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From the Bottom to the Premiership: The Significance of the Supporters’ Movement in the Governance of Football Clubs in Poland

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Football and Supporter Activism in Europe

Part of the book series: Football Research in an Enlarged Europe ((FREE))

Abstract

The chapter offers an analysis of the cases of football clubs in Poland which experienced severe financial and organisational problems and were revived by their fans. Focusing on the examples of Lechia Gdańsk, Chrobry Głogów and Hutnik Nowa Huta, the chapter draws attention to different models of relationship between fans and the management of the clubs. Pointing at possible limitations of the development of clubs governed by fans, the author raises the question of when social participation is no longer enough and needs support from the outside (sponsors, local authorities, etc.). Distinctive emotional and cognitive correlates of attitudes toward the club, coupled with interpersonal bonds within the group, are an important predictor of action related to the activity and survival of the club. In the cases under discussion, supporters, often with hooligan background, have swapped their club scarves for ties and become responsible for the management of the club, raising sponsorship and making an impact on the local community.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    In 2012, Glasgow Rangers was relegated to the fourth level of competition in the Scottisch league system due to financial problems and debts. In the case of Portsmouth FC, financial problems (estimated debts of £135 million) have caused relegation to the fourth tier of English football (the club entered administration in 2010).

  2. 2.

    Note that these are not clubs from the fringes of Polish football, but include the champion of Poland (Szombierki), a Polish Cup winner (Lechia), clubs playing in European competitions (Odra, Hutnik), the Ekstraklasa (KSZO), and the Second League (Stilon, Chrobry).

  3. 3.

    This chapter is based on a research project financed by a grant (no. 2013/09/D/HS/6/00238) from the National Science Centre (Narodowe Centrum Nauki) in Poland. All interviews quoted in the text were conducted during the project in 2014 and 2015. The research project was dedicated to evaluate Polish fan culture in a broader sense (eg. cultural, performative, identity dimensions). The below article contains a part of empirical data from research.

  4. 4.

    The lack of trust toward club owners is not only a Polish phenomenon. Findings from the FREE Research Project show that 80.1 per cent of UK fans answer ‘Strongly agree’ and ‘Agree to an extent’ to the statement: We cannot always trust what club owners/presidents say’ (FREE Project, 2015a).

  5. 5.

    ‘Whereas inadequate performance in business tends to lead to the loss of customers followed by events such as internal restructuring, acquisition by new owners or liquidation, football clubs are highly resilient, even in the face of catastrophic failure on the field of play or on the balance sheet. This is due mainly to the highly loyal or fanatical nature of their customer base’ (Dobson and Goddar, 2004: 269–271).

  6. 6.

    10,000 złotys are worth roughly 2,300 euros.

  7. 7.

    The phrase ‘Our Club, Our Rules’ comes from the title of an article by A. Brown (2008) discussing FC United of Manchester, a fan-owned football club.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Philosophy, Sociology and Journalism, Gdańsk University, Gdańsk, Poland

    Radosław Kossakowski

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  1. Radosław Kossakowski
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Correspondence to Radosław Kossakowski .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Leicestershire, United Kingdom

    Borja García

  2. Centre for Global Sport & Recreation Studies, Department of Physical Education, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong

    Jinming Zheng

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Kossakowski, R. (2017). From the Bottom to the Premiership: The Significance of the Supporters’ Movement in the Governance of Football Clubs in Poland. In: García, B., Zheng, J. (eds) Football and Supporter Activism in Europe. Football Research in an Enlarged Europe. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48734-2_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48734-2_12

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