An interesting short blog on the Guardian website asks which are the greenest football clubs in the country. The piece focuses on fans travelling to away games and the potential for car sharing, as well as other green initiatives clubs have been involved in (Ipswich Town, for instance, commendably passing on food waste generated during the game to a nearby bio-energy plant).
But one obvious avenue to greener football clubs was overlooked by the blog: the potential for fans to cycle to games, especially home games. Gareth Jenkins and myself rode to see Tottenham Hotspur in action at White Hart Lane, and had a glorious time. The thing we noticed most was how much more exciting the build up to the game was when we were on our bikes, soaking up the atmosphere around the ground.
It seems to me that football clubs, Spurs included, could be doing a lot more to promote cycling to the tens of thousands of fans who attend home games. How about players doing a lap of the pitch on bikes as a PR stunt? Or the club director swapping the 4x4 for a bicycle? Or clubs just installing more bike parking, and promoting cycling in the matchday programme? What if the premier league incentivised cycling among fans with a 'green league', which could give clubs extra prize money based on their positions at the end of the season?
With lots of football clubs in London, fans in the capital could even cycle to away games as well. It's something that football has overlooked, and perhaps the cycling community has too. There is a lot of focus on commuting, but matchday also sees a mass migration of people - and perhaps because those supporters are inherently attracted by sport and physical exercise there's more scope for getting them interested in cycling?
What do you think can be done to encourage more football fans to cycle?
Do you cycle to see your favourite football team in action?
Comments
Love it 'who didn't eat the
Love it 'who didn't eat the pies' wins green star.
Ride To The Match was fashioned in Ipswich.
As Ipswich trounced Palace last season, the tractor boys took to the velo instead.
One lucky chap won a bike at half time too.
Great to see the Club, Council and British Cycling all pedalling the message.
Arsenal used to have a
Arsenal used to have a fantastic bike park at the new Emirates stadium. They still have a steward posted on the door, but have massively reduced the capacity of the cycle park. Used to be over 150 bike stands. Now about 30. Shame really