Using Research Skills

Report Collating Opinions Of Liverpool FC Fans On Premier League Ticket Prices At Anfield - 2012

Using Research Skills Ticket Prices At Anfield

Acknowledgements
Thank you to all of the participants who took part in the Are Ticket Prices For Premier League Games At Anfield Good Value For Money? questionnaire that was published on Poll Daddy on February 14 th 2012 and ran until 21st February 2012. Some special mentions; Gareth Roberts - Editor Of Well Red Magazine (@WellRedmagazine) Justin Heron Owner Of The Liverpool FC Fans Website Kop That (@kop_that) This Is Anfield An Independent Website For Liverpool Fans (@thisisanfield) Thank you for taking the time to share the questionnaire via your websites and social media. Pam Stanway Research Skills Tutor Thank you for the support throughout this research project.

Using Research Skills Ticket Prices At Anfield

Abstract
This research was conducted to find out whether Liverpool fans felt ticket prices were value for money. The hypothesis for this research focused on two sections of fans; those aged 25 and under and those aged 26 and over. An online questionnaire containing closed questions gained views from a variety of Liverpool fans. Participants were self selected. The alternative hypothesis was disproved and the null hypothesis was accepted. Despite this, results showed that in general Liverpool fans were unhappy with ticket prices. The questionnaire was effective in collecting easily quantifiable data. Graphs created from this data provided valid information for an in depth discussion concerning the views of Liverpool fans on ticket prices.

Using Research Skills Ticket Prices At Anfield

Contents Introduction Aim Alternative Hypothesis Null Hypothesis Predictions Method Design Variables Participants Materials Procedure Ethical Issues & Controls Results Findings Discussion Conclusion Relation To Previous Research Reliability Validity Objectivity Research Bias Improvements Relevance Of Findings Bibliography Appendices Appendix A Project Proposal Appendix B Project Activity Log Appendix C Draft Questionnaire Appendix D Completed Questionnaire Page 22 Page 23 Pages 24 - 26 Pages 27 - 30 Pages 6 - 8 Page 7 Page 7 Page 8 Page 8 Page 8 Page 8 Page 8 Page 8 Page 9 Pages 9 11 Page 11 Pages 12 19 Pages 18 19 Page 20 Page 20 Page 20 Page 20 Page 20 Page 20 Page 21 Page 21 Page 21 Page 31

Using Research Skills Ticket Prices At Anfield

Tables, Graphs & Illustrations

Figure 1.0 1996 Liverpool V Sunderland Match Day Programme Figure 1.1 2000 Liverpool V Sunderland Match Day Programme Figure 1.2 Opening To Questionnaire Figure 1.3 Questions Figure 1.4 Example Of Data Collected Figure 1.5 Age Range Of Participants Figure 1.6 Gender Of Participants Figure 1.7 How Many Premier League Matches Do You Attend? Figure 1.8 How Far Do You Travel To Get To Anfield? Figure 1.9 Ratings On Ticket Prices For Premier League Matches At Anfield Figure 2.0 Aspects Of A Match That Affect Perception Of Ticket Price Figure 2.1 Good Value In Comparison To 20 Years Ago? Figure 2.2 Lowering Ticket Prices A Good Idea? Figure 2.3 What Do You Consider A Fair Price? Figure 2.4 Ratings On Value For Money 18 25 Figure 2.5 Ratings On Value For Money 26 50+ Page 7 Page 7 Page 10 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 12 Page 13 Page 13 Page 14 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18

