Defining the sports fan : a typology

Abstract

Sports are becoming increasingly more important in our society. The following thesis presents a six-fold typology of sports fans based on their psychological motivations for following a sport. It uses and interesting methodology that makes use of pictures and is based on the ZMET qualitative interviewing technique. A missing type, the impact of gender on the typology, the factors that determine whether fans attend the game or watch it at home and research implications are discussed. Areas for future research are recommended.