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Who Should Vote To Veto VAR?
Darren Young @fanexperienceco Darren is a director at The Fan Experience Company. He has a background in working on customer service excellence projects in the UK and Europe, and an MBA that included studying in the United States. A UEFA Mentor and Fan Experience Company consultant, Darren works with clubs across Europe to improve the […]
Read moreRed Flags: Are Fans Paying The Price of Loyalty?
Inflation is falling. Apparently. Although any trip to a supermarket, petrol station forecourt or coffee shop tells you that prices are continuing to go up in spite of what Rishi Sunak might tell you. There are some sneaky little practices designed to confuse too. For instance, the other day I saw a 50% sale at […]
Read moreHow To Stop Things Getting Even Messi-er
I was in Cyprus last September speaking at a sports conference. It was especially memorable for me as only three people spoke English – my one and only language – during their presentations throughout the day. Me, obviously, plus Pele (although he was starring in an American Express commercial circa. 1974) and another guy who […]
Read moreThe Fans Journey - Part 12: After The Game
Many years ago, research identified that the simple experience of receiving a request for feedback from a service provider improves the recipient’s perceptions of that organisation. Yes, that’s right. You may not feel any particular strong emotion towards the service provider until the point when they ask you for your opinion. Then you warm to […]
Read moreLet We-eeeee Entertain You
Blame the ‘commentator’s curse’ but as I drove home listening to the build-up to the Premier League game the other evening between Brighton and Wolves, they said the one thing they could guarantee was goals. Brighton had scored 16 times against Wolves in their four previous encounters, and Wolves themselves had scored 9 goals in […]
Read moreThe Fans Journey - Part 11: Leaving The Venue
Me and my Dad had a great ‘mass’ routine going back in the County Durham of the late 70s. Let me tell you more. Because my Mam played the organ at the local church, she had to be present for the extremely long mass that kicked off at 9.30 on a Sunday morning. Thank the […]
Read moreThe Fans Journey - Part 10: During The Game
You know that feeling? You’ve been having a great day. Lovely breakfast or lunch; nice drive to the ground followed by a brisk walk to the stadium after finding a parking space nearby; meeting family and friends in the fan zone for a catch-up; buying a programme, grabbing a snack and a drink before taking […]
Read moreThe Fans Journey - Part 9: Pre-Game
What’s your pre-game ritual? Do you wear the same socks, walk exactly the same route, leave the house at exactly the same time while telling yourself that the result doesn’t really hinge on the last song you heard before leaving the house? Do you enter the stadium early to watch the game on the concourse […]
Read moreIs it Time To Say Tara to VAR?
I think the time has come, even if just for a little while. As I support a team that are mid-table in League Two so some might ask why I even care? The closest I’ll get to VAR ruining a Saturday afternoon is if I wanted to go for a walk in Stockley Park and […]
Read moreThe Fans Journey - Part 8: Food & Drink
Very often we hear the phrase that sport – but almost always football - is ‘a reflection of society’. Admittedly, it’s usually after something bad has taken place. For example, if some kind of abuse is aimed at someone either at a game or online. We semi-explain it by trying to take it out of […]
Read moreThe Fans Journey - Part 7: Buying Merchandise
While many of the steps in a fan journey have to happen – for example, getting a ticket, travelling to the game and spending time both outside and inside the stadium – one that doesn’t have to take place is the purchasing of merchandise. That purely comes down to choice. A fan doesn’t even need […]
Read moreThe Fans Journey - Part 6: Outside The Venue
The phrase ‘hidden gem’ is usually associated with afternoon TV: the lovely villages by the seaside, those sepia tinged railway journeys, the secret Victorian kitchen garden or even a secluded spot where nature, in its full beauty, can be observed. By now, you’ve probably spotted that this is a flimsy preamble to our latest thoughts […]
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