Using Research Skills Ticket Prices At Anfield

Introduction
Ticket prices are a major talking point within the world of football and none more so than in the Premier League. This research was focused on the prices of adult match tickets for a Premier League match at Anfield and a questionnaire was used to collect opinions from a wide variety of Liverpool fans. Before the questionnaire was created some background research was conducted to see how this topic had been analysed before. The Premier League and Football League websites provided two in depth fan surveys which included sections focused on ticket prices. The Premier League fan survey from 2007/2008 said that supporters' views on ticket prices within the league had shown a slight improvement over the last three years. (Premier League, National Fan Survey, 2007/2008) A graph titled Figure 6.23 Attitude towards ticket prices for league matches (Premier League, National Fan Survey, 2007/2008) put Liverpool in 11th place in terms of whether their fans rated ticket prices Very Good, Good, Poor or Very Poor. Liverpool were just above the Premier League average which was based on 13% of fans Very Good, 30% of fans Good, 17% of fans Poor and 8% of fans Very Poor. The Football League fan survey from 2010 provided some up to date opinions and offered a different angle to the findings from the Premier League. A value for money question; Do you consider tickets to Football League matches to offer... (Football League Supporters Survey, 2010) saw the answer of Fair Value For Money gain the highest response. Whilst conducting background research, details on several theories for fans attending sports events were found. A PowerPoint (Sports Fans And Heroes) discussed theories such as The Entertainment Theory. This suggested that fans attend sports events for one or more specific components of a game that provide enjoyment or pleasure. This is relevant to the research because question six of the questionnaire asks what aspects of a football match affect a person's perception of ticket prices being value for money. Research conducted by the Bank Of England (Inflation-busting football match day ticket prices, 2011) also brought up information on ticket prices having increased by 1000% at Anfield since 1990. A topical news story within the footballing world concerning the FA Cup quarter final tie between Liverpool and Stoke at Anfield in March 2012 showed that Stoke decided to subsidise tickets so that their fans would fill the allocation and only have to pay 20 (Stoke City to subsidise fans, 2012). This is relevant to the research because questions eight and nine of the questionnaire asked for fans opinions on Liverpool Football Club lowering ticket prices. Another secondary source coming from two Liverpool Football Club Programmes from 1996 (Liverpool V Sunderland, 1996) and 2000 (Liverpool V Sunderland, 2000) shows the increase of ticket prices sharply in just four years. A Premier League match ticket in the Kop Grandstand in 1996 would have cost 14 but by 2000 there was a maximum ticket price of 21 in the same stand. It can also be seen from this source that by the year 2000, categories to games had been introduced and this is another aspect within football that affects modern day ticket prices, Liverpool Football Club in the present day have three separate categories for Premier League games. The price of a ticket in the Kop Grandstand for a Category A Premier League game is 45, Category B is 42 and Category C is 39 (Liverpool FC Official Website).

Using Research Skills Ticket Prices At Anfield

Figure 1.0

(1996, Liverpool V Sunderland)

Figure 1.1

(2000, Liverpool V Sunderland) With a sufficient amount of background information and material it was decided that research would go ahead on the chosen topic Adult Premier League Ticket Prices For Premier League Matches At Anfield.

Aim
To find out whether Liverpool fans feel the price they pay for an adult match ticket to watch a Premier League game at Anfield is value for money.

Alternative Hypothesis
Fans who are 25 and under will consider match tickets better value for money compared to fans that are 26 and over.

Using Research Skills Ticket Prices At Anfield

Null Hypothesis
There will be no significant difference in views on value for money from fans who are 25 and under and those who are 26 and over.

Predictions
The majority of fans who want to see a reduction in ticket prices will select the 16 - 25 bracket. Generally, fans will be unhappy with ticket prices at Anfield.

Method Design
A questionnaire was used because the aim was to find out people's opinions on a subjective topic. If an experiment was chosen there would not have been an opportunity to gain opinions and views on the subject area. The questionnaire method allowed the survey to be tailored and specifically aimed at the target group; Liverpool FC fans. Example questions were studied in the Premier League and Football League fan surveys and so there was a clear idea of the direction the questions were going to go. Closed questions were chosen as opposed to open ended because this allowed for strong quantitative data that could easily be analysed and collated. In the original project proposal it was mentioned that open ended questions should provide a lot of views (Appendix A) however it was later decided that closed ended questions were the better option.

Variables
The independent variable is the age of the participants and the dependent variable is whether ticket prices for a Premier League match at Anfield are regarded as good value for money.

Participants
In total there were 285 participants for the questionnaire. After filtering the information, 19 participants had to be removed because they answered 17 & Under to the question How Old Are You? Unfortunately views were required from adults (18+) on ticket prices and so the aforementioned 19 sets of answers could not be used. The age range of the participants was from 18 50+. The over 50s were grouped together because not as many responses from this age group were expected due to the questionnaire being electronic. The participants consisted of 225 Males (85%) and 41 Females (15%).

