Transport & Travel
Transport and travel is a key point for sport becoming more sustainable. It affects governing bodies organising the international fixtures and fans travelling to local clubs.
It’s estimated that roughly 70% of sports’ carbon footprint comes from travel. Mark Fairbrother explained the financial and reputational threat surrounding travel in the sector. “Travel tends to cause a lot of issues for away fans. It can have a massive financial impact if your attendance drops by thousands of people. Often, people substitute that for alternative forms of transport.
“As a club, we have the issue that we don’t fly to any games. It’s company policy. We’ll charter a carriage on a train and when the train strikes, that gets disrupted. Then, instead of chartering the carriage, we’ve got to take two coaches. So, we’ve got all these elements that we have to be ready to substitute. We can’t let our fans down, and we can’t risk being fined for not turning up to a game. The repercussions from an organising body are far more severe than the short-term decisions you must take to get your team on the pitch.” But there is reason for optimism. As Winning Tape Sports Agency’s Marc Hope explained, travel is an issue that larger tournaments seem to be taking seriously, as demonstrated by the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022.
“It was a completely car-free games, you couldn’t drive to the venues. Instead, they provided free buses to and from the stadium. They had entertainment and music as people were waiting to leave at night, it worked very well. I think it’s becoming quite accepted in the major sporting events, such as the Olympics or the Commonwealth Games, that you won’t be able to drive. It’ll be interesting to see what approach Paris takes for the Olympics next year.”