Determinants of Local Soccer Fan Participation : The Mediating Role of Fan Engagement in the Relationship between Service Quality and Club Activation

Purpose: This study examines fan participation in a local community football club by investigating whether perceived service quality influences club activation through fan engagement. To address the gap between favorable attitudes and actual participation, service quality was conceptualized as a multidimensional construct (facility/environment, accessibility/information, and safety/trust), and fan engagement was operationalized as fan attachment and fan participation. Method: A survey was administered to spectators attending four home matches of a community-based football club in P City (August 23; September 7, 14, and 21, 2025). Of the 370 questionnaires collected, 363 were retained after data screening. Measures included service quality (12 items), fan engagement (8 items), and club activation (8 items assessing future improvement needs and actual participation experiences), all rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis, reliability testing, correlation analysis, and mediation-based multiple regression following the Baron and Kenny approach. Results: Factor analyses supported the proposed measurement structures, and all scales demonstrated satisfactory reliability. All study variables were positively correlated ( r=.289–.712, p