Views of Turkish Football Super League (Süperlig) Fans on Fanaticism and Violence

Abstract

The objective of this research is to examine the violent and fanatical tendencies of Turkish Football Süperlig team supporters in Ankara, their attitudes towards preventing violence and their views on violence. This research uses the quantitative method and is based on the relational survey model. The research sample group comprises of 754 individuals. The Football Supporter Fanaticism Scale (FSFS) was used in the research to collect data in this research. A Significant difference was not established between football fans' views on fanaticism and violence on the basis of their gender. However, a significant difference was identified between the opinions of football fans on fanaticism and violence based on the variable that is the team they support, on the sub-scale of the tendency towards violent thoughts and actions. A significant difference was not found with respect to the sub-scale of institutional attachment. According to the fans, one of the primary subjects regarding violence in football that must be highlighted is the level of education of the fans. Additionally, it was identified that gender, as well as the economic level of the supporters, is also influential on the appearance of violence. As a result, it is evident that factors such as education, age, income status are impactful with respect to the violent actions of football fans.