Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The demand for football: Some evidence on outcome uncertainty

  • Short Paper
  • Published:
Empirical Economics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper analyses the determinants of match attendances in the English Football League using an improved measure of match outcome uncertainty based on the probability of home team success. Explicit allowance is made for the level of core support as well as the potential non-linearities associated with home team success. The report results are striking and generally robust across all four divisions of the English Football League.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Cairns JA (1987) Evaluating changes in league structure: The reorganization of the Scottish Football League. Applied Economics 19:259–275

    Google Scholar 

  • Cairns JA, Jennett N, Sloane P (1986) The economics of professional team sports: A survey of theory and evidence. Journal of Economic Studies 13:3–80

    Google Scholar 

  • El-Hodiri M, Quirk J (1971) An economic model of a professional sports league. Journal of Political Economy 70:1302–1319

    Google Scholar 

  • Janssens P, Kesenne S (1987) Belgian soccer attendances. Tijdschrift voor Economie en Management XXXII:305–315

    Google Scholar 

  • Jennett N (1984) Attendances, uncertainty of outcome and policy in Scottish league football. Scottish Journal of Political Economy 31:176–188

    Google Scholar 

  • Peel DA, Thomas DA (1988) Outcome uncertainty and the demand for football: An analysis of match attendances in the English Football League. Scottish Journal of Political Economy 35:242–249

    Google Scholar 

  • Peel DA, Thomas DA (1989) Outcome uncertainty and the demand for football: Some further evidence, Aberystwyth Economic Research Papers, Occasional Paper No. 26

  • Pope PF, Peel DA (1989) Information, prices and efficiency in a fixed-odds betting market. Economica 56:323–341

    Google Scholar 

  • Rottenberg S (1956) The baseball players' labour market. Journal of Political Economy 64:242–258

    Google Scholar 

  • Theil H (1967) Economics and Information Theory. McGraw-Hill, Chicago

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Economics and Agricultural Economics, University College of Wales, SY23 3DB, Aberystwyth, Dyfed, UK

    D. A. Peel &  D. A. Thomas

Authors
  1. D. A. Peel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. D. A. Thomas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Peel, D.A., Thomas, D.A. The demand for football: Some evidence on outcome uncertainty. Empirical Economics 17, 323–331 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01206291

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01206291

Keywords

Search

Navigation