A man's game?
A man's game?
Football - For men only?
Changing Face of the Premier League
New research shows that the Barclays Premier League is attracting more and more fans from all parts of society.
In the past, there was not much information about Premier League fans, but now there is some new research by a company called Populus. They looked at attendance numbers from Premier League matches and found that of the 13.6 million fans who attended, 2.6 million (19%) were female and 1.1 million (8%) were from black or other ethnic minority groups. They also found that, of the 2.3 million people that have only been going to matches for the last 5 years, 800,000 (33%) are females and 400,000 (16%) are ethnic minorities. This shows that there is an increase in the number of women and minority groups going to Premier League matches.
Safety
It is the extra safety offered by the Premier League clubs that is attracting more and different fans. This extra safety includes more stewards*, CC TV cameras** and refusing fans who have been in trouble in the past. Black and Asian fans also say that they feel safer as the number of women, children and minorities like themselves going to football matches has started to grow.
Families
Ticket sales show that in 2009/10, 13% of season tickets went to children. Populus research has found that over ¼ of people who attend matches take their children and about ⅔ of those said that they see going to a Barclays Premier League match as a family day out. Almost all of them (97%) feel safe outside the stadium before and after the match, and inside the stadium during the match. ¾ feel that their club is trying to make the match more child-friendly.
Parents who take their children to watch football are more likely to talk regularly to their children about football and a lot of other issues too. Research said that it was one of the few times that children were happy to be seen outside the home with their mum or dad!
Ethnic Minorities
Among Black fans, the increase in the number of Black players has made a lot of difference to these fans feeling OK when they attend matches. At the moment, there are not many British–born south Asian players at the top of the sport, but Asian groups believe that there will soon be more, like there are in cricket and boxing.
Research
Richard Scudamore of the Premier League said, “Football is increasingly attractive to more sectors of society, which is fantastic”. He went on to say that it was not long ago that football was seen as being for ‘young, white males’ only. “We now attract more of everyone,” he said, “women, children and black and minority ethnic fans”.
* a steward watches the fans at a match and tell the police of any problems
** closed-circuit television cameras to watch the fans
Comprehension Check
Language Task - Much / Many / A lot of
In the article there were some expressions to talk about quantity:
|
“there was not MUCH information ...” |
|
“parents talk about football and A LOT OF other issues too” |
|
“the number of Black players has made A LOT OF difference” |
|
“there are not MANY British-born Asian players” |
What is the difference between much - many - and a lot of?
A LOT OF can be used in all sentences ( but NOT questions with ‘how much’ or ‘how many’)
MANY is used for things we can count eg. apples and hours
MUCH is only used for things we can’t count (UNCOUNTABLE) eg. fruit and time
To learn more about COUNTABLE and UNCOUNTABLE words, have a look here:
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/nouns/uncount-nouns
To make things more difficult, MUCH is usually used only in QUESTIONS and NEGATIVE SENTENCES:
| positive sentences | questions and negatives sentences | |
| countable words | a lot of MANY |
a lot of (NOT questions with 'how many') MANY |
| uncountable words | a lot of | a lot of (NOT questions with 'how much') MUCH |
Quiz
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Comments
23/03/2021
points
I've not aknowledge of this theme.
I think that the best possible idea is to educate people about behaving in a football match and in society as well. This acctitude plus a heavier police cover and clubs doing their parts at the programm by example should decrease the troubles and violence at football matches.
23/03/2021 18:05
Arsenal
1512
I've not aknowledge of this theme.
I think that the best possible idea is to educate people about behaving in a football match and in society as well. This acctitude plus a heavier police cover and clubs doing their parts at the programm by example should decrease the troubles and violence at football matches.
06/07/2020
points
It was a brilliant idea and a few of my female friends attended the game and it was an exceptional memory for them in Istanbul.
Equality is the best way to let everyone enjoys the games but if there's any breaking in laws , people must be restricted to enter the stadiums.