Using Research Skills Ticket Prices At Anfield

Materials
A draft questionnaire was originally created and saved as a hard copy (Appendix C). The draft copy was then converted to an electronic copy on the website Poll Daddy (Appendix D). This site allows users to create free questionnaires with up to 10 questions. Poll Daddy was chosen because it was a website with good ratings and had a high quality interface. With most of the target participants being web users it was decided an electronic version of the questionnaire was the most appropriate. Age and gender were asked for to gain information about the participant without it becoming too intrusive. Age was also required to help prove or disprove the alternative hypothesis. The question concerning the amount of Anfield games attended was asked so that a fairer analysis could be created on the basis that people who attend more games would possibly have stronger opinions on ticket prices than those who don't attend or rarely attend at all. The distance travelled was asked for so that an idea of how far people travel to get to matches could be noted. The idea of this was that the further people travel perhaps the more money they are willing to pay considering that they are already spending ample amounts on travel costs to get to Anfield. Question number five on value for money was the main aspect of the questionnaire. This was to assess what people's views were on adult ticket prices for Premier League matches at Anfield. With five answers as options this allowed for an average or middle ground answer which in this case was Good Value For Money. The question about what aspects of a football match affected participants' perception of value for money was asked because different opinions were required on this matter. Fans attend football games for a variety of reasons and it was important to find out why fans keep spending their money to attend Anfield. Question seven was a simple yes or no answer and it was there to see what people's views were on today's average adult ticket prices compared to that of 20 years ago. The price for the cheapest adult ticket at Anfield 20 years ago on average was 4 compared to 45 for the average in 2011. (Inflation-busting football match day ticket prices, 2011). Question eight was asked to discover whether participants would like to see a drop in Premier League match ticket prices at Anfield and Question nine followed to see what their opinions were on how much it should drop by.

Procedure
The chosen sampling method in this research was self selection and so the participants were never physically asked to take part. A participant would have seen the link to the questionnaire posted online, most likely within a social network and then decided whether they wanted to complete the questionnaire and take part in the research. If a participant decided to go ahead with the questionnaire upon selecting the link they would be referred to this page.

Using Research Skills Ticket Prices At Anfield

Figure 1.2

The image above is a print screen of the opening page to the questionnaire. The participant was made aware of who was asking the questions, what the questionnaire was for and they were also made aware of how to withdraw information if they decided they no longer wanted to take part in the research. Once the participant had decided to start the questionnaire, a string of nine questions (Appendix D) were given. The participant could select an answer to each question using their mouse alone because none of the questions required typed out information. Below is an example of how the questions would appear to the participant. Figure 1.3

When the participants had completed the questionnaire their answers were sent to the Poll Daddy database. Each question allowed for one response only aside from question six which allowed the participants to select up to three aspects. Below is a print screen showing some of the data collected after the questionnaire was closed.

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Using Research Skills Ticket Prices At Anfield

Figure 1.4

After the questionnaire was closed, all of the data was collected and saved within the Poll Daddy database and messages were sent out through social networks explaining to participants that the questionnaire had now closed and when a report on the research was completed it would aim to be available online (Issuu).

Ethical Issues & Controls

A briefing at the start of the questionnaire made participants fully aware of what was required from them and what would happen to their answers after they had completed the questionnaire. This was a control measure put in place to ensure the participants felt comfortable. Another measure put into place was the removal of answers from the participants aged 17 & Under. This was in the first instance due to the research requiring answers only from those aged 18+ but informed consent was also taken into account. If any participants were under 16, consent from a parent or guardian would have been required and this would have raised difficulties in completing the research on time.

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Using Research Skills Ticket Prices At Anfield

Results

Figure 1.5
200 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 18 - 25

Age Range Of Participants

26 49

50 and over

The first question of nine was a request for the participant's age, the image above portrays the responses in graphical form. It is clear that the largest group of participants were from the age range 26 49. To be precise 175 of the participants were aged 26 49. 62 of the participants were aged 18 25 and 29 were aged 50 and over. The hypothesis for this research was highly focused on the under 26s and so it would have been stronger if there were more participants aged 18 25. However due to the overall amount of participants, trends and a general consensus could still be seen. Figure 1.6

Gender Of Participants
250 200 150 100 50 0 Male Female

The above graph shows the gender of the participants. There is a clear cut difference with 225 of the participants being male and just 41 being female. This did not have a dramatic affect on the research because the hypothesis does not take gender into consideration.
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Figure 1.7

How many Premier League matches do you attend at Anfield in an average season?
32% 43%

05 6 14 15 and over

25%
The pie chart above displays the percentage of participants attending different amounts of Premier League games at Anfield. 43% of participants said they only attended Anfield for Premier League games 0-5 times in an average season but 57% said they attended 6 or more. It was an encouraging sign for the research that a high percentage (32%) of participants said they attended 15 or more matches in an average season. Fans who attend a high proportion of league games would be expected to have a better perception of value for money.

