無論在世界任何地方，足球俱樂部實際上都屬于娛樂產業。但是，許多球隊擁有者沒能意識到這點，沒能充分利用球迷的力量去提升球隊、創造收入。

幾個月前，曾在迪士尼公司CEO位子上坐過二十多年的邁克爾·艾斯納（Michael Eisner）買下了一支英國足球隊——樸茨茅斯FC。樸茨茅斯FC曾征戰英超，歷史上拿到過兩次足總杯冠軍（1938-39賽季、2007-08賽季），但近年俱樂部實力跌入谷底，目前在英甲打拼。球隊甚至一度瀕臨破產，靠著球迷出資才活到現在。

富豪艾斯納一直希望投資一支體育俱樂部。據說樸茨茅斯FC吸引他的是俱樂部和球迷們如同家人般氛圍，這樣他想起了他在迪士尼的早年時光。艾斯納希望將樸茨茅斯FC的比賽打造成一項最優秀的家庭娛樂活動，以及讓樸茨茅斯FC重返英國頂級聯賽，而且他深知，這兩個目標的追尋一定要保持同步。

艾斯納對樸茨茅斯FC的愿景讓我不禁聯想到了中國足球，聯想到了中國足球的現場觀賽體驗，說實話那十分缺乏娛樂性。對我來說在中國看球是一種十分單一的體驗：食物和飲料不能帶進場館；除了兩端球門后方安排好的球迷席位，觀眾席基本沒有什么熱鬧的氛圍，更別提離賽場最遠的幾百個席位，那里絕對是一片鴉雀無聲。

撇開球場上的比賽精彩與否不談，中國足球比賽的整體氛圍和體驗無法激發球迷的興致，而這進而也會影響球隊的表現。我知道，中國的足球俱樂部沒有屬于自己的體育場館，無法掌握場館運營的權利，同時官方的諸多限制政策也十分嚴苛，但中國足球俱樂部真的需要“娛樂”這一屬性，因為就像艾斯納指出的那樣，這是一家俱樂部走向偉大所必需。球場上需要娛樂元素，比賽前需要娛樂元素，中場休息需要娛樂元素，比賽結束也需要娛樂元素。娛樂做的好，不光球迷會愿意掏出更多錢，球迷數量也會持續增長。

我有一個簡單的觀察，中國的足球俱樂部都有著屬于自己的巨大本土市場，他們還不需要考慮國外的事。大多數中國俱樂部所在城市的人口數量，比許多世界頂級俱樂部都要大得多，所以他們應該首先在中國搭建好娛樂業務，然后再考慮擠進世界足球市場。讓比賽變成一場在下午或晚上進行的狂歡節，讓無論賽場內外的活動都向在場的觀眾傳遞興奮和歡樂的能量，就像迪士尼做的那樣。我想兩年后樸茨茅斯FC可能不會變成迪士尼樂園，但我很確定主場和客場球迷們都會在樸茨茅斯FC的主場收獲娛樂的價值。

作者簡介：Ken Grant 鴻俊，MSc, DipM, MCIM, Chartered Marketer

體育業內人士、投資人和觀察家；國際主席俱樂部(IPC)及亞英體育俱樂部(AASC)董事；The English Football League中國區官方商務開發代表。在足球、高爾夫、馬球等體育領域擁有廣泛的國際關系。

英文原文：

Will Chinese football ever deliver true entertainment value?

Those running football clubs wherever they are around the world are actually in the entertainment industry, all be it the sports entertainment industry. However, many club owners fail to realise this and capitalise on the power of the fans to lift the team and to generate income.

A few months ago Michael Eisner the American businessman who led the Disney Corporation for many years purchased the English football club Portsmouth FC, a team that has in the past been in the EPL and won the FA cup, but in recent years dropped three levels to League 2 and almost went broke. It was saved by its own fans who purchased the club and kept it alive.

Eisner is a very wealthy man and was looking to invest in a sports club. Pompey as Portsmouth are known appealed to him because of the fans and family atmosphere the club had and he could feel a similarity with his early years at Disney. His vision for the club is to deliver great family entertainment and to lift the club back to the highest levels of English football, but he knows that both goals must run together.

This vision made me think of football in China and in particular the actual match-day experience, and to be honest the lack of it. For me attending a match in China is a one dimensional occasion; food and drink is not available within the stadium area, other than the ‘manufactured’ groups of fans placed behind each goal there is very little crowd atmosphere and definitely no noise from the visiting fans who are typically limited to a few hundred placed in the most remote part of the stadium.

If we put aside the football on the pitch, the entire spectacle and experience doesn’t lift the fans which in turn doesn’t lift the team. I appreciate that clubs in China do not own or operate the stadium, and that often the police regulations are very restrictive, but Chinese club owners really do need to this ‘entertainment’ because as Eisner pointed out, this is what makes a club great, entertainment on the pitch but also entertainment before the match, at half time and on departure. The better the entertainment, the more money the fans will spend and the more the fan base will grow.

A simple observation on my part is that Chinese clubs have a massive home market to address, they don’t need to look beyond their own country, most clubs are based in cities with populations much, much bigger than those of some of the worlds top clubs, so why not build an entertainment business within China the global football market should come later. Make going to a match an afternoon or evening out, make it a carnival so that both the on and off pitch activities deliver excitement and fun to those who attend and think Disney. I suspect a visit to Pompey in two years time will not be like going to Disneyland, but I am sure home and away fans will look forward to every match played at Fratton Park for its total entertainment value.

聲明：文中觀點僅代表作者本人觀點，不代表懶熊體育。