| Company type | Private Limited Company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Market Research |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Headquarters | London ,England |
| Parent | Football Fans Central Ltd |
| Website | footballfanscensus.com |
Football Fans Census (sometimes known asFFC), is the trading name of Football Fans Central Ltd, a small[1] market research company which specialises in research into the views and opinions of English football supporters.
When the free-to-air digital sports channelITV Digital collapsed in 2002; it reportedly owed £178.5m toFootball League clubs. Two football fans began a campaign forITV Digital's parent entities, the regionalITV companiesGranada Television andCarlton Television to repay this money to the clubs.[2][3]
The campaign, under the name Football Fans Union, took the form of a protest against the companies resulting in the 'Can the Commercials' petition and direct action.[4] The group asked football fans to boycott ITV'sWorld Cup 2002 coverage, and in particular to switch channels during advertisements; so that advertisers would bring pressure on ITV and impact on the companies' advertising revenues.[5]
The fans' campaign ran alongside legal action by the Football League; but it proved to be unsuccessful when the Court of Appeal threw out the Football League's action in 2006.[6]
The impetus created by this campaign led to the Football Fans Union developing into the Football Fans Census; and a desire to be a voice for football supporters through online surveys and opinion polls.
Past surveys include: