Tottenham are going net-zero carbon at the Tottenham stadium
By Don Scully
[My article is partly tongue in cheek, partly what is happening at the moment]
The club have announced that they have partnered with Sky to make their match against Chelsea the first-ever net zero-carbon football game. Even though they advertise meat menu’s at their stadium and travel around Europe in a plane that eats up the environment (hypocrisy or just advertisement?).
It will be branded #GameZero, and the whole drive behind the campaign is the determination of being net-zero carbon, which is when emissions are cut down as much as possible. Sky, our club, and UK Government are behind the campaign, and the persistence is to bring down emissions and raise awareness of the threats that climate change has.
As for the Chelsea game, there will be work to reduce the emissions from usual matchday activities, such as food choices in the stadium, how the fans will travel to the event, and the energy used to improve the game. The game will be on the 19th September and will be a unique experience (according to the club).
According to the BBC, both teams will arrive on coaches powered by biofuel, will drink water from sustainable cartons and much more. Notice, not one coach, but two. Which seems to devalue the exercise, even though the coaches have “biofuel”.
As for us, poor sods, we’ve been asked to reduce our own carbon footprint by travelling to the stadium on foot, by bicycle, or using public transport. There will also be a selection of plant-based food options as they are more sustainable. I would imagine very few fans will follow this advice unless they are into Environmental activities.
Thoughts
So, we’ve been asked to travel by foot, bike or public transport… that is ok if you live in London, but what about those outside of London? As for the food? What about their restaurants advertising meat? No doubt, this is just be an advertising exercise, and then the club will quietly slip back to normality.
And what about what I pointed out earlier? Spurs using planes to travel to Europe, doesn’t that hurt the environment as well? This is a whole marketing exercise to promote interests (money and the stadium) – free publicity – and then quietly sneak back to normality once the activity has exhausted itself.
Yes, a good campaign by the club and Sky, but cynical never the less. But if it boost our profile even more and puts our name in the headlines, who are we to argue? Eventually, the meat will be restored and other annoyances shelved (as some see it).
So, let us all get behind the campaign and help get even more money to our war chest; after all, the club’s objectives are to build an empire, use the money – hopefully – to conquer the footballing world, and Levy eventually rises to the House of Lords or even higher…
Somebody once compared Levy to the song “Send in the Clowns”, and according to some, we’ve certainly become a circus since Levy took over. And I am not saying that is right or wrong; the supporters – you – have to decide that.
But let us end with Monty Python’s “Always look on the Bright side of life”.
#Some things in life are bad
They can really make you mad
Other things just make you swear and curse
When you’re chewing on life’s gristle
Don’t grumble, give a whistle
And this’ll help things turn out for the best
And Always look on the bright side of life#
Tongue-in-cheek or just reality?
By Don Scully
I have been following Spurs since the sixties and work in London. My current job is as a professional writer (working in the media), and I have work connections to the club and had previously worked for them. Including working at the old White Hart Lane stadium.
I also have my own blog and have written for the SpursWeb app & its website.