Together greener: the Welsh football clubs signing up to tackle climate change

It’s a golden age for football in Wales. Both the men’s and women’s teams have stormed into top international tournaments, cheered on by our famous “Red Wall” of supporters. The grassroots game is surging: over 200,000 adults and 190,000 children regularly turn out to play, in 943 clubs across the country.

Now it’s time to build a green wall, too. The Football Association of Wales (FAW) wants to make the sport as environmentally friendly as possible, making sure everyone can enjoy the health and social benefits of the game – now and for generations to come.

Helen Antoniazzi is Head of Public Affairs and Sustainability at the FAW. She says: “When I say I work on sustainability in football, people often think it’s about reducing flights when our international players travel to matches. In fact, most of our activity is in grassroots football – what’s happening week in and week out, all over Wales.

“We want to embed climate action in everything we do at the FAW. That means looking at how we can support clubs throughout the nation in their own actions to become more sustainable.”

Game-changing support

For many local clubs, building better facilities is top of the priority list. The FAW’s community charity, the Cymru Football Foundation (CFF), helps them do this in a more sustainable way.

With grants from the CFF, clubs have been able to afford improvements like rooftop solar panels, low-power LED lighting in changing rooms, and butts to save rainwater for irrigating pitches. Many have had financial support to insulate clubhouses, install environmentally friendly wooden seating for spectators, and plant flower meadows to create a buzzing habitat for bees, birds and other wildlife.

What’s good for the environment is often good for club budgets. As well as driving down the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change, energy-efficient changes will save Welsh clubs an estimated £300,000 in operating costs over the next 10 years.

Small changes, big impact

The FAW is now inviting local clubs to get involved in Together Greener. According to Helen, it’s a programme that takes inspiration from a Welsh figure who lived more than 12 centuries before the birth of modern football.

She says: “We remembered that famous quote from Saint David, the patron saint of Wales: ‘Do the little things’. We’re asking clubs to do this by signing up for the Green Goals Charter. They make a commitment to taking two actions that will reduce their carbon footprint and help tackle climate change.”

Clubs in all parts of Wales are pledging their support. Clarbeston Road FC has become a champion of good environmental practice in Pembrokeshire. After installing solar panels and energy-efficient hot-water and lighting systems, it’s well on its way to becoming totally self-sufficient in electricity.  

In Mid Wales, Welshpool Town FC has created a haven for nature at its new playing fields. The land around the pitches has been left unmown, attracting butterflies, bird life, and visitors who enjoy the beauty of the landscape. Thanks to CFF funding, the club also runs its changing rooms on renewable energy, with solar panels charging up batteries that keep the lights on even when the sun’s not shining.

Cambrian United FC in the Rhondda Valley stands out by having its own hydroelectric plant. The water that flows through a nearby lake generates clean electricity to meet all the clubhouse’s needs. The club has installed solar-powered charging points for electric vehicles, and more green schemes are in the pipeline, including a second hydroelectric project.

With schemes like these, clubs can galvanise the whole community, not just football fans. “Traditionally, people volunteer in football clubs because they play football themselves or their children do,” says Helen. “But we’re now finding that people are getting involved in their local club because they’re interested in sustainability where they live, and want to take action on climate change.”

Want to know more?

Find out more about the Football Association of Wales’ vision for a more sustainable game. And discover how the Cymru Football Foundation is helping to build stronger, more sustainable community-focused clubs – harnessing football’s power to protect our planet, one green goal at a time.