The song “Football’s Coming Home” might date back to 1996, when England hosted the European Championships and it had been a mere “30 years of hurt”, but this summer fans have had every reason to sing it again as Gareth Southgate’s men reached the final of the competition for the second time in a row.
By the time you read this, the final against Spain may have come and gone and we will know whether or not that long wait for another big international trophy to go with the 1966 World Cup is over.
However, it doesn’t need England to emerge triumphant in July from a tournament in Germany for football to come home this summer in another sense; that will be happening in August as the new English season begins.
Football Comes Home To Your Town
It will happen on all sorts of levels. In the Premier League, where so many of the stars of Euro 2024 will be seen at Old Trafford, the Etihad, Anfield and the Emirates. But it will also happen at smaller clubs all over the country, right down to Bromley, the newest club to make its Football League debut after its promotion from the National League last season.
Bromley will start their life as a league club away to Harrogate Town before their first home match, a south London derby with AFC Wimbledon. As they do so, vendors close to the ground will be dishing up loads of fast food for the fans on the way to and from the game, a scene that will be replicated across the land.
While the standard of football and the size of crowds will vary, any vendor catering to the crowds will be looking forward to a lucrative time. However, as anyone viewing the streets after a game and spotting all the litter will observe, there may be quite an environmental price to pay.
Can The Game Be More Sustainable?
The question of how sustainable the game is will never be a sexy topic for those who prefer sexy football, but it is a relevant one. In an age when many clubs are bankrolled by Arabs made rich by fossil fuels, or part-owned by a petrochemicals magnate like Sir Jim Radcliffe, it is a fair question.
Using eco-friendly fast food packaging is one way that vendors, whether inside the grounds or on the approaches to it, can play their part in making sure that the familiar Saturday afternoon (and sometimes Sunday, Monday, or whenever else TV dictates) ritual is a bit greener.
There have been some clubs who have taken this very seriously. Forest Green Rovers, for example, a club owned by founder of renewable energy firm Ecotricity Dale Vincent, went as far as making all its food vegan, while it had plans a few years ago for a new stadium made entirely of wood.
Unfortunately for Forest Green, the club suffered successive relegations and has now dropped back into the National League. But others have made their own efforts to help clubs be more responsible. In March, European football’s governing body UEFA published a carbon footprint calculator to help clubs lower emissions.
Some took a rather cynical view of this move, given that the expansion of European football competitions in recent years has meant more flights and long coach drives, adding to emissions. But it might help clubs raise their game in all manner of ways, not just through their travel choices but whether, for instance, stadiums are powered by more green energy.
Can Packaging Be A Part Of A Greener Game?
Using biodegradable food packaging would fit with such a commitment, helping clubs and fans alike to focus more on sustainability. As well as energy, for instance, could old kits be recycled to make new replica shirts, or might fans reflect more on their transport choices when travelling to games?
These might not be the first thing that every fan thinks about when heading to the game, of course. It is far more likely they will be consumed by matters like their team’s form, the manager’s future, or how their new signings might shape up, as well as how the opposition will play.
Nonetheless, clubs and organisations have been making some big efforts to get involved with some wider concerns. Racism, sexism (especially with the development of women’s football), mental health matters and LGBT issues are among examples of these. There is no reason not to add sustainability to the list.
When domestic football comes home next month, your food or drink outlet could play its own part in making the sport, as well as our society, a more sustainable place. Selling an item with eco-friendly packaging may not be a moment to match a last-minute winning goal, but it will be important nonetheless.
