European Football As Cultural Hegemony

1
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.0 Background to the Study
Sport is well placed for the development of both national identity and national pride. It has the
ability to develop pro-social behaviour and social capital within a community – both of which
promote the maintenance of mental well-being. Social interaction, social cohesion, a sense of
place and community, trust, norms and networks that facilitate cooperation and mutual benefit
are all possible, but not necessarily guaranteed outcomes of sport. Sport can also provide these
outcomes at the local, community level, not just at the national level. (Abell, Condor, Lowe,
Gibson, & Stevenson, 2007)
However football as a kind of sport, is a game played by two teams of eleven (11) players each
on a rectangular, 100-yard-long field with goal lines and goal posts at either end, the object being
to gain possession of the ball and advance it in running or passing plays across the opponent's
goal line or kick it through the air between the opponent's goal posts.(Merriam Webster
Dictionary 2003), According to McCray (2001) the first official football game was played on
November 6th 1869 and was played between Rutgers and Princeton. However, unofficial games
were played before that, as far back as the 1840s in England.
Arguably the most popular sport in the world, football called soccer in North America dates to
antiquity with games that were similar in nature. According to The Federation Internationale de

2
Football Association, the governing body of international football association otherwise known
as FIFA, the contemporary history of the world's favourite game spans more than 100 years. It
all began in 1863 in England, when rugby football and association football branched off on their
different courses and the Football Association in England was formed - becoming the sport's first
governing body. The evolution of football as we know it today took place in Britain. The game
that flourished in the British Isles from the eighth to the 19th centuries featured a considerable
variety of local and regional versions - which were subsequently smoothed down and smartened
up to create the modern-day sports of association football, rugby football and, in Ireland, Gaelic
football. Curiously, it was not until nine years after the rules of football had been first established
in 1863 that the size and weight of the ball were finally standardized. Agreement on this point
was usually reached by the parties concerned when they were arranging the match, as was the
case for a game between London and Sheffield in 1866. This encounter was also the first where
the duration was pre-arranged for 90 minutes.
Football is one of the most popular sports of the world, and is often regarded as most globalized
profession. We can say that history of football is quite long and glorious. Today, the best players
and their services can be offered to clubs in different countries and whatever the price they want
and the top players can make salaries of millions a year plus whatever additional endorsements
they receive.
The globalization in football has benefited many European countries, and teams enabling them to
find a wider support base outside their traditional local areas. Today, majority of the clubs have
multiple foreign players, simply implying Football as global sport. To be very precise, the game
of football has now become a global sport where spectators from all over the world can enjoy

3
variety of different leagues. The globalization of football has created international rivalries yet it
has also the power to bring communities together.
Simply referring to FIFA World Cup competitions, we can say the tournament brings the world
of Football together for an entire month. According to Franklin Foer (2006), he argued that the
national teams usually create a tribal sense of nationalisms amongst the football supporters and
fans. He further explains that the nationalism is shown in wearing football shirts, craves as well
as flying flags for expressing pride. According to him, the tournaments including FIFA World
Cup competitions, as well as the UEFA European Championships, EUROPA league, and
different European Nations League like Premiership of England, La, Liga of Spain, Bundesliga
of Germany, Ligue 1 of France and Scudetto of Italy, bring Football supporters (fans) from
different nations of the world and this naturally lead to the globalization of football game.
We can simply say that different tournaments play major role in making Football as a global
sport. However, the game of football brings players together form every part of the world.
Besides the game of football, also brings together football fans, coaches and clubs from every
part of the world. For instance that game of football helps to unite the nation of Ghana and it
gained independence from British imperial rule in 1957 (J. Lord 2008). Ghana has now become
one of the most passionate football nations in both Africa and the world.
Having enumerated few instances and glamour of football, the game is however used by its
originator as a tool of structural control to influence its supporters for economic and socio-
political gain for the latter.

4
“Football is often used by the colonizers to foster a sense of discipline and hard
work, but mostly it was meant to help control. However, this control was often
flipped on its head and used against the colonizer. Sport in the British Empire
served as a unifying force, often Imbibing nationalist rhetoric, with matches
serving as focused representations of the climate of social and political
struggle. Football was the most popular sport in the empire and it often unified
the colonized across economic and social classes. Once adopted, football
matches would be opportunities for indigenous people to resist.” (Hutchinson
2009)
However J. Lord (2008) also corroborated Hutchison‟s claims, “Like many other colonial
imports, football was a European invention, but one popularized through the grassroots
enthusiasm and organization of Africans. Some missionaries promoted the game because they
believed it would instil the values of sobriety, obedience, selflessness and co-operation. Other
teams were founded to satisfy the demand from Africans who had seen, and imitated Europeans
playing the game. In any case, Africans soon gained effective control of these teams or, after
chafing against European interference, set up independent alternatives.”
Football was the perfect method by which the colonizers could impose their value systems onto
the Africans; it was inherently fun, a game, but as an organized sport, carried with it many values
that Europeans believed one needed to adopted for a person to become successful; it was a
“means of inculcating respect for the values of time, discipline and authority within the minds
and spirits of the colonized.” Ironically, the Africans beat the colonizing Europeans at their own
game, and appropriated football as a tool for their own resistance to colonization. Thus,
European football had the opposite effect than what the Europeans had intended regarding the
power struggle between themselves and the African population.
In addition, since no Man can escape ideology, European football as grew to become a belief,
and values of the supporters, they cannot do without watching European football leagues to

5
satisfy their wants which was exported by the power elite (Britain) to control their minds and to
see European Football as the best they could have, at the detriment of our Local Football leagues.
Symbolic power of the media has been used by the exporters of European football, to shape and
cultivate our attitude towards watching foreign football matches. Thompson citied in Watson
(2003) expressed that “Symbolic power works through images (linguistics, pictorial, aural) to
create and mobilize support for a cause and it‟s integral to the operation of the other power
forms”.
European football has become a special form of control, one based not upon coercion or force,
but resulting from successive persuasion or enculturalization. The teeming population of football
lovers had accepted the controlling influence and the decision-making of foreign football.
European football had won the general consensus of people; especially Lagos fans (supporters)
Antonio Gramsci citied in Watson (2003) argued that “a state of Hegemony is achieved when a
Provisional alliance of certain groups exerts a consensus which makes the power of the dominant
group appear natural and legitimate.” Therefore the success of international football as a cultural
hegemony achieved through general agreement.
“in the twentieth century, the dominant ideology has shifted towards sanctifying consumer satisfaction
as the premium definition of the „pursuit of happiness‟ in this way justifying corporate domination of
the economy. What is hegemonic in consumer capitalist ideology is precisely the notion that happiness,
or liberty, or equality or fraternity can be affirmed through the existing private commodity forms under
the benign, protective eye of the national security state.”(Gitlin 2002)
European Football has been capitalist oriented. Nowadays people now live on Football as a
means of business, by establishing viewing centre‟s where football lovers can watch different
European football leagues matches for example, England Premiership, UEFA Champions
League, Europa League and so on.

6
Different age group of people visit viewing centres to watch their darling football clubs either
weekends or during the week leaving their grudges aside or becoming brothers as they watch
different matches even after the football match they still continue to discuss different issues that
come out during and after the duration of matches. But back home our own football leagues
continues to lack proper broadcast to the fans why most of the fans prefer to watch European
football to our own league even many of the fans cannot identify players from our local leagues
and they can identify unknown players in lower division in foreign clubs in Europe.
1.2 Statement of Problem
European football is one of the most popular sports on planet earth, is one the most entertaining
sport that emanated from Britain. European Football is however stated to be used by its
originator as a tool of structural control to influence its supporters for economic and socio-
political gain.
The influence of European cultural hegemony on viewing centre‟s users has contributed in no
small measure to the dilapidated state of the local football league. The loyalty of fans around the
world to European football matches is indirectly promoting the culture, social life, and the
economy of the European countries at the detriment of our indigenous local football league.
European football had positioned itself to be the leading football leagues in the world because of
its cultural and fiscal capital it possess. It had invested in huge advertising to capture audiences
and to stay put to the game every time, everywhere, which had added to the ceaseless arguments
viewing centre‟s users engaged in, during the cause and after the match played.