Figure 1.8

How far do you travel to get to Anfield?

23%
10 miles and under 11 30 miles 31 40 miles 41 50 miles 51 60 miles 61 70 miles 71 80 miles 81 90 miles 91 100 miles 101 miles and over

42%

15%

5%

3% 3%

2% 3% 2%

3%

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Using Research Skills Ticket Prices At Anfield

The pie chart above shows the distances that participants have to travel in order to get to Anfield. It was interesting that the two extremes; 10 miles & Under and 101 miles & over had the highest amount of responses. 42% of participants said they would have to travel 101 miles or more in order to get to Anfield for a Premier League game. This would generally be seen to have an effect on a participants perception on value for money because if the participant is willing to pay the money to travel more t han 101 miles they perhaps wouldn't disagree with most ticket prices at Anfield. Figure 1.9

In terms of price do you consider adult ticket prices for Premier League matches at Anfield...
160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 Very Poor Poor Good Very Good Excellent

141

82

11

26 6

The graph above shows the responses to the key question within the questionnaire. 141 participants rated ticket prices for Premier League matches at Anfield as Good. This answer represented the middle ground, so in a sense the participants weren't overwhelmed with the ticket prices but they didn't feel they were poor either. Either side of the central bar (Good) there is an increased amount to the left in the poor group compared to the very good and excellent on the right. This is important because when totalling Good, Very Good and Excellent we have a smaller value compared to the sum of Good, Poor and Very Poor thus meaning that in general Liverpool fans are unhappy with ticket prices for Premier League games or at best content.

Figure 2.0

What aspects of a match at Anfield affect your perception of the ticket price being good value for money?
Good Stewarding

35 18 8 70 190 38 48 113 213

0 50 100 150 200 250

Good Service At Food And Betting Outlets Pre-match and Half Time Entertainment Entertaining Playing Style Performance On The Pitch Friendly Staff Amount Of Fans In Stadium Results Atmosphere

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Using Research Skills Ticket Prices At Anfield

The above graph shows what aspects of a football match affected the participants perception of the ticket price being Good Value For Money. For this particular question participants were al lowed to select a minimum of one response and a maximum of three, because of this the results may be slightly deceptive. However, it is clear that the aspects affecting fans perceptions the most are those concerning the match itself and the atmosphere. The top three answers were Atmosphere 213, Performance on the pitch 190 and Results 113. These answers suggest that participants only see the current Liverpool ticket prices as good value for money when the team is performing well. The fact that the atmosphere plays a big part is also interesting because good performances on the pitch and results tend to create a better atmosphere and thus a cycle is created.

Do you think prices for an adult Premier League match ticket at Anfield are good value in comparison to ticket prices 20 years ago?
Figure 2.1

9%

17%
Yes No Somewhat

74%
The pie chart above displays whether participants felt ticket prices on average at Anfield today were good value for money in comparison to average prices 20 years ago. Average ticket prices at Anfield 20 years ago were 4 whereas today's average is 45 (Inflation-busting football match day ticket prices, 2011). Just under three quarters of participants said they did not think today's ticket prices were good value for money in comparison. Taking into account aspects such as inflation it is evident that fans still think ticket prices are too high and that the experience of a football match at Anf ield is not Value For Money when considering the amount paid for a ticket.

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Using Research Skills Ticket Prices At Anfield

If Liverpool Football Club offered to lower ticket prices for Premier League matches at Anfield would you feel this was a good idea?
Figure 2.2

12%

Yes No

88%
In the penultimate question, participants were asked if they felt it would be a good idea for Liverpool Football Club to reduce ticket prices. A resounding 88% of the 266 participants said they did think lowering ticket prices was a good idea. In partnership with the next graph it becomes clear that fans want to see a reduction but they are not asking for any drastic cuts.

