A factor analytical study of the dimensions of sportscapes in selected soccer stadia in Gauteng, South Africa

Abstract

Central to the game of soccer are the spectators who are key constituents of the sport. The environment within which the game is staged also plays a vital role with regard to spectator attendance. Once a spectator enters a sport stadium, the physical environment and the experience of the game may lead to a relationship with the environment, resulting in revisiting the sport facility or avoiding the environment. The purpose of the study was to establish the salient sportscapes components that spectators take cognisance of when attending professional soccer matches. The target population consisted of spectators attending games at Soccer City Stadium (formerly FNB Stadium) and Orlando Stadium in Soweto in the Gauteng province. The survey comprised 170 male and female respondents, eighteen years and above. To ensure randomisation every fourth spectator entering the stadiums was interviewed. Factor analysis was used to ascertain the various sportscape dimensions. This procedure resulted in the extraction of seven meaningful factors which were labelled as scoreboard quality, refreshment provisioning, facility aesthetics, space allocation, stadium accessibility, seating comfort and stadium cleanliness. The results indicate that in order for developers and stadium managers to maintain sustained patronage, all sportscape attributes need to be enhanced in order to create a total sport experience for spectators as opposed to focusing on a single dimension. By fulfilling spectators’ expectations, sport marketers can ensure that spectators are satisfied with their game experiences and the physical environment which in turn would assist in spectator attendance.

Keywords: Atmospherics, servicescapes, sportscapes, factor analysis, approach behaviour,
avoidance behaviour.