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The aim of this study was to investigate the perceptions of football players and officials on the provision of employee assistance programs by football clubs in South Africa. The study used interviews to collect data from ten football players playing for different football clubs in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) of South Africa, two officials from the PSL and two officials from South African Football Players Union. The results of this study indicate that football players believe that employee assistance programs need to be made available by football clubs. Although football officials consider the provision of employee assistance programs to be significant, they shifted the responsibility for its provision to football clubs. The results led to the conclusion that South African clubs must provide EAPs to improve the morale and performance of players. Direction for future research could focus on investigating the provision of EAPs by football clubs in Africa and in Europe to compare the differences between clubs that offer EAPs and clubs that do not.

Background                      European football has during the past decades seen a fast development towards a more professionalized and commercialized climate. This had led to the fact that a lot of clubs are run like any other company, and the focus on marketing and market shares has increased. To be able to create a strong brand clubs have to put a lot of work into marketing, not only of their own brand, but of their sponsors and partners as well. Purpose                              The purpose of this study is to (in step 1) analyze how two smaller Swedish football clubs build their brand and work with their marketing communication. In step 2, the purpose is to create a model of how these clubs may work to develop their brand and marketing communication. Method                              With a qualitative approach, the authors of this paper have analyzed text and documents as well as performed two in-depth interviews. Findings                             Both clubs lack a well-developed strategy regarding their work with their brand and marketing communication. However, there are in both cases factors that, if developed correctly, could help build a stronger brand and better the marketing communication. One of these factors is the clubs’ work with social responsibility. Conclusion                         There is an importance of creating a strong internal identity in order to be able to position the club and define the offer towards different segments. Through this comes the possibility to create a strong strategy for marketing communication.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify and compare the Swedish elite football clubs CSR work by investigating their economic, environmental and social efforts. Method: The paper has been completed with the help of a document study and two complementary interviews. Theoretical perspective: Corporate Social Performance Theory, Shareholder Value Theory, Stakeholder Theory and the Triple Bottom Line Theory form the theoretical framework. Empirical result & Analyses: All clubs were engaged in some form of social and economic activities that can be considered to be CSR-related. Examples of social activities that the football clubs carry out is to visit the children's hospital, providing homework assistance for children, give lectures in schools, organize spontaneous football in disadvantaged areas, helping young people to get in touch with potential employers, visit prisons, invite refugees to football games and help people with disabilities into working life. Only two clubs (Helsingborgs IF and BK Häcken) are engaged in environmentally friendly activities. Only two clubs (Helsingborgs IF and BK Häcken) engaged in environmentally friendly activities. These activities are to improve waste management at the football stadium and clean sweat to clean drinking water. Conclusions: There are major differences in the extent of CSR work performed by the clubs. Four clubs (AIK, Djurgårdens IF, IFK Göteborg and Halmstads BK) have their own service for CSR managers. In addition to these four, five clubs (IF Elfsborg, Helsingborgs IF, BK Häcken, Malmö FF and GIF Sundsvall) have named CSR projects. These nine clubs can be considered to be in the forefront regarding CSR issues compared to the rest of the clubs.

Th. doct. / Bibliogr. p. 297-305. Index.

Användningen av sociala medier både för klubbar och supportrar har sett en snabb ökning i fotbollssammanhang. Syftet och målen med användningen mellan dem skiljer sig däremot, där fotbollsklubbar är ute efter en potentiell källa som uppmuntrar ekonomiska möjligheter. Supportrars användning är kopplat till tillhörighet och engagemang, där exakta motiv och behov av en fotbollsklubbs sociala medier behöver identifieras. Denna studie syftar att undersöka supportrars behov av en mindre fotbollsklubbs sociala medier utifrån ett uses and gratifications perspektiv. Detta för att se om klubben tillfredsställer supportrarnas behov och uppmuntrar användning och engagemang för att se om en mindre klubb kan utnyttja de finansiella möjligheterna av sociala medier. Det undersöks även om Covid-19 pandemin har lett till ett ökat behov av sociala medier för supportrarna. Studien är baserad på Halmstads BK, som representerar en mindre fotbollsklubb, och dess supportrar. Tre kvalitativa intervjuer samt en enkätundersökning med 106 deltagare har genomförts utifrån studiens syfte. Resultatet visar att Halmstads BK:s supportrar använder sig primärt av klubbens sociala medier för att få information kring laget. Tillhörighet och interaktion är även ett identifierat behov hos supportrarna, däremot tillfredsställs inte behoven av klubben och kanalernas användning drabbas negativt. Pandemin tillförde inte heller ett utökat behov av klubbens medier utan återställde endast behovet till hur det var innan pandemin. I och med låg aktivitet på klubbens medier så är en finansiell modell runt sociala medier inte lämplig i nuläget. / Social media usage is rapidly increasing for football clubs and supporters. Their purpose with social media differs however, where a football club is looking for a potential source that encourages financial benefits. A supporter’s use of social media is linked to belonging and engagement, however their exact motives and needs must be identified. This study means to establish the needs of a club’s social media pages for supporters to a smaller club with a Uses and Gratifications perspective. By establishing the supporters' needs and gratifications sought and how well the club meets and encourages them, it can be determined how well a club is positioned to benefit from social media’s financial benefits. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on supporters needs of its club’s social media is also studied. This study is based on Halmstads BK, which represents a smaller football club, and its supporters. This study contains three qualitative interviews as well as a survey with 106 respondents. The result shows that Halmstads BK’s supporters primarily use the club’s social media to seek information about the team. Belonging and interaction is also an identified need that is currently not being met by the club which negatively impacts the channel's activity. The pandemic did not increase the supporters' need for the club’s social media but rather brought it back to how it was before the pandemic. Because of the low activity on the club’s channels a financial model around social media is not suitable at this moment.