If you answered yes to the above question what would you consider to be a fair price for an average Premier League match at Anfield?
Figure 2.3

0% 10% 2%

12%
N/A 5 and under 6 - 15 16 - 25 26 - 35 36 - 44

21%

56%

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Using Research Skills Ticket Prices At Anfield

The final question asked those participants who ans wered yes to whether they thought lowering ticket prices was a good idea, how much they would like to see ticket prices reduced by. The above pie chart shows that the majority of participants would like to see ticket prices for Premier League matches at Anfield drop to 26 - 35. This is interesting because going on the highest value of that bracket, it equates to only a 10 cut from the current average of 45. When conducting this research it was anticipated that for this question the majority of participants would select 16 - 25. After collecting the data and creating graphs and charts for the responses to each question it was then possible to create specific graphs aimed at displaying information that proved or disproved the alternative hypothesis. Figure 2.4

Ratings On Value For Money From 18-25 Age Group

35 30

29 21

Amount Of Respondents

25 20 15 10 5 0 Very Poor

6 2
Poor Good Very Good Excellent

Ticket Price Rating In Terms Of Value For Money

The above graph shows the ratings on value for money from the 18 25s. In the alternative hypothesis it was stated that Fans who are 25 and under will consider match tickets better valu e for money compared to fans that are 26 and over. For the purposes of this research when looking at ratings on value for money the response Good was included in both the calculations for Poor, Very Poor and for Very Good, Excellent. Looking at the graph above it is clear the majority of participants in this age category thought ticket prices for Premier League matches at Anfield represented Good Value For Money. The sum of ratings for Good and upwards is 37 responses whilst for Good and downwards it is 54. Immediately this suggests that the hypothesis is being disproved however there are some comparisons to make with the graph for the 26 50+. It is also important to remember that only 62 of the 266 participants were aged between 18 and 25.

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Using Research Skills Ticket Prices At Anfield

Figure 2.5

Ratings On Value For Money From 26 - 50+ Age Group

120 100

112

Amount Of Respondents

80

61
60 40

20
20 0 Very Poor Poor Good Very Good Excellent

Ticket Price Rating In Terms Of Value For Money

This graph shows the responses from participants aged 26 and over, there were 204 respondents in this age group. The hypothesis states that this age group will consider match tickets less value for money compared to the 18 25s. Similarly to the previous graph, the most popular response on ratings for ticket prices for Premier League matches at Anfield was Good. The sum of responses for Good, Poor and Very Poor was 180. This graph does begin to prove the hypothesis because there are a greater proportion of respondents selecting ratings for Good and below compared to Good and above.

Findings
The results show that overall fans of all ages consider ticket prices for Premier League matches at Anfield Good. When considering that Good was the average answer this perhaps proves that fans are content with ticket prices but would be happy with reductions. It is clear that fans would like to see a reduction in ticket prices because 88% of the 266 participants said it would be a good idea for Liverpool Football Club to lower ticket prices for Premier League matches at Anfield. Whilst fans do appear to want a reduction in ticket prices they are requesting cuts of 10 - 19 which in comparison to some of the other options is reasonable. It is also interesting to note that whilst the majority of fans selected Good as t heir rating on value for money, 74% of fans still thought that today's prices in comparison to those 20 years ago were not good value for money. These findings could perhaps reflect on the fact that Liverpool Football Club were a lot more successful 20 years ago in comparison to today, we know from the graph showing aspects that affect perceptions of value for money that performances and results were important and so the footballing success 20 years ago for Liverpool may have played a part in the ticket prices being seen by fans as better value for money.

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Using Research Skills Ticket Prices At Anfield

The hypothesis; Fans who are 25 and under will consider match tickets better value for money compared to fans that are 26 and over. 60% 87% 13% 40% 67% 88% 12% 33% of of of of of of of of fans fans fans fans fans fans fans fans aged 18 aged 18 aged 18 aged 18 25 25 25 25 considered ticket considered ticket considered ticket considered ticket prices prices prices prices Good value for money or better. Good value for money or worse. Very Good or Excellent value for money. Poor or Very Poor value for money.

aged 26+ aged 26+ aged 26+ aged 26+

considered ticket considered ticket considered ticket considered ticket

prices prices prices prices

Good value for money or better. Good value for money or worse. Very Good or Excellent value for money. Poor or Very Poor value for money.

