October 10 – Sport England chair, Chris Boardman has warned that Premier League clubs must step up and do their bit for climate change.
Boardman, a former Olympic Gold medalist in cycling will ask clubs to stop taking short-haul flights, reduce single use plastics and prioritise lower-carbon meals. In a speech to the Sport Positive Summit, seen by the Guardian, Boardman will also question why 10 Premier League clubs flew to the United States for pre-season friendlies.
“In the UK, as it is for many other countries, football is our national game,” Boardman says. “In the Premier League, we have the most popular sports league in the world, with a reach and influence that is unparalleled. But we are seeing wildly inconsistent action.”
With the USA becoming the ‘go to’ destination for the Premier League due to the large amounts of money the clubs can earn for ‘friendlies’ it doesn’t feel like this practice will end anytime soon.
Boardman adds: “I’m a pragmatist, not a moral absolutist. I don’t believe in outright bans on flying, but we all need to strike a much better balance. It is time for all of our top football clubs to step up, and put themselves on the right side of history.”
At the beginning of this season Manchester United’s pre-season saw them fly almost 13,000 miles, while Spurs and Newcastle both flew to Melbourne, Australia three days after the previous season ended.
With the FIFA World Cup in 2030 scheduled to take place on three continents, Boardman will certainly talk about the accusations of greenwashing, and the growth of FIFA’s carbon footprint.
He also will question UEFA’s expansion of its men’s European club competitions, which will mean an extra 177 games a season, “putting growth first and the planet second. When we surveyed UK children, fully 65% said they want to see sports stars championing efforts to tackle climate change.”
Contact the writer of this story, Nick Webster, at moc.l1735230337labto1735230337ofdlr1735230337owedi1735230337sni@o1735230337fni1735230337