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3 months ago
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Newcastle United have been targeted by Fossil Free Football.
Tottenham also in their sights.
Fossil Free Football attacking the idea of the two clubs sending their squads to Australia.
Announced on Monday (see below) Newcastle United will play Tottenham in a friendly at the MCG on 22 May 2024, then two days later NUFC playing an A-League All Stars team at the Marvel Stadium, also in Melbourne.
No doubt like pretty much all of the rest of you, I had never heard of ‘Fossil Free Football‘, who say they are football fans ‘Kicking fossil fuels out of football.’
Looking on their website, they appear to be a Netherlands based organisation.
I don’t think that many of us would argue against the fact that minimising flights as much as possible by anybody, is a good thing.
However, exactly why these particular flights by Newcastle United and/or Tottenham are being targeted is bizarre. As in, I had never heard of this campaign group before and I don’t know what the difference is between these flights and friendlies, as compared to all of the other thousands of overseas non-competitive matches played by English clubs and indeed the national team(s).
More to the point maybe is why the media are making a story out of this Newcastle United and Tottenham trip?
It doesn’t definitely feel that as a Newcastle United fan, if a negative story can be put out there that mentions NUFC and/or our fanbase, then the media are suddenly highly motivated to do so.
Maybe I have just missed the countless previous similar negative articles that the i and others have published, when Man U, Liverpool, Chelsea and others have played friendlies around the world…
Safe to say, those clubs have done this type of thing far far more often than Newcastle United.
The flights that pretty much all Premier League club squads appear to make for domestic matches is a shocker, rather than driving. However, if football fans in Australia want to see the likes of Newcastle United and Tottenham play in the flesh, what is the alternative. The two playing squads to spend their entire summers away from their families on a ship…?
The i report – 19 March 2024:
Tottenham and Newcastle have been accused of sending the “wrong example” over football’s commitment to tackling the climate crisis after it was confirmed they will play each other in a post-season friendly in Melbourne.
The match, which will be held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and is scheduled to take place just three days after the final day of the 2023-24 Premier League season, will see both clubs embarking on a 21,000-mile round trip to Australia.
It has been billed as a homecoming game for Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou who grew up in Melbourne, played and managed South Melbourne and later took charge of Melbourne Victory.
However, the environmental impact of the fixture has drawn criticism. According to Flight Free Org, the greenhouse gas emissions of a single passenger travelling from London Heathrow to Melbourne International and back again is more than 4.2 billion people in the world would emit in an entire year.
Fossil Free Football, a group of football fans who are urging clubs and organising bodies to take serious climate action to protect the sport, believe the match further “normalises this extremely polluting elite form of travel”.
“This is the wrong example to give to fans and football followers, who are – like everyone – increasingly concerned about the climate crisis,” the group told i.
Sporting bodies, national associations, clubs and players have been condemned in recent years for exacerbating the climate crisis by flying to and from matches, including for short-haul domestic flights and for using private jets.
“We regularly hear from players and coaches how this expanding football calendar has a negative impact on players’ health and performance,” Fossil Free Football said.
“On top of that, many clubs, Uefa and Fifa are sponsored by airlines, normalising this extremely polluting elite form of travel.
“There is only one logical conclusion. It’s time for football bodies and clubs to do the sensible thing: make the football calendar smaller and more local and kick out polluting sponsors. It’s better for players and the only planet we can play football on.”
Newcastle United official statement – 18 March 2024:
‘Newcastle United will travel to Australia following the conclusion of the Premier League season in May to take on Tottenham Hotspur and the A-League All Stars in Melbourne.
The Magpies will kick off the city’s ‘Global Football Week – Melbourne’ event at the world-famous Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) at 7:45pm (all times AEST) on Wednesday 22nd May, taking on a Spurs side managed by one of the city’s favourite sons, Ange Postecoglou.
In an historic double-header at the impressive Marvel Stadium in Melbourne’s Docklands on Friday 24th May, Eddie Howe’s side will face the A-League All Star Men at 5:15pm before the inaugural A- League All Star Women’s team hosts Arsenal Women at 8:05pm.
The post-season trip will mark Newcastle United’s first visit to Oceania since July 2014, when the Magpies won the Football United Tour in New Zealand with victories over Sydney FC and Wellington Phoenix.
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe said: “This is a great opportunity to showcase Newcastle United at two iconic venues in an iconic city as the club continues to grow globally.
“We are privileged to have so many incredible supporters around the world, and it’s a chance to be able to play in front of many in Australia who wouldn’t ordinarily get the chance to see the team.
“We look forward to engaging with our supporters in Melbourne and giving them the opportunity to feel closer to the club.”
The matches were announced during a special event in Melbourne featuring current Tottenham Hotspur assistant coach and former Socceroo, Mile Jedinak, as well as Spurs’ Chief Football Officer, fellow Australian Scott Munn.
They were joined by Australia’s Minister for Sports and Tourism, Steve Dimopoulos, Western United captain and Australia international, Chloe Logarzo, Melbourne Victory forward, Daniel Arzani, and APL independent chair, Stephen Conroy.
Geoff Jones, Group CEO of event organisers TEG said: “What a huge moment in sport today with the announcement of the Global Football Week Melbourne, where we will see Tottenham Hotspur taking on Newcastle United at the MCG and a double header at Marvel seeing Arsenal Women taking on A League All Stars Women, along with A League All Stars Men vs Newcastle United.
“These games will bring a week of international football games and events to the fans here in Australia. It’s something no sports fan would want to miss!”

 