7
Lagos youth, had adopted foreign Football, which was used as a tool to influence their psyche.
Now they have preference for western cultures, like speaking, eating and behaving like them.
However, purchasing different European football kits like jerseys boots, and so on is albeit
satisfying, but it is helping to promote the economy of the western countries in which poses
danger to our indigenous local football league.
However, it was recorded that football was already been played in Lagos State in Nigeria in the
70‟s, in which it was prosperous with a high number of fans and followers who paid obeisance to
their respected local clubs, but a time came when unresolved challenges greeted the Lagos clubs
which signposted an advantage for the European football to crept into our local football league to
influence our insatiable supporters. Therefore the study seeks to ascertain how European football
is used as a tool for cultural control.
1.4 Research Questions
The objectives of this study will be achieved through the answers the research questions will
generate.
1. What is the Perception of the viewing centre‟s user to European Football matches?
2. What is the nature of patronage of viewing centre‟s user on European and Local Football
matches?
3. What is the pattern of social discourse among viewing Centre‟s users?

8
1.3 Purpose of the Study
Therefore, the objective of this study is highlighted as follows:
To understand the perception of the viewing centres user to European football matches.
To find out the nature of patronage of viewing centre users on European football and local
football matches.
To also determine the pattern of Social discourse among viewing centres users.
1.5 Significance of Study
This study could be significant as it will make meaningful contributions to the body of
knowledge, by creating room for understanding the relevance and the constituents of hegemony
in European football.
The work will help Nigerian football federation, and Nigerian premier league stakeholders to
fund, participate, re-orientate, and control the high dose of European football hegemony we had
absorbed and adopted affecting our local football league acceptance by indigenous (fans)
supporters over the years.
The work will help journalist and media organizations in understanding that they are one of the
hegemonic agencies in which they need to exercise their power to help promote the local football
league in which profits would be yielded on a long term basis.

9
The work will help mass communication students in tertiary institutions to understand how
hegemony as an ideological power could be used to control, and influence a larger number of
people (society) through general consensus.
1.6 Scope of Study
The scope of this study will be based mainly on two viewing centres, Sports Bet Viewing Centre,
and Sports 360 Viewing Centre is going to be delimitation of this study.
This two viewing Centre was choose, because they are one of the most popular viewing centres
in Lagos Nigeria, they show Live, all Europeans clubs matches, and teeming youth patronize
them to watch and support their darling European teams. However they are located in Surulere
Lagos Nigeria.

10
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0 Introduction
This chapter deals with the conceptual and empirical review of relevant study related to the
European Football as cultural Hegemony a study of selected viewing centres, it also provides the
theoretical
2.1 Conceptual Review
Many work of literature have presented different views concerning television as medium of
exporting cultural hegemony to diverse consumers. Each author is either in support or against
research findings on the presence or otherwise of media effects, (Sparks, 2006; Traudt, 2005).
However, there is somewhat agreement that television exercise considerable attention among
public (McQuail, 2005, Ogan 2007). In this chapter the study take a cursory look at various work
of literature that cognizance of European Football as Cultural Hegemony, a Study of Selected
viewing centres in Lagos State.
2.1.2 Concept of Culture
Culture in its wide ethnographic sense is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief,
art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired my man as a member of
society. (Tylor 2007), However, Linton (1994:32), he noted that it is “The total sum of
knowledge, attitudes and habitual behaviour patterns shared and transmitted by the members of a
particular society” The pattern of life within a community, the regularly recurring activities and
material and social arrangements characteristic of a particular group'. Goodenough (1995:7).

11
Geertz (1997) noted that “Culture is the framework of beliefs, expressive symbols, and values in
terms of which individuals define their feelings and make their judgements” (Geertz
1997American Anthropologist 59:32-54).
So we can deduce that culture is a historically transmitted pattern of meaning embodied in
symbols, a system of inherited conceptions expressed in symbolic form by means which men
communicate. Culture can however be learned, shared, integrated, Symbolic and Dynamic.
According to Kohl‟s and Knight (2001), expressed that “our culture influences the way we see
and perceive the world. In other words, we see the world and react to it in ways that our culture
has taught us to see and react. However, the way you perceive the world (we call that your
worldview) is not necessarily the way other groups perceive the world.” We each see the world
through different filtering lenses, so to speak. Culture is commandeered by structure.
2.1.3 Concept of Cultural Hegemony
Jacksons Lears (2000) said, Gramsci‟s translated writings contain no precise definition of
cultural hegemony. What comes closest is his often quoted characterization of hegemony as “the
spontaneous” consent given by the great masses of the population to the general direction
imposed on social life by the dominant fundamental group; this consent is historically caused by
the prestige (and consequent confidence) which the dominant group enjoys because of its
position and function in the world of production. To have Gramsci “define” the concept in this
way is merely to begin unravelling its significance. The process sounds mechanical: ruling
groups impose a direction on social life; subordinates are manipulatively persuaded to board the
“dominant fundamental” express.

12
It would be a mistake, though, to rest with conclusion. The concept of cultural hegemony can
only be understood within a variety of historical and intellectual contexts. To rely on a single
“definition is misleading” giving Athonio Gramsci his due, we need first to recognize the
concept of hegemony has little meaning unless paired with the notion of “domination”. For
Gramcsi, consent and force nearly always coexist, though one or the other predominates. The
tsarist regime for example, ruled primarily through domination- that is by monopolizing the
instruments of coercion. Among parliamentary regimes only the weakest are forced to rely on
domination: normally they rule through hegemony.
Here, culture had been observed to be a tool used by the superiors to dominate and control
people. The concept of hegemony is to win a cause through consensus or agreement i.e. a won
consent. Stoddart (2000), identified cultural hegemony as an ideology used by the upper class to
derive economic and political gain or proceeds, and they achieve this through their wealth of
cultural capital. In other words people at the upper class manipulate culture to get as more people
fighting their cause for personal interest.
However, Watson (2003:12) highlighted “language as the primary means by which the values,
norms, and acceptable/ not acceptable patterns of society are formed, expressed and reinforced.
Also it is the primary means of defining our realities.” Watson (2003), tried to explain the
importance of language in the concept of cultural hegemony, as a tool of manipulation in which
norms and values are expressed in clear terms.
Gitlin (2002), he noted that in the modern world hegemony‟s greatest institutional exponents and
its staunchest defenders are the national and transnational corporations. At the same time,
Language and culture are the most powerful modifiers of hegemony, shaping it to their own
needs, - their

