More choice for England fans as summer watch zones launch

National World - LocalTV

As England gear up for a packed summer of football, some fans are turning away from pubs and stadiums - and choosing new kinds of spaces to watch the game. In Birmingham, alternative fan zones are offering more relaxed matchday options. This report looks at what that shift says about modern football culture.

Transcript

00:00For most people, football's always been more than the match.

00:04It's about the atmosphere, the crowd, the ritual.

00:07But not everyone wants the same matchday experience.

00:10Some want the noise in the pub, others want something more relaxed

00:13or somewhere they can bring their kids.

00:16That's where these newer venues come in, not to replace what already exists,

00:20but to add more choice.

00:22Because when fans have options, more of them show up

00:25and that can only be good for the game.

00:27We've seen such a brilliant and diverse range of a fan base

00:32that have come to watch with us.

00:33Whether they're here to watch on the big screen,

00:36whether they're in boxes participating.

00:38And I think the unique thing with these big tournaments

00:41is they really encourage participation,

00:44they inspire and they bring people together.

00:47And I think that's what we've really started to see

00:50with this movement in women's football in particular.

00:53If you're not into drinking or big crowds

00:55or being crammed into a packed room,

00:58a lot of matchday venues can feel off-putting.

01:01Doesn't mean they're wrong, it just means they're not for everyone.

01:04For football to reach more people,

01:06the culture around it has to offer a few different ways in.

01:10You can still have passion and pride in a quieter setting

01:12and not everyone who loves football

01:14wants to yell at a screen to prove it.

01:16So I think when it comes to somewhere like Toka Social,

01:20the big difference is, number one,

01:23that everybody is welcome to be part of this.

01:26I think number two is that we all, I think,

01:30are sort of gunning sportsmen at heart.

01:32And when we get to watch the game,

01:34there's nothing better than being able to get into a box

01:36and participate too.

01:38I think it doesn't hurt when you can be somewhere

01:41where there's great food and drink,

01:42whether you're with your family, with your friends

01:45or with your colleagues with work.

01:47So really, it's all about that 360 experience.

01:51And now I think, rightly so,

01:53a lot of fans are looking for something more

01:55than just the standard pint

01:57and maybe 50% view of a screen.

01:59What venues are like this offer is a middle ground.

02:02You can still get the buzz of a shared screen

02:04and the feeling of being part of something.

02:07But it's not all or nothing.

02:08You don't have to drink, you don't have to stand

02:10and you don't need to prove you're a real fan to be there.

02:13That opens the door to different kinds of fans,

02:16older ones, younger ones

02:17and those who maybe never saw match day

02:20as something for them in the first place.

02:23I think there is, without doubt,

02:25a really, really positive shift

02:27in fan culture at the moment.

02:29I think we've seen that for ourselves,

02:32even just in the last game,

02:34which I know unfortunately didn't go the way

02:36that we wanted when it came to England,

02:38but 150 guests through the venue,

02:41so many different types of fans.

02:43And I think also people wanting to do something

02:47as well as watch something.

02:48So we'll always open our game boxes

02:51for people to come and have a good time beforehand.

02:54And I think undoubtedly,

02:56it's going to continue to move in this direction.

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