
The ‘trickle-down effect’ whereby national footballing success inspires increased personal involvement in the game from amateur footballers has been the focus of recent study. Past research has not completely corroborated that victory at national level triggers burgeoning amateur participation, but through longitudinally studying the relationship between German national wins and individual club memberships from 1950 – 2014, authors have proven a connection.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/09/150916112912.htm