While climate change is threatening football in general, women’s teams, especially grassroots and local teams, are particularly at risk from flooding and damaged pitches, as they often play at grounds with weaker infrastructure.
Obviously, some things have greatly improved in women’s football since I was a player, but this is mostly for top flight teams where there’s greater room for investment to protect the pitches.
Chris Lockwood as a teenager. Credit: Supplied
Grassroots teams still face challenges with funding and the state of the grounds – especially increasing waterlogged pitches. In fact, a close friend admitted recently that she hasn’t been able to play in weeks because of water-logged pitches in London where she usually plays.
This research from the world’s biggest football climate campaign highlights the urgent need for us all to tackle climate change if we want to protect the game. It may feel overwhelming as an issue, but football has an incredible power to drive positive change if we all come together to take action.
This year’s Great Save saw clubs helping to save kit from landfill by donating used sportswear to local groups and charities. On this issue alone there are so many longer-term initiatives they can now put into place: permanent kit donation or buy-back schemes, making sure their kits are made from fully recyclable materials, even creating new ranges of merch from up-cycled old shirts.
And there’s so much that we can do as individuals as well – from passing on our own unused sportswear to give it a second life, walking or cycling more instead of driving, eating more veg, even taking shorter showers. These small actions may seem insignificant, but they help reduce waste and carbon – and imagine how much impact the UK’s 36 million football fans can make when we come together.
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I am passionate about protecting the future of women’s football because I know what it did for me to be part of a team and club. It gave me confidence because I could play with freedom and nobody judged me. Football brings people together no matter who they are and where they are from.
When I was playing, it meant more to me than anything else in the world. Football gave me a purpose, friendship, confidence and a voice. I want other young women to be afforded that same opportunity today and for decades to come.
With women’s football enjoying the best visibility and popularity in the sports history, it is vital that the necessary steps are taken to help protect its future from the impacts of climate change. It’s been a huge privilege to be part of the history of women’s football. Now it’s about taking action together to protect the game for the next generation of female players and fans.
While the figures in this report are specifically looking at the threats to football – cricket, rugby, hockey – all outdoor sports are likely to be affected by the more extreme weather expected in the coming years. We know what to do about it, so it’s up to all of us to help protect the games we love.
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