The effects of audience behaviour on players in local football

Abstract

Audience behaviour is an external factor which could influence an athlete’s performance during a match, due to the evaluative attitude which it might convey. One of the most common influences on a team’s motivation can be attributed to a supportive, cheering audience. Whilst on the other hand jeering can be seen as a negative influence. High emotions exchanged between the spectators and the players may also show the important ties which bind them together when it comes to their respective behaviour on the field of play. This study focuses on how crowd behaviour in Maltese football influences players’ performance on the field of play. The influence of spectator behaviour on the psychological state of six national senior football team members and six national youth players was analysed through data gathered from individual semi-structured interviews conducted with these players. Results show that both senior and youth players are, in fact, influenced by variables of audience behaviour. Players feeling pressured and anxious throughout the match is something which clearly needs to be addressed. Therefore, suggestions to curb certain troubling behaviour might help the situation when it comes to players dealing with such challenges.