Supporter commitment: "I'm Reading 'til I die..."

I was one of the last to leave the stadium on the last Saturday of the season. 20,000 people had already departed, leaving me, a few hundred others dotted around, and some of the players enjoying the moment on the pitch.

We'd just lost 4-2, meaning that we'd missed out on qualifying for the playoffs. And there was a tear in my eye. But it wasn’t sadness, it was pure joy. And it wasn't the first that day, or even that week.

It’s over 50 years since my dad took me to see my first Reading match. Going to Elm Park was something we did when he wasn't working his shifts, and when I didn't have football matches myself. Over the years I lived away, but as I moved back to the area I started going again.

When my own family was growing up, we’d all go together, picking up my dad on the way. And now the kids have left home, it’s a chance to meet up and share as they catch a train back from Bristol, Birmingham and Cardiff for home matches. My dad passed away a couple of years ago, but he’s still beside me every time I go through the turnstile.

 For me, Reading FC isn’t just a football club; it’s my connection to family, to shared memories, to a community that lives and breathes together.

But for the last few years, I feared my beloved club would cease to exist. For reasons I won’t go into (but you can read about here, here and here) there was a real fear that we wouldn’t exist beyond this season.

And so, when the news came that Reading FC was saved, on the morning of that last match of the season, it wasn’t just relief—it was the realisation that our community, our memories, and our shared dreams live on.

My love of Reading FC is highly emotional and personal. It really matters.

And so it is with your supporters, and how they feel about you. Loyal supporters have a highly emotional and personal relationship with you. We call this commitment – and it’s highest when it really matters!

Supporters can sometimes be frustrated by your communications or what they hear about you, but they still stay deeply committed — because their connection isn’t transactional, it’s emotional.

My commitment to Reading never wavered. Even when my satisfaction with the way the club has been run was rock-bottom, and my trust in the owners was non-existent, my commitment was off the charts.

What makes your supporters stay, even when satisfaction and trust are low? How are you growing their commitment? After all, commitment is the most significant driver of loyalty and long term support.

To answer this we need to understand that every relationship is fundamentally emotional. And it’s unique.

• For me, there’s a personal connection that goes back 51 years. What is the personal connection that you have in your supporters lives?

• For me, there’s a feeling of connection and community – with the players, the staff and, above all else, with other fans. How are you building a sense of connection and belonging with your supporters?

• For me, being a Reading supporter is part of my identity. How can you be a real part of your supporters’ lives? How many wear their support of you as part of who they are.

• For me, I share the goals and dreams of the club and other supporters. How are you sharing your dreams of how the world can be a better place?

For me, when I think of Reading FC I’m filled with a mixture of joy, of frustration, of fear, of shared dreams. Do you evoke these emotions with your supporters?

Every supporter has a unique reason for supporting you. Every supporter feels a different set of emotions when they think of you. Every supporter feels these emotions to a greater or lesser degree.

Do you know what drives your supporter commitment? Do you know what emotions really matter for your supporters? Do you know how effectively your supporter experiences are growing them?

If not, let’s talk. Because understanding supporter loyalty isn’t just insightful—it’s essential to harnessing each supporter's commitment, improving the experience and securing more long-term income.

In the meantime, 🎵 “I’m Reading till I die – I know I am, I’m sure I am, I’m Reading till I die” 🎵.

Now that’s commitment!

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