Football Fans Census: Difference between revisions

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'''Football Fans Census''' (sometimes known as '''FFC'''), is the trading name of Football Fans Central Ltd, a small <ref>[http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/ffa9a467719cfacb89053e49077bd052/compdetails WebCHeck -– Select and Access Company Information<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> market research company which specialises in research into the views and opinions of English football supporters.

When the free-to-air digital sports channel [[ITV Digital]] collapsed in 2002; it reportedly owed £178.5m to [[theEnglish Football League|Football League]] clubs. Two football fans began a campaign for [[ITV Digital]]'s parent entities, the regional [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] companies [[Granada Television]] and [[Carlton Television]] to repay this money to the clubs. <ref>[{{Cite web |url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/archive/columns/2002/0512/20020512featcollins.html |title=ESPN.com Soccernet Column by Patrick Collins: Bonnie and Clyde face lesson in commercial sense<!-- Bot generated title -->] |access-date=18 August 2007 |archive-date=25 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525151350/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/archive/columns/2002/0512/20020512featcollins.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> <ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20040625220844/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2002/03/20/sfntv21.xml League concern over potential loss of TV cash -– Football News -– Telegraph<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

The campaign, under the name Football Fans Union, took the form of a protest against the companies resulting in the 'Can the Commercials' petition and direct action .<ref>[http://www.footballfanscensus.com/itv/index.html Football Fans Union<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. The group asked football fans to boycott ITV's [[FIFA World Cup 2002|World Cup 2002]] coverage, and in particular to switch channels during advertisements; so that advertisers would bring pressure on ITV and impact on the companies' advertising revenues .<ref>[http://www.footballfanscensus.com/itv/campaign/faq.html Football Fans Union<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>.

The fans' campaign ran alongside legal action by the Football League; but it proved to be unsuccessful when the Court of Appeal threw out the Football League's action in [[2006]] .<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5109254.stm BBC NEWS | UK | Football League loses damages bid<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>.

The impetus created by this campaign led to the Football Fans Union developing into the Football Fans Census; and a desire to be a voice for football supporters through online surveys and opinion polls.

Past surveys include:

* the return of terraces <ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/solpda/ukfs_sport/hi/newsid_6444000/6444083.stm BBC Sport | Sport Homepage | Football | Calls grow for return of terraces<!-- Bot generated title -->]{{Dead link|date=February 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

* the quality of food at games <ref>[http://archive.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk/2005/9/10/88290.html Fans pan U's food<!-- Bot generated title -->]{{Dead link|date=December 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

* the cost of following a football team <ref>[http://uk.virginmoney.com/newscentre/press-releases/2007/football-fans-go-into-extra-time.html Football fans go into extra time<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

* the state of English football <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.givemefootball.com/display.cfm?article=7360&type=1|title=News}}{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> <ref>[http://www.marketresearch.com/vendors/viewvendor.asp?g=1&VendorID=2712 Football Fans Central Limited Research Reports<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

[[Category:Football mass media in the United Kingdom]]