Can England’s footballers ride the rails to European glory?
Imagine if the England men’s football team travelled by train to the Euros this summer, rather than flying. In October last year, France’s national football teams announced that they would travel by train to matches for all trips under three hours, for the sake of the climate. The big question now is – can England equalise with France?
Last year, we wrote to England Men’s Manager Gareth Southgate, as well as the English FA, with two asks. First, we asked that the team take the train to Germany for the European Championships 2024. And secondly, we asked that they travel by rail to any matches during the tournament where the train journey is under three hours.
How we travel makes a huge difference to our carbon footprint. Flying from London to Berlin produces 40 times more carbon than taking the train. The England team has a great chance here to highlight a greener way to travel – practically an open goal!
Football clubs and football players are hugely influential, with almost half of boys naming footballers as their role models, and the women’s national team capturing the hearts and minds of millions last year. Events like the Euros grab the nation’s attention – the final of the last European Championships was the most-watched TV event in the UK in 24 years. By publicly committing to travel sustainably, the England team could have an enormous influence.
“Few public figures have more influence than you, considering the millions who follow England and see us in action globally. We think your team has a fantastic opportunity to match the French team’s pledge, show real leadership on the biggest issue of our time, and set an example both to the nation and to the world.”
– Our letter to Gareth Southgate
Our letter caused a stir on social media, and in the press, including the Daily Mail. But the England team has not yet committed to taking the train. Can you help…?
Sign our letter
We’re writing again to the England manager and the FA, and this time, we hope as many people as possible will sign our letter. Please ask your friends to sign too, by sending them the link. We hope as many football fans as possible will sign – how about the mates you go to games with, your Sunday League team, or perhaps fellow parents from your child’s team?
Find the letter at: www.bettertransport.org.uk/football
Beyond the Euros
In the UK, hundreds of thousands of football fans travel to matches every week. Many take public transport, but this isn’t always available or affordable, and many areas suffer traffic and parking problems on match-days from an influx of spectators in cars.
We want to see football fans given real travel options, so more can leave their cars at home and enjoy the day hassle-free. Transport operators should provide better match-day services. Football clubs should have travel plans and encourage their fans to travel sustainably. And how about free public transport, included in the cost of your match ticket?
We’re a charity full of football fans – and we’re keen to see the Premier League, and the entire football pyramid, put sustainable travel at the heart of the matchday experience.
Photo by johnthescone, via Wikimedia Commons