13
own interest- to the point of having state governments as it were in their pockets. Perry Anderson
(2001:43) explained that Consent involves a complex mental state, a contradictory consciousness
mixing approbation and apathy, resistance and resignation.
The mix varies from individual to individual: some are more socialized than the others. In any
case, ruling groups never engineer consent with complete success; the outlook of subordinate
groups is always divided and ambiguous. Gramsci‟s preoccupation with consent led him to recast
the “base-superstructure” model of classical Marxism. He narrowed the economic base to
include only the material and technical instruments of production; he broadened the
superstructure to include political society-i.e. a dictatorship or some other coercive apparatus
used to control the masses in conformity with a given type of production and economy-[is] a
balance between political society and civil society by which the hegemony of one social group
over the entire nation, is exercises through so called private organizations like the church trade
unions, or schools.
The state in other words is hegemony protected by the armour of coercion while his language
suggests that the masses are still the grip of a monolithic ruling class, Gramsci departed ways
from classical Marxism. He not only allowed for a more complex superstructure but also
reconsidered its relations to the base. Watson (2003:16) Hegemony as an ideology is not merely
a system of beliefs that reflects specific class interests; its development is more complex.
21.4 Hegemony
Watson (2003), Hegemony is working when there is general consensus, that is when the mass of
the population (or most of it) accepts the controlling influence and decision making of that part

14
of society termed, by the American writer C. Wright Mills, the power Elite – those members of a
community who hold or influence the holding of the gearshifts of power.
Furthermore, hegemony is rule by won consent. Of all the agencies of hegemonic control the
media are generally provided to be the most powerful, hence the requirement for the power elite
to exert pressure if not control over the media: better still own it. Hegemony works through
ideological state apparatuses (education, religion, the arts, and media) and operates best when
those apparatuses are speaking in harmony with one another. In other words various mass
mediums/channel should complement each other to have a quantum effect on the masses.
Hegemony as a theory was propounded by the Italian Philosopher Anthonio Gramsci (1899-
1937) argued that a state of hegemony is achieved when a provisional alliance of certain groups
exerts a consensus which makes the power of the dominant group appear natural and legitimate.
It can only be sustained by the won consent of the dominated.
Hegemony works most smoothly when there is a substantial degree of social and economic,
political and cultural security in a society. When security‟s is undermined, social division
rampant, hegemony is at risk and Althuser‟s repressive state Apparatus are brought into action.
Hegemony serves to provide power elite with the consent of the ruled.

15
In conclusion the hegemonic ideology had been used by the power elite to exert psychological
control on the teeming masses through using powerful mass media channels like TV radio
internet, and huge investment in advertisement to appeal to wider audience.
2.1.5 Football in Africa
Alegi (2002) asserted that, African football is affected by the structural inequalities of colonial
society, and African football associations encountered the same constraints as non-sporting
organizations. Europeans were suspicious of activities and organizations they did not control,
and often sought to restrict their activities or co-opt their leadership. Missionaries were hostile to
the perceived immorality of players and boisterous fans in independent teams. And efforts by
Africans to retain and extend their footballing autonomy were ultimately limited by their
political and economic weakness. Teams often relied on grants for equipment and uniforms.
Stadia and playing fields were normally owned by the municipal authorities – and these were
under European control.
Lord (2008), noted that, African footballers and organizers thus had limited leeway to promote
their own interests. One Ghanaian team from a mining town complained that it was impossible to
fulfil their fixtures on days when the mines team played, and poached their players. And in
Congo-Brazzaville, Catholic missionaries took so much of the gate receipts that the players
lamented that they “did not even have lemonade money”. The lack of political power also
precluded wider pan-African organization. The first international club championship in 1950,

16
between teams from Belgian Congo and South Africa, was organized by European officials to
generate favourable propaganda for colonialism.
Football was also used to achieve and display social status in competitive colonial society. This
could be the prestige of personal skill, as for the Ghanaian Ekow Glenland, who told the FA he
was “commonly known as Kimpo the Devil Boy”. Zulu players were given praise-names
previously reserved for warriors and chiefs.
Other nicknames were drawn from the movies (Fu Manchu) or consumer culture (Buick), and
demonstrate the extent to which colonial social status had become inseparable from symbols of
western affluence. Football also bestowed prestige by association. The patron of Asante Kotoko
was none other than Agyeman Prempeh II – Prempeh was the Asantehene (the Asante king), an
office abolished then later reinstated by the British. A financial patron of a football team could
also transfer his loyalties into local political support, and often interfered in tactical matters.
The early history of African football is complex and fascinating, and much of the story has yet to
be uncovered. But the more historians discover, the more certain it becomes that in colonial
Africa, football was never just a game.
Martin (2004:119) explained that the early history of football in Africa is perhaps too positive.
The game had a darker side: football reflected both the injustices of colonialism, and the internal
divisions of African societies. Football in Africa first reflected the fundamental racial divide of
colonialism. In settler societies like South Africa teams and associations were strictly segregated
on colour lines. And because football was a popular childhood game, it exposed Africans to
inequality from an early age. It was a revelation for Ahmed Ben Bella, the first president of

17
independent Algeria, that his new school had two football teams: one French, one Arab. But it is
also true that football transcended some racial barriers, if only temporarily and for small numbers
of people. In Northern Rhodesia, for example, white spectators were a common presence at
African matches.
2.1.6 Football in Lagos
Murphy (2003), accounted that football was already been played in Lagos State in Nigeria in the
70‟s, in which it was prosperous with a high number of fans and followers who paid obeisance to
their respected local clubs. These clubs includes Stationery Stores FC, Nepa FC, Leventis,
Nigerian Police FC, Union Bank FC, Julius Berger FC, First Bank FC and Flourmills FC. These
clubs flourished only for a limited period, it produced footballers which later represented Nigeria
in International competition. But a time came when unsolved challenges greeted the Lagos clubs
which signposted an advantage for the European football to crept into our local football league to
influence our insatiable supporters.
However, secondary schools was not excluded in participating in football, Lagos Schools boys is
a competition organised for Lagos based secondary schools, which is now known as “Principal
Cup competitions” . Secondary schools that participated then were, Igbobi, C.M.S (Christian
Mission Society) Grammar school, Apollo Grammar school, Ansa-ru-deen Grammar School, St
Finbars, St Gregory, and Kings College respectively.

18
2.1.7 European Football Cultures and their Integration
Football has come to be regarded as an industry, clubs as firms, and players as ordinary, if
extraordinarily well paid, salary-earning workers. Hence, it cannot be exempted from rules that
apply to all other economic sectors, much as both supply and demand are influenced by powerful
non-economic factors. The major tool used by the western world to intergrate and disseminate
International Football as a culture is radio and television in 1950 respectively.
Football had already followed - and at times anticipated - the main evolutionary lines of
development of international relations and, in particular, of European history and politics. Alan
Milward (2002 :23) reminded us a few years ago that it is precisely with football and in football
that the first bilateral exchanges were re-established and the first pluri-national networks initiated
in a continent that had just come out of the Second World War. UEFA was founded in 1954, on
FIFA's 50th anniversary, in the wake of a joint Franco-Belgian-Italian initiative. The first
European Champions' Cup came about after the European Coal and Steel Community but before
the treaty of Rome - even though it was initially dominated by clubs (Real Madrid and Benfica)
that did not belong at all to the EEC 'core' - as did the Inter-Cities' Fair Cup. The European
Nations' Cup - later called European Championship, and now Euro - came with détente, in the
late 1950s, and the Soviet Union even managed to win its first edition in 1960.
Football, therefore, was an exported Product - one could provocatively say the most successful
and durable one - of the British Empire. An evolution of the running ball game played in the
public schools around the middle of the 19th century, and later in "Oxbridge", modern football
was officially born in a London tavern, in 1863, with the institution of the Football Association
(FA) and the establishment of the 13 basic laws of the game - the so-called "Cambridge rules" -

