Ordinary supporters in contemporary Armenian football

Research on football supporters has largely focused on ultras, hooligans, and highly visible supporter cultures, leaving the everyday, non-organized ‘ordinary’ supporter comparatively under-examined. This study provides an exploratory empirical account of ordinary supporters of three Yerevan-based clubs: FC Pyunik, FC Noah, and FC Ararat, drawing on a cross-sectional online survey (N = 72) distributed via social media in English, Russian, and Armenian. Using non-parametric statistical analysis (Kruskal–Wallis tests with post-hoc Dunn comparisons) and inductive thematic analysis, it examines how supporters articulate loyalty, identity, motivations, and digital engagement while grounding the analysis on Giulianotti’s typology. Contrary to expectations, the findings reveal no statistically significant differences in motivational profiles across clubs, suggesting that Armenian football supporters share a broadly common emotional baseline. Descriptive and qualitative patterns reveal club-specific tendencies broadly consistent with the clubs’ institutional self-presentations, though these differences do not reach statistical significance.