Green Football Weekend

This year’s Green Football Weekend will take place between 2nd-5th February – and it was launched this week at Wembley Stadium with an event featuring former-England international Joe Cole and Forest Green Rovers chair Dale Vince.

The focus is on food with the pair taking on Robbie Savage and chef Levi Roots in a ‘Ready Veggie Cook-off’ challenge to mark the start of the Green Football Weekend campaign. More than 70 football players, pundits, celebrity chefs, and club nutritionists have shared their favourite vegetarian recipes which are included in a free online cookbook.

Green Football Weekend mobilises fans, clubs, and leagues to take action on climate and this year the focus is on the power of a diet which features the occasional meat-free meal. Green Football Weekend calculates that if the UK’s football fans had one vegetarian meal per day it could save the equivalent to removing 5.5m cars from our roads.

Gary Lineker, Green Football Weekend ambassador, said:

“I am proud to kickstart the second year of Green Football Weekend. Football has the unbelievable power to unite everyone – clubs, players and fans from across the community with a common goal to take action. Trying a healthy veggie option over Green Football Weekend is a simple step towards a healthier lifestyle and a healthier planet.”

Between 2nd-5th February clubs will take centre stage showcasing their sustainability work, engaging fans in the issue and announcing new, more ambitious commitments.

Green Football Cup – go green for your team

Pledge green action to score a goal for your club towards the Green Football Cup and enter the chance to win amazing prizes! The more points you score, the higher your club’s chances to win the Green Football Cup. https://pledgeball.org/#leaderboard_sec

By trying a recipe from the cookbook, fans can register a “goal” for their club in the Green Football Cup at www.greenfootballweekend.com, with more than 80 clubs entered and vying for the title.

Other goal-scoring activities will include saving cash by choosing discounted ‘yellow-sticker’ food at the supermarket, using the Green Football Weekend recipe generator, simply walking, cycling or taking public transport rather than driving.

Sarah Jacobs, Green Football Weekend director, said: “Green Football Weekend is fan action at its most powerful, and brings clubs together to take increasingly ambitious action on climate. Football has incredible power to inspire change and improve lives, and that’s what this campaign is all about.”

• Find out more about Green Football Weekend: www.greenfootballweekend.com