(Please note: Totals for each age group do not add up to 100% because Good was considered in both ends of the scale.) When looking at the percentages it is apparent that there are no drastic differences between the two age groups. Fans who were 18 25 were supposed to see ticket prices as better value for money (60%) but a higher percentage of fans aged 26 and over considered ticket prices good value for money or better (67%). The 26 and overs have a slightly higher percentage (88%) for ratings of Good and lower but in comparison to the percentage of 18 25s that also think this (87%) there is no significant difference. It is also very interesting that 7% more fans from the 18 25s compared to the 26 and overs selected the lowest ratings of Poor and Very Poor. A slightly higher percentage of 13% for fans aged 18 25 compared to the 12% of fans 26 and over selected the two highest ratings of Very Good and Excellent but again these results are not significant enough to prove the hypothesis. Therefore the alternative hypothesis is rejected whilst the null hypothesis is now accepted; There will be no significant difference in views on value for money from fans who are 25 and under and those that are 26 and over. Despite the original hypothesis being disproved the prediction that fans will generally be unhappy with current ticket prices for Premier League matches at Anfield is proved. 40% of 18 25s said they thought value for money was Poor or Very Poor joined by 33% of fans aged 26 and over. When combining the totals of the ratings good value for money and upwards compared to the total of ratings for good value for money and downwards it is also clear that there is a higher amount of responses from both sets of fans for good value for money and downwards. 87% for 18 25s and 88% for 26 and overs. This research has shown that Liverpool FC Fans in general are not happy with the current ticket prices for Premier League matches at Anfield. After this report was completed it became clear that more research into this subject could help encourage Liverpool Football Club to talk to its fans and try to come to a compromise. Steps are already being made within the football club in order to remain in touch with the fans such as the recent introduction of a Supporters' Committee (The Supporters' Committee In Full) and so it would be reasonable to suggest that this topic is further discussed within this sort of environment. Football in the present day is as much about business as it is about providing entertainment but it is important that opinions are taken into account.

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Discussion
In this section the report aims to summarise findings and methods used within the research.

Conclusion
The alternative hypothesis for the outcome of this research had to be rejected whilst the null hypothesis was accepted. Despite the alternative hypothesis having to be rejected the findings of the research were still relevant. The research collated data from a variety of Liverpool fans over a wide area and helped shine a light on a current topic affecting not just Liverpool Football Club but football clubs throughout the English leagues. The research also helped support the widely accepted opinion that ticket prices at Anfield for Premier League matches are too high. A substantial amount of participants would have accepted a drop in ticket prices if Liverpool Football Club offered to do so.

Relation To Previous Research

This research was very similar to sections of the surveys conducted by the Premier League (Premier League, National Fan Survey, 2007/2008) and Football League (Football League Supporters Survey, 2010). These surveys however did not focus solely on ticket prices and the questions were given to a variety of clubs not a single Premier League team. In terms of research aimed specifically at Liverpool Football Club's Premier League ticket prices there was little research. The Premier League and Football League fan surveys didn't have hypotheses but their aims were the same as this research; to find out opinions from football fans on topical subjects.

Reliability
The reliability of this research is relatively high. It would be considered easy to repeat this research because the questions are available to view and so too are the alternative and null hypothesis. The variables within this research were not controlled due to participants completing the questionnaire online and so there are no specific controls needed in order to repeat this research.

Validity
This research has been very valuable when looking at the topic of ticket prices for Premier League matches at Anfield. The research is valid due to the amount of participants (266) and the questions asked. Although some questions such as asking for a participants gender did not necessarily aid the research, the majority of the nine questions did. Requesting for a rating on value for money was the most important aspect and coupled with asking for participants ages, this ensured that the hypothesis could be investigated and therefore gave the research high validity.

Objectivity
This research was regarded as objective due to the methods used. By using a questionnaire with closed questions this meant data collected was quantitative. If open ended questions were asked, qualitative data would have been received. When using qualitative data subjectivity comes in to play, this is because if a person writes down their opinion a researcher will then have to judge whether this opinion is good or bad. The objectivity of this research also added to its validity and reliability.

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Research Bias
Throughout the research, efforts were made to make sure data was collected fairly however some elements of bias may have occurred. It is important to remember that at the start of the questionnaire participants were made aware that the researcher was a Liverpool fan. It is unlikely but possible that some participants therefore changed their answers when completing the questionnaire for fear of offending the researcher. The topic of ticket prices however should have encouraged honest opinions and after looking at the results it is hoped that the majority of the participants responded truthfully.

