
Sky TV offered special pay-per-view packages for Premier League matches at
£8–£12, well in excess of 1980s ticket prices.
In the late 1980s the English Football Association (FA) published its Blueprint
for the Future of Football, which promoted the conversion of ‘going to a match’
on a Saturday into having ‘integrated leisure experiences’.28 The FA envisaged
that, in the style of North American sport, future attendees at football matches
would be attracted by a festive atmosphere. At a cursory level this approach
appeared successful. In the post-1990 Taylor Report era of stadium reform in
England, many long-serving grounds were abandoned and modern facilities were
constructed to meet the Report’s requirements following the 1989 Hillsborough
Stadium disaster in Sheffield. Attendances increased as the game’s image
improved, and stadiums were transformed in the public mind from being sites of
hooligan battles to venues for family entertainment. This change resulted in a
near tenfold increase in ticket prices, which placed significant strains on the
ability of working-class men, football’s primary constituents, to sustain regular
attendance. Pay television operators and clubs capitalised on this by trying to
convert many to virtual spectatorship. During the 2001–02 season, for example,
Sky TV offered special pay-per-view packages for Premier League matches at
£8–£12, well in excess of 1980s ticket prices.
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