Bakgrund: Elitfotbollsklubbar befinner sig i en speciell situation. Man verkar i en bransch där det råder svårigheter att generera tillräckligt med intäkter samtidigt som kostnader drivs upp med tanke på att man vill nå sportslig framgång. Det blir därför väldigt viktigt hur man hanterar sin ekonomi och styr den i rätt riktning.   Syfte: Syftet med denna uppsats är att beskriva och förklara vilken roll ekonomistyrningen har i svenska elitfotbollsklubbar. Vidare är syftet även att identifiera situationsfaktorer inom elitfotbollen och analysera hur dessa påverkar elitfotbollklubbars ekonomistyrning. Detta för att utveckla kunskaper om hur elitfotbollklubbars situation påverkar ekonomistyrningen och dess roll.   Metod: Uppsatsen är en kvalitativ intervjustudie. Den empiriska undersökningen har skett genom semi-strukturerade intervjuer. Intervjuerna har gjorts med antingen klubbchef, ekonomichef eller sportchef i sju olika klubbar.   Resultat och slutsatser: Elitfotbollsklubbar befinner sig i en osäker miljö där en väl implementerad ekonomistyrning är i det närmaste nödvändigt. Budgeten är det viktigaste styrmedlet för klubbarna men det används även en rad andra styrmedel som belöningssystem, prestationsmätning, kalkylering och benchmark. Situationsfaktorer som omgivning, kultur och storlek har bidragit till att klubbarna idag har en stor ekonomisk medvetenhet där ekonomiska resultat ska leda till det sportsliga. Vi har med denna studie kommit fram till att ekonomistyrningen har en avgörande roll för klubbarnas långsiktiga målsättningar. / Background: Elite football clubs exist in a special situation. They operates in a industry where its difficult to generate enough revenue, meantime costs are driven up due to their need of generate sucess in the sport. It therefore becomes very important how to manage their finances and steering it in the right direction.   Purpose: The purpose of this essay is to describe and explain the financials role in a number of Swedish elite football clubs.   Method: Our essay is a qualitative study where we mixed convenience- and quota sampling. The empirical gathering was conducted through interviews using a semi-structured approach. Interviews have been made with either a Club Manager, CFO or sports director in seven diffrent clubs.   Conclusions: Elite football club sexists in an uncertain enciroment in which a well-implementated managament control system is necessary. The budget is the most important instrument for the clubs, but there are also a number of other instruments such as compensations, performance measurement, calculation and benchmark. Situational factors such as enviroment, culure and size has contributed wich has led to that the clubs have a great economic awareness today where economic results will lead to the sport result. We have with this study concluded that financial management has played a critical role in the club´s long-term objectives.

The thesis deals with the selfhoods of the economics of professional sports clubs. Theoretical part shows the transition from traditional to contemporary professional sports financing with focusing on differences between european and american model. European union's attitude towards the problematics of professional sport is presented as well. Practital part of the thesis looks over the economics of professional football clubs in Europe. Revenues, expenditures and financing of the clubs are all examined in this part. Finally, thesis analyzes the potential threats to football clubs and provides with suggested regulatory actions.

This diploma thesis focuses on the processing of the analysis of the financial management of professional football clubs in the Czech Republic. Theoretical part deals with the financial reporting in the area of sport as a whole, further describes specifics of professional football clubs' financial management and serves as a starting point for the individual financial analysis of the clubs. Practical part contains the football clubs' analysis based on the previously explained theoretical knowledge. Ratio indicators and Altman Z -- score are used for the individual financial analysis. Furthermore, the whole economic branch is briefly summarized and identification of its characteristic features is provided. In conclusion, the results are discussed in detail and potential solution to the current situation is suggested.

<p><strong>Aim of the Thesis:</strong> To investigate the practice of using a CRM strategy in football clubs by comparing earlier successful and unsuccessful CRM implementations by football clubs and study fan relationship theories in a large Swedish football club, thereby presenting guidelines on how to further develop a CRM strategy in a Swedish football club.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Methodology: </strong>A quantitative approach and a qualitative approach have been used, first collecting empirical data on supporter views through a questionnaire further strengthened by gathering empirical data through an interview. The quantitative data has been presented with descriptive statistics and the qualitative data has been analyzed using a realist approach.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Theoretical Perspectives:</strong> A literature review has been conducted and resulted in a theoretical framework illustrating the concepts of benefits and risks with CRM, fan relationship marketing, CRM implementation process, CRM systems in football clubs, and supporter loyalty. A research model, “FRM implementation process” has been developed from the theoretical findings. </p><p> </p><p><strong>Empirical Data: </strong>The quantitative empirical data has been collected by distributing a questionnaire to supporters of AIK Fotboll. The qualitative empirical data has been collected through interviews with the head of sales and marketing within AIK Fotboll AB.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Conclusion</strong>:<strong> </strong>A CRM strategy can benefit Swedish football clubs in areas such as to better capture customer data, better communication between the club and its supporters and provide customized offers as long as the supporters are informed about the changes in strategy. In order for Swedish football clubs to successfully implement a CRM strategy they need to ensure adequate financing and management commitment since an unsuccessful implementation can be devastating to a Swedish football club’s finances.</p>