[Football] Premier League Clubs use of private jets

[Nobby Cybergoat]

It's not the journey the team makes per se but the other journeys the plane makes in order to pick up the team. An example given was a plane flying empty from Inverness to Bournemouth to collect the team.

Incredibly, and i'm not sure if we do it, but guess we do, the team coach with the branding on often leaves the home club to pick the players up from the airport and take them from the ground. So the coach is driving the whole route anyway instead of just hiring one locally

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I wholly support the team doing so if it means the players have more rest time.

Aviation doesn't pollute as much as shipping which is double and increasing, so anyone attacking a few PL clubs when industrial polluters like China build more coal powered plants really is pissing in the wind.

Does that fact force us to stop buying cheap goods, from a country that is increasing coal power and knowing that is then shipped to UK which is twice as polluting?

When we've done our bit, we'll have every right to insist heavy scheduled PL players sacrifice rest by taking 6-8 hour coach journeys.

Sadly this tiddly little island is so incredibly crap to get around that chartering a private jet makes perfick logistical sense. Clubs just wave that magic EPL money wand and make it happen. In the grand scheme of things, us plebs taking budget flights by the million must create a stonking great Size 10 DM carbon footprint by comparison

 

[nicko31]

I read that this morning but was hoping to find an actual list of the flights made.

i.e. how many times have BHA (who along with Bournemouth and Newcastle have the most 'valid' reasons to fly) actually flown to/from games this season.

A few weeks ago I passed what I believe was the Liverpool team coach (blacked out windows) on the way back from our home PL match. Seems they didn't fly down, this surprised me.

 

[Charles 'Charley' Charles]

A few weeks ago I passed what I believe was the Liverpool team coach (blacked out windows) on the way back from our home PL match. Seems they didn't fly down, this surprised me.

Oddly was going to post similar. After the cup game we drove past what we assumed was 2 Liverpool Team Coaches, players and support staff we assumed just by the Asda turn off.

 

[Barham's tash]

Oddly was going to post similar. After the cup game we drove past what we assumed was 2 Liverpool Team Coaches, players and support staff we assumed just by the Asda turn off.

They do fly down but absurdly the empty branded coach drives down to meet them at the airport, drive them to the game and back and then it pootles back to Bootle empty. Crazy when you think about it but wouldn’t want the little darlings not to have familiar comforts before/after another defeat would they?!

 

[Guinness Boy]

Sadly this tiddly little island is so incredibly crap to get around that chartering a private jet makes perfick logistical sense. Clubs just wave that magic EPL money wand and make it happen. In the grand scheme of things, us plebs taking budget flights by the million must create a stonking great Size 10 DM carbon footprint by comparison

This.

Now that PL football is a proper big TV event most kick offs can't be delayed so clubs need to know they have a method of transport that guarantees them being on time or at least within a certain window of late.

Villa IIRC got the kickoff delayed this season as their team coach was late but it was only coming from the East Sussex National where they'd stayed on the Friday. But that was 15/20 minutes and not the hour or two that might be needed if the M25 was suddenly shut for a massive crash or someone jumped on the tracks on the Brighton main line and the players were coming by coach or train.

That's before any security concerns regarding players travelling by train. I know our boys got the Seagull Special back in rather infamous style from Newcastle but I'm not sure, given how much online abuse some of them get, that they'd want to pack onto the Victoria Line or a crowded Thameslink.

Public transport is probably the worst I can remember it in this country and thus people are taking to overcrowded roads. I'd start to look there for climate issues rather than football clubs.

 

[nicko31]

Oddly was going to post similar. After the cup game we drove past what we assumed was 2 Liverpool Team Coaches, players and support staff we assumed just by the Asda turn off.

Taken on the M25 heading north, looked different to the coach you saw..

 

[worthingseagull123]

Not sure how easy it is to get to Aston Villa by boat.

Grand Union Canal?

 

[trueblue]

I doubt Premier League football clubs are any different to all the other big companies that use air travel as a matter of course. Probably a very small contributor to emissions by comparison but all those dull businesses don't make for a good story.

 

[dsr-burnley]

They do fly down but absurdly the empty branded coach drives down to meet them at the airport, drive them to the game and back and then it pootles back to Bootle empty. Crazy when you think about it but wouldn’t want the little darlings not to have familiar comforts before/after another defeat would they?!

The coach carries the kit as well.