19
which ultimately distinguished it from the other ball game: rugby. The first tournament of the FA
Cup took place in 1872. Ever since football has spread all over the world as "the English game",
following the vectors of the industrial revolution (and the passion of its torch bearers, i.e. Her
Majesty's technicians and businessmen) and becoming, albeit more indirectly, the allegory of
another primary exported product of 19th century Britain, i.e. the political liberalism of the
gentry.
Yet there is something curious, even paradoxical in the socio-historical evolution and impact of
football. In its country of origin, after a brief supremacy of the "Oxbridge" gentlemen, the FA
Cup was dominated by clubs from the industrial and mining North (largely composed by artisans
and blue collars) by their projecting on the game the athleticism, speed and vigour that would
soon become the distinctive features of the English masters. The kick-and-run attitude of British
football made the game less and less aristocratic and drew it closer to the taste and behaviour of
the working class and the urban lower middle class. If combativeness and elegance, combined
with fair play, characterized the first FA Cup winners, the University of Oxford and the Old
Etonians, the advent of a style that was closer to the lower classes of English society brought
about - along with a much wider audience and deeper passion - the advent of fans, insults against
the referee, and regional, city and neighbourhood rivalries . The upper class, as a consequence,
turned to other sports: athletics, rowing, rugby itself - soon dominating in colleges - as well as
climbing, riding, tennis, and especially cricket, a classic manifestation of the Empire, its values
and territorial order. The famous definition of rugby as a game for hooligans played by
gentlemen, as opposed to football as a game for gentlemen played (and followed) by hooligans,
dates back to that pivotal moment. However In those years, however, the game began to

20
resemble what most of us have since known through radio and, especially, television. In 1950, on
their first showing in the World Cup.
In 1954 Eurovision broadcasting began too, thus opening a new era to the game. In the same
year, on June 15, UEFA was founded as the first continental football confederation emanated
from 50-years-old FIFA, with 25 member associations, and was based in Nyon, Switzerland. In
1955, when the European Cup started, the English Football Association refused Chelsea (that
had just won the first division) permission to take part in the competition, claiming it would play
havoc with the schedule of domestic games. In doing that, it curiously found itself in perfect tune
with the decision of the Foreign Office, on the eve of the Messina Conference, not to join the
EEC (although they would both change their mind in the following years). In a way, therefore,
the world title of 1966 - England's only victory in any official international football competition
thus far, at the climax of the 'swinging' 1960s - and the many European cups that English teams
would subsequently win may be considered as the (belated) product of a tradition that was still
little known on the continent, rather than the outcome of an original primacy bound to perpetuate
itself over time.
Kuper (1994) cited in Antonio Missiroli (2008) argued, that since 1990 the world of football in
general, and of European football in specific, has undergone structural change. The main driving
force has certainly been - once again - television, most notably satellite and cable TV. In 1992
the English Football Association and Rupert Murdoch's Sky Sports channel announced a ground-
breaking deal that gave Murdoch exclusive rights to live coverage of the English Premier

21
League. The contract became just another 'model' for the rest of Europe, thus generating huge
extra profits for clubs, national football federations, UEFA and FIFA.
As a consequence, the traditional rules of the game were slightly changed in order to enhance its
pace and offensive character. In 1991 the European Cup was turned into the Champions' League,
with a broader roster of participants and a different format. The choice of the World Cup host
country has increasingly been dictated by commercial reasons, from the Unites States in 1994 to
Japan and South Korea in 2002 (and perhaps South Africa in 2010). At the same time, European
leagues have retained and even increased their world primacy by drawing the best talents of the
entire world to their bigger teams, thus strengthening the foot drain.
To sum up, there seems to have been frequent and recurrent relations between events in the
organization of football and the overall process of European cooperation (or lack thereof) and
then integration, and one is strongly tempted to drew comparisons between them. Indeed,
European football can be seen as a microcosm of tensions between the EC/EU and the Nation-
State (and between member States), between managed and free market (and trade), between
Europe and the wider world, and between local/national identities and globalization. However, it
looks very difficult to convincingly fit all these developments (past and present) in a single
analytical framework, be it geopolitics, dependency theory, IPE, liberal institutionalism, or just
post-modernism. More plausibly, explaining the relationship between football and international
politics (possibly like European integration itself) requires a certain amount of sound eclecticism
- and, of course, passion.

22
2.1.8 European Football as Business
Kuper (1994), cited in Antonio Missiroli (2008), argued, that since 1990 the world of football in
general, and of European football in specific, has undergone structural change. The main driving
force has certainly been - once again - television, most notably satellite and cable TV. In 1992
the English Football Association and Rupert Murdoch's Sky Sports channel announced a ground-
breaking deal that gave Murdoch exclusive rights to live coverage of the English Premier
League. The contract became just another 'model' for the rest of Europe, thus generating huge
extra profits for clubs, national football federations, UEFA and FIFA. In essence, the aim of
European Football is to get wider reach, and audience, in order to make them a commodity
afterwards.
Missiroli (2008) noted that „transfer fees and contracts for players have skyrocketed, and the gap
between richer and poorer clubs (and leagues) has widened: some of the richest teams have even
been listed on the stock exchange, and new entrepreneurs have entered a booming market in
which merchandising, sporting goods promotion, and pay-per-view returns have become at least
as important as the fans' faithful support and passion. At times, traditional allegiances have been
affected by the increasingly pluri-national character of most club teams: take Ajax, Chelsea,
Milan, Inter, Barcelona, where "foreigners" often are in a majority on and off the pitch. At the
same time, many more national teams have been admitted to international competitions, in
Europe and worldwide.

23
2.1.9 Viewers Demographics
Certain demographics characteristics determine media habits of viewers, and explain the
audience behaviour from the social category perspective, Schramm and Roberts (1972:43) in
Fakayode, 2003) stated that the groups people belong to, had something to do with their
communication habits, and these membership lead them to choose and react to messages in such
a way as to defend the common norms of the group they value. (Ajibade and Esan 2001:45) add
that demographics also determine the social status of individual in the society. With the
knowledge of the age, sex, level of education and other demographic elements, “it becomes
possible to situate individuals in the societal strata”.
Demographics are used to categorize population. Bittner (1997:370) states that “demographic
characteristics are the basic statistical data on such things as age, sex, educational level, income,
and ethnic background. Demographics are used more often than any other method to pinpoint a
specialized audience in view of this (Folarin 2008:59) added; that the basic assumption here is
that members of a given social category (determine by age, sex, socio-economic status etc) will
seek out similar message which they will also respond to more or less similarly, all things being
equal.
2.1.9.1 Viewers Psychographics
Bittner (1997:317) says, “Psychographics attempt to define and to distinguish the psychological
characteristics of the audience” Each audience consists of individuals who would have their
different psychological differences. In view of this, members of the viewers or audience do not
respond to a given mass media message in a uniform way. Each is predisposed to it by its own

24
set of personal values, attitudes, belief perception, prejudices, preferences and other
psychological factors. Ajibade and Esan (2001:38). This means that the demographic
characteristics are not sufficient to define viewership. An added psychological study of
viewership may bring about a proper understanding of its structure and composition.
2.2 Review of related Empirical Study
In a study carried out by Oguntuwase (1999) on viewing behaviours of Lagos Youths on Foreign
Football leagues in Lagos. The study use survey method as its research design and sample out of
150 respondents in Lagos mainland Local government areas and use multi-stage as research
technique in his study.
In his findings, it reveals that most of the male youths are aware of the foreign broadcast of
football league in Lagos; the study confirmed that most of the youths have preferences for
foreign football broadcast on different channels in Lagos.
Oba Laaro, (1998) carried out a research on “Television Viewership among University of Lagos
Students”. His findings indicated that the attention should be given to the medium as a means of
conveying information to the students and the general public.
Also, in a research conducted by (Okon 2004) on “attitude of Lagos audience towards the
broadcast of foreign football on local channels in Lagos” the researchers use survey as study
method, and use descriptive technique to carry out his sampling through using interview guide
and questionnaire as research instruments. They study reveals that the most of Lagos audience
like to see the foreign football league broadcast on national television in Lagos.

