Sports fans would be willing to spend up to £420.60, and travel more than five and a half hours, to go and watch a sporting event, research has revealed.
A survey of 2,000 sports enthusiasts found that two-thirds have a favourite team – and 93% of those will continue to support this team, whether they win or lose.
And 66% have seen their team play live in person, with a third having gone abroad to do so – and 23% have even planned a holiday around when and where their team is playing.
And the research also saw those polled vote for the greatest sporting moments in history – with the England Lionesses winning the 2022 Euros tournament topping the list.
Liverpool's penalty win over AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League Final, and Usain Bolt's 100-metre gold medal at the London 2012 Olympics, came in second and third place on the top 30 list.
And rounding out the top five greatest historical moments was Leicester City winning the Premier League in 2016, and the England cricket team beating New Zealand to win their first World Cup in 2019.
The top 30 list also included Roger Bannister breaking the four-minute mile barrier in 1954, Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” goal and “Goal of the Century” in the 1986 World Cup Final, and Muhammed Ali’s “rumble in the jungle” win over George Foreman in 1974.
It also emerged 72% of those polled would have liked to witness some of these great moments in person.
The research was commissioned by Visit Anaheim – which works to promote tourism to Anaheim, California – as it sponsors both the Los Angeles Angels’ Spring Training, and their minor league baseball team, in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Spokesman Jay Burress said: “Most sports fans know the highs and the lows that come from supporting a team or an athlete.
“We wanted to see which moments were the most memorable, but also to see the lengths that fans are willing to go to, in order to see their favourite competition, live and in person.
“There are so many great sporting moments to choose from, but clearly these have stuck with people and had an impact.
“It’s amazing how sport as a whole can really bring people together, and I’m sure there are plenty more great sporting moments to come in the future.”
Dennis Taylor defeating Steve Davis, for the World Snooker Championship in 1985, and Mbappe's comeback hat-trick in the 2022 World Cup final, also featured in the list of top sporting moments.
But while they can’t guarantee a moment as exciting as those featured on the list, 22% of respondents have a trip planned in 2023 to see a specific sporting event.
Football was most popular sport to watch (81%), followed by tennis (33%) and cricket (19%), according to the OnePoll survey.
Jay Burress added: “There’s nothing quite like seeing your favourite team play in person, and sports are a great thing to plan a holiday around.
“Still, it’s good to head to a destination where there’s something for the whole family to enjoy, and where there are a variety of activities nearby, so you have options once you’ve finished cheering your team on at the stadium.
“Sports are a big part of people’s lives, and holidays are too – which is why combining the two could make a great trip.
“Who knows – the next time you see your favourite team, it could end up being another one of the greatest sporting moments of all time.”
TOP 30 GREATEST MOMENTS IN SPORTING HISTORY:
- England Lionesses Euros win (2022)
- Liverpool beating AC Milan in the Champions League Final from 3-0 down (2005)
- Usain Bolt winning gold in the 100m at the London Olympics (2012)
- Leicester City's Premier League title win (2016)
- England cricket team beating New Zealand to win their first ever World Cup (2019)
- Roger Bannister breaking the four-minute mile barrier (1954)
- Diego Maradona's “Hand of God” and “Goal of the Century” goal in the World Cup Final (1986)
- Muhammed Ali's “rumble in the jungle” win over George Foreman (1974)
- Dennis Taylor defeating Steve Davis for the Snooker World Championship (1985)
- Mbappe's comeback hat-trick in the World Cup final (2022)
- David Beckham's star-making goal from the halfway line against Wimbledon (1996)
- Unseeded Boris Becker's Wimbledon win aged just 17 (1985)
- Cristiano Ronaldo's bicycle kick in the Champions League quarter-finals (2018)
- Roger Federer winning his 20th Grand Slam title (2018)
- Serena Williams winning her first Wimbledon title (2002)
- Michael Schumacher's seven World Championship wins in Formula One Racing (2004)
- Pelé scoring his 1,000th career goal (1969)
- Jenson Button and Brawn GP winning the Formula One World Championship (2009)
- The football World Cup taking place in Qatar (2022)
- Goran Ivanišević winning Wimbledon as a wildcard entrant (2001)
- Michael Phelps becoming the most decorated Olympian, with 22 medals (2008)
- The first Olympic Games in Ancient Greece (776BC)
- Greece winning Euro 2004 (2004)
- Tiger Woods winning the Masters, his first major victory in over a decade (2019)
- Denmark winning the European football champions (1992)
- Japan beating South Africa in the Rugby World Cup (2015)
- Wigan Athletic's FA Cup win (2013)
- Wimbledon's FA Cup winning side (1988)
- The “Miracle on Ice” in the 1980 Winter Olympics
- Andy Ruiz Jnr. knocking out Anthony Joshua (2019)
