Rudiger Hamm
Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences
Abstract:
Using a well-known German soccer club Borussia Monchengladbach as an example the present article deals with some supplemaentary regional economic effects of soccer clubs. Theoretica considerations suggest that such effects appear, because soccer clubs can raise a citys awareness level itself and can result in a psychic income and improve its image, can be a relevant location factor by accruing to the inhabitants of the city. All these effects are not only of direct interest for regional economic development, but they can indirectly increase the number of firms settling in the region and/or the level of regional tourism. These theoretical considerations are empirically tested by different methodological approaches survey of households, survey of experts and media presence analysis. The empirical analysis shows that Borussia Monchengladbach releases an impulse to its location city that noticeably exceeds normal demand-side effects. This impulse is connected with the mentioned theoretical aspects. Though all attempts to quantifiy the supplementary effects can only give a rough impression of its true dimension of these effects, it can be stated that the supplementary effects of a sport club (or a major sporting event) are at least as important as demand-side effects normally are are. read more