25
2.3 Theoretical Framework
According to Earl Babbie (1989) cited in Babatunde Folarin (2005) expressed that a theory is a
generalized and more less comprehensive set of statements relating to different aspects of some
phenomenon. However Denis McQuail (2003) said a theory consists of set ideas of varying
status and origin which seek to explain or interpret some phenomenon.
2.3.1 Theory of Hegemony
The theory of hegemony was propounded by an Italian philosopher Anthinio Gramsci (1899-
1937) who argued that a state of hegemony is achieved when a provisional alliance of certain
groups exerts a consensus which makes the power of the dominant group appear natural and
legitimate, it can only be sustained by won consent of the dominated.
In its simplest sense, hegemony means control over yet in referring to hegemonic control we are
not repeating the same thing using another phrase, but describing a special form of control, one
based not on coercion or force, but resulting from successful persuasion. Hegemony is working
when there is a general consensus that is when the mass of the population (or most of it) accepts
the controlling influences and decision making of that part of society.Hegemony works smoothly
when there is a substantial degree of social, economic, political and cultural security in a society.
It provides the power elite with the consent of the ruled.
This theory formed a framework for this study, with the ideology of International Football that
was exported to the world by the power elite which are the westerners. They (power elites) made
European Football win the heart of many, through agreement or consensus, however European
Football had been a special form of ideological power that control the youths of Lagos sate, to
the extent that they pay to watch their darling European Football teams play in viewing centres.
It is a form of structural control.

26
The westerners (power elite) have package Foreign Football as a cultural product sold to the
entire world, hegemony being a capitalist oriented theory, they had made international Football a
business where great media corporations pay a quantum of money to have exclusive rights to
show the match in which other syndicate media could buy into for the purpose of profit making.
2.3.2 Conversational Theory
Conversation theory is a cybernetic and dialectic framework that offers a scientific theory to
explain how interactions lead to "construction of knowledge", or, "knowing": wishing to
preserve both the dynamic/kinetic quality, and the necessity for there to be a "knower". This
work is proposed by Gordon Pask in the 1970s. (Martin and Dobson 1999)
Pangaro (2000) expressed that Conversation theory regards social systems as symbolic,
language-oriented systems where responses depend on one person's interpretation of another
person's behaviour, and where meanings are agreed through conversations. But since meanings
are agreed, and the agreements can be illusory and transient, scientific research requires stable
reference points in human transactions to allow for reproducible results. Pask found these points
to be the understandings which arise in the conversations between two participating individuals,
and which he defined rigorously.
Scott (2011), he opined, that Conversation theory describes interaction between two or more
cognitive systems, such as a teacher and a student or distinct perspectives within one individual,
and how they engage in a dialog over a given concept and identify differences in how they
understand it.

27
Klemm (2002) noted that Conversation theory came out of the work of Gordon Pask on
instructional design and models of individual learning styles. In regard to learning styles, he
identified conditions required for concept sharing and described the learning styles holist,
serialist, and their optimal mixture versatile.
Thus, this theory signpost how Football Supporters/ fans converse in the viewing centres and
how knowledge is been constructed when they (fans) start to analyse football. The viewing
centre as a Public Sphere is a place where social values is been transacted, where all forms of
social information is accessible to the public (fans). Here, current news on Football players,
clubs coaches, and funds in European Football would be dialogued amidst the fans in which
other person present in the Public sphere (viewing centre) will get new information about
European Football which afterwards forms an ideology in the minds of such European Football
Fans.

28
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHOD
3.0 Introduction
This chapter delves with the research method, on research design, population of study, Sampling
techniques and procedure, data collection instrument, method of data collection and method of
data analysis.
3.1 Research Design
Tejumaiye, A (2003) says research design is the frame work or plan of study that is used in
collecting and analysing set of data. For this study, survey method was used, and it was designed
to seek people‟s opinions, views, and perceptions on the subject matter. This is in line with
Okoro (2001)‟s view that survey design is useful in the measurement of public opinion, attitudes
and orientation.
The following research questions, informed the use of survey methods:
1. What is the Perception of the viewing centre‟s user to European Football matches?
2. What is the nature of patronage of viewing centre‟s user on European and Local Football
matches?
3. What is the pattern of social discourse among viewing Centre‟s users?

29
3.2 Population of Study
The populations of this study are both male and female viewers in Surulere area of Lagos state.
This population are strictly adults from the ages of 18 (eighteen and above) who are football
viewers. Surulere was chosen because it will be convenient for the researcher to carry out the
study.
3.3 Sampling technique and procedure
The sampling technique adopted is convenience sampling. This avails the study to make use of a
subset of a population, where two viewing centre‟s was picked within Surulere area of Lagos
sate Nigeria. Sports Bet viewing Centre is located at 57, Ojuelegba -Yaba road, while Sport 360
viewing centre is located at106, Lawanson road Surulere Lagos state Nigeria. Respondents was
picked base on their number of years they have been actively watching football.
3.4 Data Collection Instrument
Questionnaire was the instrument used for the study. A total number of twenty one items (21),
which is in two sections. Section A, is for the respondents profile, while section B, are for the
items drafted out from the research questions. Therefore one hundred and fifty (150) would be
sampled and produced, and administer hand to hand by the researcher to the respondents.

30
3.5 Method of Data collection
The researcher waited and collected the complete copies of the questionnaire same day. The
topic of the study was interested to the respondents and this manifested in the high response rate.
The research instrument was explained to them at the point were being administered on them,
they were also given opportunity to call the researcher‟s attention whenever the needed for
further explanations.
3.6 Method of Data Analysis
The method of data analysis used for this study was simple percentage, which was presented in
tables, and inferences were drawn from it. Average and Frequency distribution formed the main
basis of our data analysis.

31
CHAPTER FOUR
Data Analysis and Discussion of Findings
4.0 Introduction
This chapter focused on the analysis of the responses gathered from the respondents. During one
configuration of the data, it was discovered that answering a tale for each term in one
questionnaire would be too cumbersome. Important areas were therefore picked for their
quantitative values to answer the question posed by the study. The following are the resultant
codification and task drawn up from the questionnaire of the 150 questionnaires consisting of 21
questions were administered to viewing centres‟ user at Sports Bet Viewing Centre, and Sports
360 Viewing Centre in which 120 were turned. The data analysis is in two categories the
Demographic and information of data section.
The first analysed was the demographic variable of one respondents while the second is based on
the analysis of the research questions.
4.1 Presentation of Data
In furtherance of the purpose of this study, questionnaires were given to sample respondents to
collect primary data which will be analysed in this chapter. Below is a summary of the return rate
of the respondents to the questionnaire.
A total of 150 copies of questionnaire were administered to viewing centre users at Sport Bet
Viewing Centre, and Sports 360 Viewing Centre. Of these, 120 copies of questionnaire
representing 80% were returned, while 30 copies of questionnaire representing 20% were not
returned. A copy of the questionnaire is attached at the appendix of this project. The return rate
indicates that the respondents were favourable to answering the questionnaire.

