Nerve 14 - Big carbon football boots

Big carbon football boots

Every week, for ten months of the year, intensity is added to the world's carbon footprint, as tens of thousands of football fans travel great distances to watch their favourite teams in action. Since the privatisation of public transport - on this island especially - the preferred travel choice has been by road, increasing the environmental damage. When clubs become financially successful and enter into the elite of European competition, the footprint becomes larger, as fans rely - almost solely now - on air travel getting them to and from the various destinations around the continent.

The corporate elite that runs most top football clubs and institutions clamours for more revenue-increasing European competition, reflecting the general capitalist race for profit. But maybe an argument needs to be created which will align the urgency to create a more sustainable planet with this most enjoyable pastime.

A debate emerged recently amongst non-league football supporters, with regard to how clubs with limited resources could beat the recession. One of the ideas was a possible regionalisation of the upper strata of the non-league 'pyramid', so cutting down on travel costs. The arguments against this idea far outweighed the argument for, on the grounds that to regionalise - or further regionalise non-league football -would curb aspiration, decrease interest and affect quality.

However, it could be argued that this school of thought is one that views football only within the context of competition. To elaborate on this, I can reflect upon playing competitive football for twenty-five years or so, during which time some of the most enjoyable experiences were gained during matches where there was nothing at stake. In fact, I can remember one game where the quality of football was, without doubt, the best that I experienced. It took place one hot summer's day in Hyde Park, back in the early nineties. I was having a kick-about with a few mates when we were approached by some Italian and French students, who asked if we would like to make the numbers up, for an 'international' between the two countries. Some of us played for the French, while others turned out for the Italians. The effort, motivation and desire to win the game created a match of high quality, which, as the tempo increased, began to attract quite a number of people, who began to cheer on the players. There was a gravitational pull, created by the excitement of the game.

Why am I rambling down memory lane, I hear you wonder ('get to the point, Richie lad!') Well, the point is that this was a co-operative match played in a competitive way. We created the match ourselves and Joe Public was drawn toward it, while the more the tempo and excitement increased on the pitch, so too did the fairness and respect amongst the players. It cost nothing, while the buzz that was created reverberated around Hyde Park. And here's the rub: no referee was needed. We refereed it ourselves. In official, competitive football, it would be almost unthinkable to play a match without it being 'policed' by the officials.

With the two big clubs on Merseyside both having successful runs in Europe and domestic cup competitions this season, this maybe isn't the right time to be discussing a radical grassroots renewal of the game. But to conclude, as with every other part of our daily lives, we need to create a sustainable future for the planet, by creating ways of integrating our current way of living into one based around co-operation, rather than top-down competition. Football is the greatest game because everyone can play it; let's sustain that by letting it breathe.

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