1 Why is merchandise so important to a Premier League soccer club? Why do clubs go into retailing and mail-order when their core business is football? Love it or hate it, Manchester United is big business. It is a worldwide brand name that generates a loyalty and affinity that enables the soccer club, like many others, to develop merchandise, media products and alliances with service providers on a scale not thought possible in the era before the English Premier League was established. Merchandising sales have been helped as soccer has repositioned itself from a working-class game, sometimes dominated by violent youth, to a family entertainment dominated by middle and higher earners. For many clubs, what happens on the pitch or terrace is just a small part of a powerful marketing organisation.

Manchester United can be considered a typical ‘passion brand’, characterised by a sometimes fanatical following and a strong sense of belonging that is far removed from the discerning and rational consumer. Its following spreads far wider than its Old Trafford ground and many supporters have never seen a live game.

Even passion brands are not immune from criticism, however, and there is a risk of over-commercialisation, which can undermine the special relationship between the club and the consumer.