32
4.2 Data Analysis and Results
Section A: Respondents Profile
This section gives descriptive of the bio-data of the respondents for this study. This was
necessary as the importance of the respondents‟ background information in the social sciences
cannot be disregarded. For this reason data on age, gender, marital status, education and
employment status were collected and analysed.
Using percentages, 50% of the respondents were between 18 - 25 years of age, which represents
a majority of the respondents. 38.3% of the respondents were between 26 - 30 years of age, 6.7%
represents respondents from the ages of 31-35, while the remaining 5% of the respondents were
36 – 40 years of age.
From the data collected on the respondents‟ gender status; there was an equal spread of both
genders across the respondents. 70% of the respondents were of the male gender, while the
remaining 30% of the respondents were of the female gender.
Data collected on the respondents‟ Educational background shows, majority (40%) of the
respondents‟ has Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) while 35% of the
respondents‟ possess Ordinary National Diploma (OND) and Higher National Diploma (HND)
and the remaining 25% of the respondents has Bachelor of Science BSc.
The summary of the data collected on the respondents‟ Occupation revealed that 59% of
respondents‟ were students‟ which claimed the largest score, while 20% of the respondents‟ were
Civil servant, and 21.7% of the respondents were Self Employed.

33
SECTION B:
Answers to research questions
Research Question one: What is the perception of the viewing centre users to European
Football matches.
To answer this question one, item 2, 3, 4, 10, and 12 in the questionnaire will be presented in
tables 1-5 below.
Table 1: Respondents’ likeness to watch European Football League
Option Frequency Percentages
To a great extent 68 56.7
To some extent 50 41.6
Neutral 2 1.7
Not at all ____ ___
TOTAL 120 100%
Output from Field Survey 2013
From table 1, the responses presented reveal that 56.7% of the respondents like to watch
European Football to a great extent, and this statistics claimed the higher percentage in the table
which apparently was on the high side. Another 41.6% of the respondents said they like to watch
their darling European Football to some extent. However, an aggregate of 1.7% of the
respondents were of a different perspective, this they indicated neutral. In line with,(Abell.
Condor and others 2007) “football promotes the maintenance of mental well-being, social
interaction, social cohesion, a sense of place and community. It has the ability to develop pro-

34
social behaviour.” in other words people are favourably disposed to watching football as a kind
of sport, because of social benefits like, social cohesion and interaction. People get to talk about
football when they visit the viewing centres, they make friends and feel happy not because of the
match but for the benefits. For instance, (Alegi 2009) claimed that the game of football helps to
unite the nation of Ghana and it gained independence from British rule in 1957.
Table 2: Respondents’ length of watching European football
2 years 26 21.7
3-5 years 54 45
6 years and above 38 31.6
Others (Please Specify) 2 1.7
TOTAL 120 100%
Drawing inference from Table 2, 21.7% of the respondents revealed that they have been
watching European Football for the last 2years.On the other hand majority (45%) of the
respondents claimed that they have been watching European Football for the past 3-5years.
However 31.6% of the total respondents showed that they have been watching Football for the
past 6years and above. A lower 1.7% of the total respondents said otherwise.

35
Table 3: Respondents’ view about European Football as a tool for Cultural Hegemony
Strongly Agree 8 6.7
Agree 12 10
Undecided 80 66.7
Disagree 20 16.6
TOTAL 120 100%
Table 3, above present data that measures the respondents view about European Football as a
tool for cultural Hegemony, a 6.7% of the respondents strongly agreed to the statement, while an
average 10% agreed that European Football is a tool for cultural hegemony. While a majority of
66.7% were undecided about the notion. The remaining 16.6% disagreed that European football
is used as a tool for cultural hegemony.
This assertion evaluates the modern power that hegemony possessed, to present itself as
legitimate as possible. In other words the consumer perceived the ideology sold to them as a
mere pursuit of happiness, and afterwards general agreement comes in to make it a norm or
values. In the table above a larger respondents were clueless as to whether European football is
seen as a form of cultural control

36
Table 4: Respondents’ choice of European Football is influenced by the high quality of
broadcast coverage.
Strongly Agree 88 73.3
Agree 30 25
Undecided 2 1.7
Disagree __ __
Strongly Disagree __ __
TOTAL 120 100%
Table 4, here, shows a larger 73.3% of the total respondents strongly disagree that they are
influenced by the high quality of broadcast coverage. While another 25% of the respondents
agreed to that notion as well. A lower 1.7% of the total respondents were undecided about the
view that high quality of broadcast coverage influenced them to watching European Football.
Here, the major influencing factor, attracting football viewers to watching European football is
High quality and consistent coverage of live football matches, which is lacking, and has resulted
in a major setback in our local football league. According to the dependency theory proposed by
Sandra Ball-Rokeach and Melvin DeFleur opined that developing nations depend on the
developed nation, for Technology, culture norms information and so on, Which adversely will
render the developing nation a collector and not a producer. In other words European football
viewers like to watch the matches, because of the high broadcast technology in its coverage and
high resolute motion pictures influenced the fans to watching it, in which indirectly they depend
on the westerners (developed Nations) to give technology and entertainment simultaneously.

37
Table 5: To what extent does viewership of European Football affects my viewership of
local league.
To a Great Extents 66 55
To Some Extents 32 26.7
To a Few Extents 14 11.6
Not at All 8 6.7
TOTAL 120 100%
Table 5, shows that a larger 55% of the total respondents claimed that viewership of European
football affects their viewership of local league to a great extents. However an average 26.7% of
the respondents said European football viewing is affecting the amount of time spend on local
football to some extents. On the other hand 11.6% opines that European football is affecting their
viewership of local football to a few extents. A 6.7% of the total respondents‟ claimed that
European football viewing does not affect their viewership of local football (not at all).
(Watson 2003) opined that a state of hegemony is achieved when a provisional alliance of
certain groups exerts a consensus which makes the power of the dominant group appear natural
and legitimate. It can only be sustained by won consent. Speaking on the existing won consent,
supporters (fans) are favourably disposed to watching European football because the idea has
been sold to prefer the latter first before any other football league which has apparently proven to

38
be a norm. Football viewers like to watch more European games than the local football league,
only few ardent followers of their local league do.
Research Question Two: What is the nature of patronage of viewing centres user on
European and local Football Matches
To answer the research question two, item 15 in the questionnaire is analysed in Table 6 below.
Table 6: How often do you use the viewing centre to watch your darling European Teams.
Very Often 72 60
Often 28 23.3
Rarely 12 10
Occasionally 8 6.7
TOTAL 120 100%
Table 6, above present‟s data that measures the patronage of viewers‟ watching European
football on viewing centre, a majority of the respondents (60%) of the respondents said they
visited the viewing centre very often. While another, 23.3% claimed that they patronised the
viewing centre often. On the other hand 10% of the total respondents confirmed that they
patronised the viewing centre rarely. 6.7% out of total respondents‟ visited the viewing centre
occasionally.
European football is capitalist oriented. Murphy (2003) claimed that nowadays, people now live
on football as a means of business by establishing viewing centres where football lovers can
watch different European football leagues matches for example, England Premiership, UEFA

39
Champions league, Europa league and so on. Going by the percentage in the table above, a larger
percentage of the audience visit the viewing centre often to watch their different football
matches.
Research Question Three: What is the pattern of Social Discourse among viewing centre
users
This research question is answered in item 13 and 14 in the questionnaire. It is presented in table
7 and 8 below.
Table 7: How often do you comment, argue a point, in the viewing centres during any
European football match.
Very Often 34 28.3
Often 60 50
Rarely 12 10
Occasionally 14 11.7
TOTAL 120 100%
Table 7, shows the pattern of discourse that goes on in the viewing centre during any European
football match. A larger 50% of total respondents said they argued often in the viewing centre.
On the other hand 28.3% of the respondents claimed that they argued very often. A 10% of the
respondents argued rarely. And a selected 11.7% of the respondents occasionally argued a point
in the viewing centre during any European football match.
(Jibola 2001) According to habermasian theory of public sphere, is a social place or gatherings
where meanings illustrations are shared. The viewing centre is perceived to be a public sphere

40
where groups of people discussed and share meanings. a lot of conversations go on during
football matches, supporters (fans) say their opinions about an event, which will be deliberated
upon. Here, the table above shows only few vast people in football talk.
Table 8: I get more information, and am exposed more to, European football through the
arguments made by viewing centres user.
Strongly Agree 60 50
Agree 52 43.3
Undecided 6 5
Disagree 2 1.7
TOTAL 120 100%
Table 8, shows the response on whether respondents get information, and are exposed more to,
European football through the arguments made by viewing centre users. Here, the table
presented reveal that 50% of the respondents strongly agreed to get information, and exposed
more to European football through the arguments made by viewing centre user. On the other
hand 43.3% agreed with the notion. However, 5% were undecided that they get information and
they are exposed when they watched their European football through arguments made in the
viewing centre. On a different scale 1.7% disagreed that they do not get information and not
exposed to European football through arguments.

