The Economic Contribution of the Scottish Professional Football League

In 2019, the Fraser of Allander Institute at the University of Strathclyde was commissioned by the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) to estimate the economic contribution of the SPFL to the Scottish economy. This short report summarises the key findings of that analysis. In order to make such an assessment, we firstly examine information on clubs’ economic activities, including their revenues and day-to-day spending. These data were compiled from club accounts and from detailed research of a select number of SPFL member clubs across all four divisions. Secondly, to capture the economic impact of supporter activities associated with matches, we undertook a survey of fans of SPFL clubs. This provided detailed information on the spending undertaken by attendees at football matches in Scotland, specifically those elements which are not spent in the stadium (which would be captured in the clubs’ accounts) .