It also identifies a strong public appetite for football clubs to increase efforts to welcome fans from all backgrounds.
The report will be discussed at an event in parliament this evening (14 May) hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Social Integration.
The Shared Goals project worked with two clubs, Premier League Brentford and Huddersfield Town in the Championship, to create new social media videos drawing on research with local fans and community members.
Audience research by British Future found both films strengthened a sense of local identity shared by people of different backgrounds.
Jake Puddle, researcher at British Future, who led the new research, said: “Football has a unique power to reach across divides in our diverse society, by uniting people around a shared identity and pride in the place where they live.
“Clubs have become powerful voices on anti-racism, and it’s important this work continues. But a more proactive approach, promoting social contact between people from different backgrounds, can go further – building common ground and reducing prejudice.
“Some people will say clubs should just stick to football, but a football club is about more than 11 players on the pitch. At their best, clubs embody the spirit of a town and its people – and that should include people of all backgrounds.”
Rhiannon Maher, equity, diversity and inclusion manager at Brentford FC, added: “We embarked on this research to gain an understanding of how we can use our campaigns and communication to build a sense of belonging.
“The findings have underlined the importance of inclusion to our fans and the sense of pride they have in the club.
“They also show the impact that the club can have to act as a bridge to connect fans from different communities and to create a sense of place here in west London.
“We look forward to embedding the research findings and continuing to ensure Brentford remains a club for all.”
Nearly six in 10 adults (57 per cent) in Britain support a football team and nearly four in 10 (37 per cent) support their local club
Club football spans ethnic divides, with 55 per cent of Asian adults and 70 per cent of Black adults supporting a team. Support also ranges across political divides and includes people with different views about migration and diversity
Football clubs can help create a shared sense of identity. 80 per cent of those who attend live games see their local professional football club as an important part of their local identity, and nearly four in 10 people (37 per cent) who don’t regularly attend games agree. Similar percentages across ethnic groups see their football club as a strong part of their local identity
Seven in 10 people who attend live matches and 44 per cent of armchair fans agree that “I would feel I had more in common with somebody if I knew they supported my local professional football club”
Seven in 10 people (71 per cent) agree that “Football clubs bring people from different backgrounds together in the cities or towns where they are based, around a shared pride in their team.” Responses were similarly positive among people from different ethnic backgrounds
The report also highlights where more work is needed. Most people feel that their local football club is an inclusive place – but ethnic minorities are slightly less likely to feel that their local club is open to people from all backgrounds (55 per cent) than the public as a whole (64 per cent).
Three in 10 ethnic minority ‘armchair fans’ (30 per cent) say they would be interested in going to watch more live matches at their local club, but they worry that the atmosphere is not welcoming to people from different ethnic, faith or social backgrounds.
Clubs could do more to bridge this gap and show that they are welcoming to fans from all backgrounds.
The report recommends that football clubs increase efforts to communicate an inclusive pride in the team and local area that is shared by people from all backgrounds.
It also suggests raising awareness of family stands and other spaces at the stadium to help welcome new fans who want a more family friendly experience away from alcohol and trialling ‘buddying’ schemes for new fans who would be more likely to attend a live game if they had company.
Ruth Hollis, chief executive of Spirit of 2012 – the London 2012 legacy fund that supported the project – commented: “We know that sporting events can increase a sense of civic pride and social cohesion nationally and locally.
“We saw communities across the UK unite in celebrating the Lionesses’ journey through the Euros in 2022 and we look forward to the men’s competition this summer.
“Harnessing that power, we are delighted to see Brentford and Huddersfield Town taking steps to learn what works when using the power of sport to bridge divides in their local communities as part of this important research conducted by British Future.
“It’s our hope that the lessons learned from the Shared Goals research can be applied widely to make football, and the sporting world at large, a more inclusive and united place.”
Download the full report from the British Future website here
