Analyzing Fans' Lived Experience of Challenges of developing Football Fan CultureStudy of Foulad Mobarake Sepahan Cultural and Sport Club

due to the strategic importance of the physical presence of fans in stadiums and the regulation of sports relations and their place in the development of fan culture, understanding the challenges facing football fans is considered a significant issue that is independent of the capacities created by the centers. And sports clubs need to be analyzed and read from the perspective of the fans. Therefore, the purpose of the current research is to analyze the lived experience of fans of the challenges of developing the culture of football fandom.

Qualitative research method is a phenomenological type with a descriptive approach and based on the Colaizzi model. The research community was the members of Sepahan Isfahan Sports Club and the cultural managers of the club. Of these, the research sample reached data saturation with 20 people. The purposeful sampling method was dependent on the criteria and heterogeneous. The data collection tool was a semi-structured interview. The validity of the data was confirmed through external auditors, in-depth description, returning to the interviewees and two coders.

The findings of the research after implementing the information and coding the data in several categories including the re-engineering of the fans' thoughts in the development culture, the increasing trend towards media consumption, instrumental attitude towards the fans, the feminization of sports, the social responsibility of the fans, the cultural-social competence of the fans and Fan businesses were categorized.

The development of fan culture requires preparation to face challenges, a major part of which can be done by increasing individual and interpersonal skills by fans; the results of this research will be effective in strengthening and rebuilding the attitudes of the managers and planners of fan centers for the development of fan culture.Paying attention to the upcoming challenges of the fan culture requires sports centers to create the necessary frameworks and standards to attract, educate and promote the fan culture and modify the existing processes in order to support the development of fandom. Based on this, fan centers need to draw a technical and cultural map in order to reach the desired sports position with the aim of continuing the presence of fans through the expansion and development of entrepreneurship and value creation of sports at the community level.