Improvements
The main problem faced during this research was the lack of balance between the age groups. 204 of the participants were aged 26 and over whilst only 62 were aged 18 25. Given the chance to complete this research again efforts would be made to put a cap on the number of participants. For example a quota of 100 participants for both age groups could be set. The questionnaire would then close once the quotas had been reached. Creating balance would definitely be an improvement but due to using percentages to talk about the findings of this research, the report was not significantly affected. Another improvement that would be suggested should this research be completed again would be the inclusion of an extra question. Within the research the question asking about the distance participants travelled to Anfield was judged to have an effect on their perceptions of value for money. Similarly if for example participant A was earning more money than participant B, this could also have an effect on their perception of ticket prices. To combat this another question co uld be included i.e. On average what is your household income?

Relevance Of Findings
The findings of this research will be of interest to the majority of Liverpool Football Club fans. When looking at the wider options this research may be valid to Liverpool Football Club itself (Liverpool FC Official Website) and Anfield Stadium. The website This Is Anfield requested for the findings before the report was completed and so this proves that websites focused on Liverpool Football Club may find this report relevant.

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Appendices
A)

Project Proposal
What is to be investigated? - What is your research question? Ticket prices. Are ticket prices for a Premier League match at Anfield rated as good value for money by fans? Outline briefly your investigation aim. To find out whether Liverpool fans feel the price they pay to see a Premier League match at Anfield is worth it. Outline briefly how it is to be investigated. Questionnaire Poll Daddy a website which allows surveys to be created for free with up to 10 questions. I will also put the questionnaire on to my Liverpool blog's Facebook page. I will also tweet the questionnaire and request the editor of Well Red Magazine (A Liverpool Magazine) to tweet it from his account too. Secondary research will include surveys already released by the Premier League and the Football League. I will also collect data from newspaper articles and websites. What is the probable outcome of the investigation? Varied results, some people will think tickets are good value for money whereas others won't. Opinions from open ended questions should provide a lot of views. Write below a hypothesis for your research investigation: Fans who are 25 and under will consider match tickets better value for money compared to fans that are 26 and over. Is your hypothesis experimental or alternative? Alternative. Is your hypothesis one tailed or two tailed? One tailed.

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B)

Project Activity Log

Date 17/01/12 Week Commencing 24/01/2012 Week Commencing 31/01/2012 Week Commencing 07/02/2012 Week Commencing 21/02/2012 Week Commencing 28/02/2012 Week Commencing 06/03/12 Week Commencing 13/03/2012 Week Commencing 20/03/2012 Week Commencing 27/03/12 Week Commencing Comments Developed research proposal after choosing Premier League ticket prices at Anfield as my topic. Emailed proposal to tutor. Collected secondary data from Premier League and Football League websites. Decided on questionnaire as primary method for research. Decided to make hard copy of questionnaire and to use the website Poll Daddy to make it electronic at a later date. Decided my sample would be collected from Twitter and other social media outlets. Created an introduction. Put survey live from 14th February to 21st February and gained 285 responses. Started on method and also creating a front page for the report. Began to filter and collate answers. Also found extra secondary sources. This day involved no lesson at college and so I worked on an introduction and acknowledgements at home. I also began to put my data into graphs. I continued to work on creating graphs and filtering my information. I faced a problem in this lesson as 1 of the participants answers disappeared from the online results. However when I returned home I got more time to add filters and sift through the results online and I found the missing set of answers. I began to place graphs and charts into the results section of my report. I also started to summarise the graphs and charts. Finished the work that I started in the previous lesson and began to make a start on the discussion. I also added a Findings section. Created abstract. Finished off discussion. Added hyperlinks to the contents page. Completed lists for Appendices and Graphs and added Appendix items electronically to the report. Created back page.

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C)

Draft Questionnaire
A Questionnaire To Find Out If Ticket Prices For A Premier League Match At Anfield Are Good Value For Money. Intro This is a questionnaire by Kirsty Whittaker. I'm a 22 year old Liverpool fan from Wolverhampton looking to do some research into adult ticket prices for Premier League matches at Anfield. I would like your answers in order to help me research this topic in further detail and hopefully draw some conclusions from the results. You are entitled to withdraw your information at anytime by emailing me at lfckirstylfc@hotmail.co.uk. No personal information is asked for other than age and gender. By completing the following questionnaire you are giving your consent and therefore allowing me to use your answers within my research. Thank you for your time. 1) How Old Are You? 17 & Under 18 -25 26-49 50 & Over 2) Gender? Male Female

