9 Oct 2009Loyal football fans 'help top clubs beat recession'

Football Clubs News | Football Sponsors/ Sponsorship and Media

The loyal support of a large supporter base has helped Europe's top football clubs to show resilience during the recession, according to a new report.

Deloitte's Sports Business Group said that the average attendance at UEFA Champions League matches has risen by five per cent to 37,400 people this season.

In addition, the report reveals that stadiums hosting English Premier League games are still about 90 per cent full, despite the financial challenges facing many supporters.

Dan Jones, a partner at the Sports Business Group, said the findings indicate that "the fundamentals of football remain strong".

He added: "Football is deeply integrated into many people's lives and attending and watching live sport is habitual for fans who will sacrifice other luxury items before they will give up their sport 'fix'."

Deloitte's report also states that major football sponsorship deals such as Liverpool's new agreement with Standard Chartered show that the sport remains in a strong financial position.

The Standard Chartered contract will run until 2014 and is expected to earn Liverpool about £80 million.

Written by Mark Thompson

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