06/07/2020 23:36
Manchester United
6536
It was a brilliant idea and a few of my female friends attended the game and it was an exceptional memory for them in Istanbul.
Equality is the best way to let everyone enjoys the games but if there's any breaking in laws , people must be restricted to enter the stadiums.
05/07/2020
points
Ok
05/07/2020 23:30
Newcastle United
1505
Ok
08/07/2019
points
i think is not fair because for one man the rest of men that they want to go can't go to see the match. i think that a referee has to stop the game for a person, ban the entry or put a fine to that person.
08/07/2019 10:55
Liverpool
21
i think is not fair because for one man the rest of men that they want to go can't go to see the match. i think that a referee has to stop the game for a person, ban the entry or put a fine to that person.
05/07/2016
points
Stewards and police personnel should ensure that everyone obeys the regulations of the stadia
05/07/2016 04:41
Manchester United
4779
Stewards and police personnel should ensure that everyone obeys the regulations of the stadia
05/07/2016
points
I should be done more often until the men decide to put up good behaviour
05/07/2016 04:40
Manchester United
4779
I should be done more often until the men decide to put up good behaviour
05/07/2016
points
That's a great idea once there are no causes for alarm.
05/07/2016 04:38
Manchester United
4779
That's a great idea once there are no causes for alarm.
05/07/2016
points
No I have no idea
05/07/2016 04:37
Manchester United
4779
No I have no idea
08/04/2016
points
I do not think so.
08/04/2016 12:34
Liverpool
3705
I do not think so.
09/03/2016
points
Yes it was.
09/03/2016 19:31
Liverpool
3705
Yes it was.
14/12/2015
points
This is not something that can be done over the night. We must all double our efforts to stop the violence around the stadiums.
14/12/2015 15:10
Arsenal
3557
This is not something that can be done over the night. We must all double our efforts to stop the violence around the stadiums.
15/11/2015
points
More stewards and police at the stadium can be right answer to stop troubles.
15/11/2015 09:17
Arsenal
2320
More stewards and police at the stadium can be right answer to stop troubles.
13/11/2015
points
Very informative. Our football authorities are thinking of re-introducing police at the stadiums, as we have recently witnessed too many bad situations (fans on the pitch, fireworks, fights etc.)
13/11/2015 11:38
Arsenal
2453
Very informative. Our football authorities are thinking of re-introducing police at the stadiums, as we have recently witnessed too many bad situations (fans on the pitch, fireworks, fights etc.)
28/10/2015
points
NO, it was definitely a bad idea. That is not a solution of the problem. People come to stadium to see their club, enjoy in the atmosphere. With strict regulations and penalties, season tickets, more stewards on derbies etc. It also depends a lot on the culture of one people.
28/10/2015 21:17
Arsenal
3557
NO, it was definitely a bad idea. That is not a solution of the problem. People come to stadium to see their club, enjoy in the atmosphere. With strict regulations and penalties, season tickets, more stewards on derbies etc. It also depends a lot on the culture of one people.
02/10/2015
points
Great lesson and a lot of good advice how countries can build safe place for all fans. I can't believe that 41.000 women and children were attended on one Fenerbahçe game, that's really interesting information.
How I can say 5/6 and what is pattern for that?
02/10/2015 12:15
West Ham United
538
Great lesson and a lot of good advice how countries can build safe place for all fans. I can't believe that 41.000 women and children were attended on one Fenerbahçe game, that's really interesting information.
How I can say 5/6 and what is pattern for that?
11/01/2015
points
It was an extraordinary idea to encourage women to play soccer. It should be done more often especially at the beginning of the season to increase the attendance. I think the stewards and cameras have stopped trouble at the stadiums, so these kind of measures would keep a safety environment if all clubs implemented them.
11/01/2015 06:45
Manchester City
0
It was an extraordinary idea to encourage women to play soccer. It should be done more often especially at the beginning of the season to increase the attendance. I think the stewards and cameras have stopped trouble at the stadiums, so these kind of measures would keep a safety environment if all clubs implemented them.