Clubs must listen if game is to flourish

Once again thousands of football fans have had their say on the state of the game north of the border. The results are almost entirely predictable. Football is, fans have said, too expensive. Clubs don’t do enough to listen to supporters. Fans don’t have enough say in how their clubs are run. Kick-off times remain a concern. There are persistent worries over anti-social behaviour and sectarianism.

The survey may have been carried out in 2017 but the results are nothing if not familiar.

More than 14,000 fans contributed to the annual Scottish football survey and governing bodies have committed to listen to and engage with supporters.

Meanwhile, the data collected has also been distributed to all of Scotland’s pro clubs.

One might imagine that, having provided such a loud and clear voice, the survey would lead to change.

Most businesses ultimately live or die on the strength of their customer service but football club bosses appear to be almost unique in repeatedly disregarding what consumers are telling them.

Fans are often accused of having “blind” loyalty to their favourite teams but how much can this be taken for granted?

And could it be that the clubs who really listen and attempt to improve their customer service will be the ones to flourish in these difficult economic times?