Leon
23-01-2003, 12:45
Football matches are the perfect places to find love, according to new research.
Relationship expert Susan Quilliam rated football stadiums alongside restaurants, bars, theatre, walks and cinema to see how they matched up in five categories necessary for a perfect date.
Football matches came top of the league, providing couples with an external event to alleviate date-related stress, conversation topics, and an insight into each others' character through spontaneous raw emotions.
The research followed up data from the 2002 National Fans Survey which showed that 15% of adults attended football matches in 1994 compared with 20% in 2003.
The five key ingredients for romance included informality, body language, verbal communication, emotional exposure and emotional bonding.
Ms Quilliam said: "The football terrace may not have the classic romantic elements, such as champagne or roses, but it does offer an arena in which you can share a roller coaster of emotional and physical reactions.
"These are the key factors in finding romance and with more couples going to matches than ever before, the football stadium could become the dance floor of the future."
The terraces also kicked off the "love drug", according to the Barclaycard-funded research, with the shared highs and lows releasing chemicals dopamine and serotonin in the brain.
Relationship expert Susan Quilliam rated football stadiums alongside restaurants, bars, theatre, walks and cinema to see how they matched up in five categories necessary for a perfect date.
Football matches came top of the league, providing couples with an external event to alleviate date-related stress, conversation topics, and an insight into each others' character through spontaneous raw emotions.
The research followed up data from the 2002 National Fans Survey which showed that 15% of adults attended football matches in 1994 compared with 20% in 2003.
The five key ingredients for romance included informality, body language, verbal communication, emotional exposure and emotional bonding.
Ms Quilliam said: "The football terrace may not have the classic romantic elements, such as champagne or roses, but it does offer an arena in which you can share a roller coaster of emotional and physical reactions.
"These are the key factors in finding romance and with more couples going to matches than ever before, the football stadium could become the dance floor of the future."
The terraces also kicked off the "love drug", according to the Barclaycard-funded research, with the shared highs and lows releasing chemicals dopamine and serotonin in the brain.