Premier League clubs must step up and put themselves on the right side of history when it comes to climate change, Sport England’s chair, Chris Boardman, will warn on Tuesday.
In a keynote speech to the Sport Positive Summit, seen by the Guardian, Boardman will question why 10 Premier League clubs flew to the US for pre-season friendlies and Tottenham and Newcastle played a match in Melbourne three days after the final day of season.
The former cyclist, who won Olympic gold, will call on clubs to stop taking short-haul flights, reduce their use of single-use plastic and prioritise lower-carbon meals.
Boardman’s intervention is particularly striking given he chairs a funding body that invests £250m a year in sport – and has given £440m of national lottery and government money to football over the past two decades.
“In the UK, as it is for many other countries, football is our national game,” Boardman will say. “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.
“This year, half of the Premier League – 10 clubs – flew to the United States … for friendlies. Manchester United’s pre-season schedule saw them flying almost 13,000 miles to play fixtures in Norway, Scotland, and across the US. Spurs and Newcastle played an exhibition fixture in May – three days after the season finished – for which they both flew to Melbourne, Australia, a game Alan Shearer described as ‘madness’.
“Add in those air miles and both teams will have travelled in excess of 30,000 miles, equivalent to more than once around the globe, to play in non-competitive matches in the closed season.
“I’m a pragmatist, not a moral absolutist,” he will add. “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.”
Boardman will, however, credit Southampton and West Ham for playing games against neighbouring non-league clubs, which “provided much-needed income to make the football pyramid more sustainable, whilst also boosting the local economies”.
He will also cite the “fantastic work” led by the Football Association, as well as efforts by Forest Green Rovers, Bristol City, Watford and Plymouth Argyle. Lewes, who have a community garden, sell recycled kits and have a vegan menu are also praised.
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“There is a lot that clubs can do, and some of it is relatively simple,” Boardman will say. “For example, encouraging fans to use sustainable forms of transport like bikes, walking or public transport; single-use plastic reduction; promoting clean energy like solar panels and greater efficiency; nurturing biodiversity at training pitches and prioritising low-carbon menus.
“Of course, it is possible to go even further. I was interested to see clubs like Millwall have signed the sustainable travel charter, committing to not using short-haul flights for matches.”
In his speech, Boardman also notes that Fifa has faced accusations of greenwashing after it announced the 2030 World Cup would be held on three continents, growing the carbon footprint. And he questions 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”.
Boardman will call on Britain’s biggest sports stars to speak out. “When we surveyed UK children, fully 65% said they want to see sports stars championing efforts to tackle climate change,” he will say. “Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford and Emma Raducanu were amongst those mentioned. These are the role models, their voices are listened to, people emulate their actions. It is time to use the global megaphone only sport has.”