The Economic Contribution of Scottish Professional Football

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Williamson, Jack and Rooney, Aidan and Oakley, Lise and Allan, Grant and Spowage, Mairi (2026) The Economic Contribution of Scottish Professional Football. Fraser of Allander Institute, Glasgow.

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Abstract

This report examines the economic contribution of professional football to the Scottish economy during the 2023-24 season. It was commissioned by the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) and the Scottish Women’s Premier League (SWPL) – the bodies responsible for organising top-tier league football in Scotland – together with the Scottish Football Association (Scottish FA), the governing body for the sport. The analysis was prepared independently by the Fraser of Allander Institute at the University of Strathclyde. Professional football is a significant contributor to the Scottish economy and a major part of the sport and recreation sector. The sport holds a unique place in Scotland’s cultural landscape, with over 6.8 million attendances annually at matches involving Scottish professional football teams and international matches, and the Premiership boasting the highest average weekly attendance per-capita in Europe.

ORCID iDs

Williamson, Jack ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-2043-7847, Rooney, Aidan ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-8287-1330, Oakley, Lise, Allan, Grant ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1404-2768 and Spowage, Mairi;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)