A report commissioned by Sky Sports at the start of the 2021\/22 domestic football season shows a more diverse fandom now following the game. <\/p>\n
Dr Martha Newson<\/a>‘s research centres on group bonding, ritual, and community. She currently leads research on how major football clubs can help tackle reoffending in partnership with the Twinning Project<\/a>, Her Majesty\u2019s Prison & Probation Service, and the Ministry of Justice.<\/p>\n Commenting on the report by Sky Sports, Dr Martha Newson<\/a> a Future Leaders Fellow\u00a0and self-identified ‘Socialiser’ said,<\/p>\n “Football is now more representative than ever of the British public. Football is more than what happens on the pitch, it is entrenched in our day-to-day beliefs, embedded in our conversations and shaping society and community behaviours.”<\/p>\n “Football tends to go far deeper than attending games or keeping up with the fixtures; it’s about social connections and how we present ourselves to the world – be it likes on social media, wearing the ‘right’ trainers, or knowing the words to a song. For some fans, celebrating football manifests in how we shop and the brands we align with.”<\/p>\n Expert comments from Dr Martha Newson on the changing face of football fandom have been receiving extensive media exposure published across numerous news outlets including Sky Sports<\/a>, Yahoo<\/a>, Variety<\/a>, Sporting Excitement<\/a> and The Sun<\/a> to name a few.<\/p>\n