Objectives : To measure the level of psychological distress caused to supporters of a football team by relegation from the English Premier League. The relationship between age, sex and psychological distress are examined. Method : Opportunity sample cross-sectional survey. Participants were approached through networks of fans and through e-mail networks. Participants were supporters (n = 65) of two relegated premiership football teams. Participants completed the Impact of Event Scale. Results : Mean total Impact of Event Scale scores indicated a clinically significant degree of psychological distress for the majority of respondents. Age or sex of the participants did not predict Impact of Event Scale scores. Conclusions : The results are discussed in terms of the magnitude of Impact of Event Scale scores in relation to other stressors. It is concluded that the impact of such s porting events is psychologically significant. The psychological literature has considered traumatic stress responses to a number of stressors such as threats to life, threats to psychological well-being, threats to physical/ psychological well-being of others, witnessing traumatic events and involvement in a human or natural disaster