41
In the concept of interaction, Scott (2011) describes conversation between two or more cognitive
systems, such as a teacher and a student or distinctive perspectives within one individual and
how they engage in a dialogue over a given concept and identify differences in how they
understand it. This assertion tries to elucidate how people converse i.e engage in dialogue, and
how differences can occur in trying to understand a particular meaning. In other words people
get to argue in a
4.3 Discussion of Findings
Going by the findings of this study, persons from the ages of 18 – 41 above are fully aware and
are highly exposed to European football, in which the male counterpart of the respondents are
more influenced and active to watching European football and than the female respondents.
However, Persons from the ages from 18 - 25 visited the viewing centre more than all ages in the
age distribution category.
Research question one dealt with the perspective of viewing centre user to European football.
This study found that only few educated persons that possess one of these degrees (HND, BSc
and MSc) understood the term “hegemony” knew that there is a high dose of cultural hegemony
embedded in European football. On the other hand, other people who knew not the term
observed European football as a pursuit of happiness and a means of entertainment, ruling out
any form of control from the game they love to watch (European football). This finding is in line
with theory of Hegemony by Athonio Gramsci. Watson (2003) “argued that a state of hegemony

42
is achieved when a provisional alliance of certain groups exerts a consensus which makes the
power of the dominant group appear natural and legitimate.”
However still on the perception of the viewing centre user to European football, this study found
out that people are influenced to watching European football because of the consistent coverage
and the high quality picture they get from watching their darling game. In other words the
respondents mind had been fixed to European football, in a simplest form it had been idolized
because of the happiness they derived from watching.
Research question two, dealt with the patronage of viewing centre users, people usually visited
the viewing centre very often. In other words the patronage is very high. Because the market is
big, growing and limitless, considering the different categories of European football expanding
from England Premiership, to Spanish La Liga, German Bundesliga, and French Ligue 1.
Viewing centre user often comment and argued during any European football in which more
information will be unearth through criticisms and suggestions. Therefore viewing centre is used
as a public sphere where more knowledge is gained about football through conversation. On the
other hand, this study found out that before hegemony set in conversation usually ensued
between two or more people in a public sphere before a consensus is reached about a
phenomena, a case in point in Table 8 the statistic above revealed that 50% of the respondents
used for the research claimed that they are more exposed to, and they get information through
arguments made by fellow viewing centre users. (Gabner 2003) viewed communication as,
“someone perceived an event, react in a situation through some means to make available
material in some form and context conveying content of some consequences”. This definition
agrees with how European football viewers are persuaded to loving European Football.
However, in the long run their acceptance of European football came with consequences. In

43
other words European football is a capitalist ideology in which the society becomes a commodity
of that ideology without being compelled but persuaded.
This study reveals as follows:
I. Most of the respondents like to watch European Football matches.
II. A larger percentage of the viewing Centre users are youths from the ages of 18-25.
III. Majority of the respondents (viewing Centre users) are not aware that European football
had an element of control (hegemony), in other words they saw it as legitimate and mere
pursuit of happiness.
IV. Majority of the respondents patronize the viewing Centre very often, (on daily basis) even
if they have the wherewithal to watch it at home.
V. Only few vast people in European football usually comment, and argue in the viewing
Centre.
VI. Majority of the respondents claimed that they frequently get information and learn more
when they visit the viewing Centre.
VII. Only educated respondents (12%) claimed that they are fully aware of Hegemony in
European football.
VIII. All respondents agreed that high quality and consistency in broadcast coverage influenced
them to watching European football.

44
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.0 Introduction
This chapter comprised of summary, conclusion and recommendation as it‟s related to this study.
5.1 Summary of Work
The study set out to understand the high dose of hegemony (structural control) that the European
football had on viewing centre users, its process of influence which was measured by awareness,
of the game from viewing centre users, and their loyalty was also seen towards European
football. This success of European Hegemony was researched in this study, and the danger it
poses to our own indigenous local league. The patronage of viewing centre by its user was also
analysed in details.
This study analyses various concepts from existing literatures (Secondary data) that delves on
culture and hegemony like, Concept of cultural hegemony, European football cultures and
integration, European football as business, concept of culture and Hegemony, which formed the
basis of this study, the two communication theory used for this research are; the Theory of
Hegemony by Anthonio Gramsci, and Conversational Theory by Gordon pask.
However the Chapter three revealed the fulcrum of the study, i.e. Method of study where the
researcher deployed convenient sampling technique. The target sample for the study was drawn
from viewing centre users in Surulere Lagos State Nigeria (Sports Bet Viewing Centre, and
Sports 360 Viewing Centre). On the hand, the major findings, of this study are:
I. Majority of the respondents claimed that they frequently get information and learn more
when they visit the viewing Centre.

45
II. Only educated respondents (12%) claimed that they are fully aware of Hegemony in
European football.
III. All respondents agreed that high quality and consistency in broadcast coverage influenced
them to watching European football.
5.2 Conclusion
All the way through the findings of the study, it can be said that European football had
hegemony to persuade or influence the public towards European culture at the detriment of our
indigenous local league. It can also be concluded that male viewers are more influenced by
European football compared to female viewers, and it can also be reached that a larger percent of
viewers are not aware that European football had control over them, lest they perceived it to be a
mere pursuit of pleasure.
On the other hand, most viewers affirmed that they are influenced to watching European football
because of its consistence coverage and high picture quality they derived from the darling
football. Finally, the researcher strongly believed that hegemony as a concept of consensus
through its legitimate presentation and persuasion imbedded in European football had come to
stay but can be checked.
5.3 Recommendation
The recommendation of this study, erupt basically from the findings discussed earlier in the
previous chapter, these recommendations include the following:

46
I. In view of factors necessary to reduce the high dosage of hegemony absorbed by viewing
centre users, watching European football, these measures are needed. The first step is
total rebranding of our indigenous local league to make it attractive for every fan. In
other words organizers of Nigeria local league should send forth a new hegemony and
form new strategies for our local league to survive.
II. Indigenous media should embrace 21st
century technology to enhance professional
techniques to create substantial high quality and consistence coverage, and to also
generate awareness about the importance and the usefulness of watching local football.
III. New trends such as “sport bet” is popular in European football, its soul aim is to gather
more viewers all over the world. Such can be replicated to salvage our local league.
IV. Viewing centre owners should note that football has grown even larger than sport, thus
they should invest more in creation of strong brands and image for them to gain leverage,
because viewers do brag about quality. Therefore the patronage will continue to rise.
5.4 De-Limitation of the study
The delimitation of this study is, two centres were used as the population of the total viewing
centres in Lagos state Nigeria, instead of using all viewing Centres located in Lagos state or the
whole of Nigeria.
5.5 Limitation of the study
Factors limiting this study are firstly, it was difficult to find Nigerian authors whose works may
have been used to make more direct comparisons with what is obtainable in Nigeria, on the other
hand no local journal had written on European football as it were.