 

[Mr Banana]

Impressive amount of whataboutery here. What would it take for that to change? Falmer under water? Brighton is the UK city most at threat from climate change.

Albion claim to be committed to environmental sustainability. They can at least set an example. Or not make that claim, if they’re not serious.

 

[Swansman]

I wholly support the team doing so if it means the players have more rest time.

Aviation doesn't pollute as much as shipping which is double and increasing, so anyone attacking a few PL clubs when industrial polluters like China build more coal powered plants really is pissing in the wind.

Does that fact force us to stop buying cheap goods, from a country that is increasing coal power and knowing that is then shipped to UK which is twice as polluting?

When we've done our bit, we'll have every right to insist heavy scheduled PL players sacrifice rest by taking 6-8 hour coach journeys.

Ok so nothing should be done until China stops having coal plants.

Feels like that could backfire a bit.

 

[Weststander]

Chelsea players taking a plane to Leicester appears ludicrous.

The time taken to get to an airport, a wait, later collecting gear and a coach to hotel or Kingpower.

The time gain was tiny. Could’ve simply hopped on a luxury coach from their meeting point and 2.5 hours later arrived.

 

[ShandyH]

Taking a private jets is probably the most carbon intensive thing am individual can do.

In November 2021 the Premier League signed up to the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework, which brings together sports organisations from all over the world to achieve climate change goals.

How serious are they, is this just more greenwashing?

League commits to UN Sports for Climate Action Framework

Premier League joins sports organisations across the world in commitment to achieve climate change goals

www.premierleague.com

I'd like to see all PL clubs agree not use them for domestic use. For International travel they should use commercial airlines.

I notice the FA are on the fence as usual, very weak...

I agree that it’s a cursory nod. In a theoretical world, this would be lovely but Man Utd are not going to take a 5-6 hour coach ride to Brighton. So why should we to Old Trafford?

The Premier League’s huge appeal worldwide was sewn by the BBC World Service. The budgets have followed and we (Brighton) are helping to provide some of the best club football to a worldwide audience.

Everyone around the world wants the best possible product. This league is the pinnacle of weekend football in the same way that the NBA, MLB, NFL, IPL and NHL are to their respective sports.

The joy, motivation, theatre, love, promotion of health, teamwork, competition and fair play by these leagues is unbelievably positive and powerful.

When played at the highest level, football is a wonderful thing. Short flights in the UK allow that. It’s a small sacrifice for a sensational league that inspires all of us. There are too many people I know worldwide that love this league and it’s not too much to let them arrive fresh to a game.

 

[Weststander]

I agree that it’s a cursory nod. In a theoretical world, this would be lovely but Man Utd are not going to take a 5-6 hour coach ride to Brighton. So why should we to Old Trafford?

The Premier League’s huge appeal worldwide was sewn by the BBC World Service. The budgets have followed and we (Brighton) are helping to provide some of the best club football to a worldwide audience.

Everyone around the world wants the best possible product. This league is the pinnacle of weekend football in the same way that the NBA, MLB, NFL, IPL and NHL are to their respective sports.

The joy, motivation, theatre, love, promotion of health, teamwork, competition and fair play by these leagues is unbelievably positive and powerful.

When played at the highest level, football is a wonderful thing. Short flights in the UK allow that. It’s a small sacrifice for a sensational league that inspires all of us. There are too many people I know worldwide that love this league and it’s not too much to let them arrive fresh to a game.

The physical conditioning expert in the article downplayed those advantages.

Perhaps we need to follow France and ban some internal flights.

 

[ShandyH]

The physical conditioning expert in the article downplayed those advantages.

Perhaps we need to follow France and ban some internal flights.

So the physical conditioning expert is saying that a team stepping off a 45 minute flight would be equally ready to play versus a bus journey to Manchester?

 

[Weststander]

So the physical conditioning expert is saying that a team stepping off a 45 minute flight would be equally ready to play versus a bus journey to Manchester?

Just read his words.

 

[ShandyH]

Just read his words

 

[ShandyH]

One person saying there’s no difference between the various transport modes?

Have you ever been on a coach for 5-6 hours?

I understand the impact on the environment.

But what about the 31,650 fans arriving at our stadium? So what about the 78,000 fans arriving at Old Trafford? Are we concentrating on the 50-odd key people that make these games a worldwide fascination?

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Not sure how easy it is to get to Aston Villa by boat.

It’s not the easiest plaice to navigate at the best of times