3) How many Premier League matches do you attend at Anfield in an average season? 0-5 6-14 15+ 4) How far do you travel to get to Anfield? 10 Miles & Under 11 30 Miles 31 40 Miles 41 50 Miles 51 60 Miles 61 70 Miles 71 80 Miles

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81 90 Miles 91 100 Miles 101 Miles & Over 5) In terms of price do you consider adult ticket prices for Premier League matches at Anfield... Excellent Value For Money Very Good Value For Money Good Value For Money Poor Value For Money Very Poor Value For Money 6) What aspects of a match at Anfield affect your perception of the ticket price being good value for money? Atmosphere Performance On The Pitch Results Good Stewarding Friendly Staff Good Service At Food & Betting Outlets Amount Of Fans In Stadium Pre Match And Half Time Entertainment Entertaining Playing Style 7) Do you think prices for an adult Premier League match ticket at Anfield are good value in comparison to ticket prices 20 years ago? (Average 20 years ago = 4. Average today = 45) Yes No Somewhat 8) If Liverpool Football Club offered to lower ticket prices for Premier League matches at Anfield would you feel this was a good idea? Yes No

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9) If you answered yes to the above question what would you consider to be a fair price for an average Premier League match at Anfield? (Current average 45) N/A 5 & Under 6-15 16-25 26 35 36 44 Thank you for completing the questionnaire. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to email me at lfckirstylfc@hotmail.co.uk or tweet @LFCKirstyLFC.

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D)

Example Of Completed Questionnaire Participant Chosen At Random (Print Screens)

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Bibliography
(1996) Liverpool V Sunderland FA Carling Premiership Match Day Programme. (2000) Liverpool V Sunderland FA Carling Premiership Match Day Programme. Anfield Image On Back Page. [Online] Available from: http://www.cpliverpool.com/assets/images/heros/anfield.jpg [Accessed 12th April 2012] Inflation-busting football match day ticket prices. [Online] August 2011. Available from: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/news/article-2027382/Premier-League-football-tickets-soar-1-000decades.html [Accessed 24th February 2012] Issuu. [Online] Available from: http://issuu.com/ [Accessed 12th April 2012] Kop That. [Online] Available from: http://kopthat.co.uk/ [Accessed 24th February 2012] Liver Bird Image On Front Page Background. [Online] Available from: http://www.lfcflags.webs.com/ [Accessed 22nd February 2012] Liverpool FC Crest. [Online] Available from: http://lh3.ggpht.com/_YmB4UdAOkE/SOlmsHKtUxI/AAAAAAAABzA/sT0ftY_duYI/liverpool-fc-crest.jpg [Accessed 22nd February 2012] Liverpool FC Official Website. [Online] Available from: www.liverpoolfc.tv [Accessed 2nd April 2012] Poll Daddy Logo. [Online] Available from: http://www.mainewomensnetwork.com/Resources/Pictures/polldaddy.jpg [Accessed 22nd February 2012] Poll Daddy. [Online] Available from: www.polldaddy.com [Accessed 24th February 2012] Premier League Logo. [Online] Available from: www.premierleague.com [Accessed 22nd February 2012] Premier League. National Fan Survey 2007/2008. [Online] Available from: http://www.premierleague.com/content/dam/premierleague/site-content/News/publications/fansurveys/national-fan-survey-2007-08.pdf [Accessed 23rd February 2012] Sports Fans And Heroes PowerPoint. [Online] Available from: ajvisek.com/ss493H/ClassNotes8_SportFansandHeroes.ppt [Accessed 27th March 2012] Stoke City To Subsidise Fans. [Online] March 2012. Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17223782 [Accessed 19th March 2012] The Football League Supporters Survey 2012. [Online] Available from: http://www.footballleague.co.uk/staticFiles/65/51/0,,10794~151909,00.pdf [Accessed 23rd February 2012] This Is Anfield. [Online] Available from: http://www.thisisanfield.com/ [Accessed 24th February 2012] The Liver Bird. [Online] Available from: http://theliverbirdsblog.blogspot.com [Accessed 13th March 2012] The Supporters' Committee In Full. [Online] Available from: http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latestnews/the-supporters-committee-in-full [Accessed 12th April 2012] Well Red Magazine. [Online] Available from: http://liverpoolfc.wellredmag.co.uk/ [Accessed 24th February 2012]

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Using Research Skills Report Collating Opinions Of Liverpool FC Fans On Premier 32 League Ticket Prices At Anfield 2012 Kirsty Whittaker