47
Lastly, due to the time allocation for the research completion some of the pertinent issues could
not be covered by the researcher, this invariably had its effect on the conclusion arrived at.
5.6 Suggestion for further study
There is quantum of Literatures on this particular study, research for further studies should
ensure that materials used for the study are thoroughly prepared so that errors do not distort
findings. It therefore requires that researchers, especially Mass Communication who understand
the concept of Hegemony can carry out a study on how new hegemony can be formed to enhance
Indigenous local league and to attract local viewers already sold to European football. Also the
issue of Sport bet should also be looked into, as a factor influencing people to be aware of other
European teams and see whether it can be replicated to help savage the local league. More so,
robust studies should be conducted in the area of digital television, satellite etc

48
References
Abell, J. Condor, S., Lowe, R. D., Gibson, S., & Stevenson, C. (2007).Evaluation of sporting
activities. London, England: Oxford press.
Alegi, P. (2002) Playing to the Gallery‟, International Journal of African Historical Studies,
Retrieved on 18/03/2013
www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/3097364?uid=3738720$uid=2129&
uid=70$uid=21102019441871.
Alan, M. (2002). Football, an exported product. Liverpool, England: Oxford press.
Babatunde, F.(2005). Theories of mass communication: An introductory text, Lagos: E-watch
Print Media
Foer, F.(2006). Football and social issues. London, England: Macmillan Publishers.
Foer, F. (2011). Globalization of football retrieved 2/02/ 2013 from
http: www.footballsupportersinternational.com
Gitlin, K. (2002). Mass communication, a tool for diverse means. New York, NY: free Press.
History of Football, retrieved 02/03/2013
http://www. FIFA.com/international FA board
Hutchison, P. (2009). Breaking boundaries in football. London, England: Focal press Publishers.
Lord, J. (2008). Football in colonial Africa, Retrieved 06/03/2013
www.google.com.ng/#output=search$scient=psyab$q=football+in+colonial+jack+lord$oq
=football+in+colonial+jack+lord$gs_1=hp.12...6386.27152.0.27152.0.28511.30.29.01.15.
3239.16427.2-11j3j31j1joj3.22.0...0.01c1.8.psy-ab.SsAE11xosgphx=18bav

49
McCray, L. (2001). Etymological background to soccer, an introduction. London, England:
Focal Press Publishers.
McQuail, D. (2000). Mass media and communications, London, England: Arnold
Missiroli, A. (2002). European football cultures and their integration: the' short' Twentieth
Century, retrieve 02/03/2013
http://www.ingenta.com/content/routledge/css/2002/00000005/art00002.
Murphy, I. (2003). Football in Lagos retrieved on 11/04/2013
www.lobainternational/.org/node/20.
Otasi, O. (1999). Mass communication Theories, An approach. Lagos, Nigeria: Batapin Press.
Pangoro, P. (2000). Cybernetics and connection. Retrieved on 12/03/2013
https://en. Wikipedia.org/wiki/second-order_cybernetics.
Phyllis, M. (2004). Leisure and society in Congo Brazzaville, retrieved 09/03/2013
www.amazon.com/leisure-society-colonial -Brazzaville- African/dp/ 0521524466.
Stoddart, C. (2000). Cultural hegemony, an ideology, Retrieved 9/03/2013
Kuscholarwork.ku.edu/dspace/bitstream/1808/5226/1/
STARV28A9.PDF.
Tejumaiye, A. (2003). Mass communication research. An introduction, Ibadan:
Scepter Prints Ltd
Tylor, E. (2005). Concept of culture, Retrieved on 13/03/2013
Uleth.ca/200502/anthloooy/PDF.slides/concept of culture.pdf

50
Watson, J. (2003). Media Communication, an Introduction. London, England:
Palgrave Macmillan Publishers.
www. Wikipeadia.com

51
QUESTIONNAIRE
Dear Respondents,
I am FADESIRE TEMITOPE, a graduating student of Lagos State University, School of
Communication Department of Broadcasting. I am currently carrying out a study on European
Football as a Cultural Hegemony, a study of selected viewing centres; your candid response
will go a long way in determining the success of this research.
SECTION A
1. What is your gender?
(A) Male [ ] (B) Female [ ]
2. What is your age grade?
(A) 18-25 [ ] (B) 26-30 [ ] (C) 31-35 [ ] (D) 36-40 [ ] (E) 41-above [ ]
3. What is your educational background?
(A) O‟Level/SSCE [ ] (B) OND-HND [ ] (C) BSc [ ] (D) MA/PhD [ ]
4. What is your Occupation?
(A) Student [ ] (B) Civil Servant [ ] (C) Self Employed [ ]
5. What is your Religion?
(A) Islam [ ] (B) Christian [ ] (C) African Traditional Religion [ ]

52
SECTION B
6. Do you like to watch European Football?
(A) Yes [ ] (B) No [ ] (C) Not at all [ ]
7. If yes, to what extent do you like watching European football?
(A)To a great extent [ ] (B)To some extent [ ] (C) Neutral [ ] (D) Not at all [ ]
8. How long have you been watching European football?
(A) 2 years [ ] (B) 3-5 years [ ] (C) 6 years and above [ ]
(D) Others (Please Specify)……………………….
9. Do you agree that European football is a tool for cultural control?
(A) Strongly Agree [ ] (B) Agree [ ] (C) Undecided [ ] (D) Disagree [ ]
10. To what extent would you rate European football above indigenous local league?
(A) Very High [ ] (B) High [ ] (C) Averagely [ ] (D) Neutral
11. In your own estimation, to what extent can you rank the percentage of European football
viewers?
(A) Very High [ ] (B) High [ ] (C) Averagely (D) Not Really Sure
12. If your answer is high how sure are you?
(A) Very Much Sure [ ] (B) Averagely Sure [ ] (C) Undecided [ ] (D) Not at all
13. I am positively inclined towards European football to local?
(A) Strongly Agree [ ] (B) Agree [ ] (C) Undecided [ ] (D) Disagree [ ] (E) Strongly
Disagree
14. My inclination towards European football affects my viewership of local football league?
(A)Strongly Agree [ ] (B) Agree [ ] (C) Undecided [ ] (D) Disagree [ ] (E) Strongly
Disagree [ ]
15. My choice of European football is influenced by the high quality of broadcast coverage?
Disagree [ ]
16. Viewership of European football affects my viewership of local football league?
Disagree
17. To what extent does viewership of European football affects my viewership of local
league

53
(A) To a Great Extents [ ] (B) To some Extents [ ] (C) To a Few Extents [ ] (D) Not At All
18. How often do you comment, argue a point, in the viewing centres during any European
football match?
(A) Very Often [ ] (B) Often [ ] (C) Rarely [ ] (D) Occasionally [ ]
19. I get more information, and am exposed more to, European football through the
arguments made by viewing centres user.
Disagree
20. How often do you use the viewing centres to watch your darling European team?
(A) Very Often [ ] (B) Often [ ] (C) Rarely [ ] (D) Occasionally [ ]
21. I watch European Football because of its consistence coverage and picture quality?
(A) Strongly Agree [ ] (B) Agree [ ] (C) Strongly Disagree [ ] (D) Disagree [ ]
Thank you.

European Football As Cultural Hegemony

Recommandé

Recommandé

Contenu connexe

Dernier

Dernier (18)

En vedette

En vedette (20)

European Football As Cultural Hegemony