Climate hazards including 120 mile per hour winds threaten women’s football, new data reveals

Climate change is threatening the future of men’s and women’s football, with one in four professional English clubs set to be impacted by yearly flooding by 2050 (1).

However, women’s teams - especially those outside of the professional game – may suffer disproportionately from flooded and damaged pitches, due to often playing at grounds with less robust infrastructure and multiple men’s and women’s teams using them. With many of these pitches expected to face wind gusts of up to 120 miles per hour, flood depths approaching two metres, 16-day heatwaves and multi-month long droughts by 2050, the threat is increasingly acute.

The research, carried out using advanced climate modelling, examined the projected exposure of pitches used by women’s teams to high or very high levels of wind, heatwaves, drought, extreme rainfall and flooding over the next 25 years (see list of grounds analysed here). These hazards can pose serious risks to players, staff, supporters and infrastructure, leading to game postponement or cancellation.

Clubs projected to be most impacted by climate change:

Across the pitch locations where the BWSL, BWC and the WNL N&S mainly play:

• More than half (52%) are projected to be exposed to high or very high heatwaves, with London, South East England, South West England the most likely to be impacted. Pitch locations with the highest potential risk are Plymouth Argyle, Arsenal, Watford, Billericay Town and Hashtag United.
• Nearly one in five (17%) clubs are projected to be exposed to high or very high flood levels, with clubs situated close to watercourses or the coast most likely to be at risk. Pitch locations with the highest potential risk are Durham, Bristol City, Blackburn Rovers, AFC Wimbledon and Liverpool.
• Nearly nine in ten (85%) are projected to be exposed to high or very high wind, with clubs in South West and East of England projected to be most impacted. Pitch locations with the highest potential risk are Durham, Sunderland, Ipswich Town, Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City
• More than three quarters (77%) of clubs are projected to be exposed to high or very high drought, with clubs in South West and North West England and the Midlands most likely to be impacted. Pitch locations with the highest potential risk are Rugby Borough, Watford, MK Dons, Arsenal and Oxford United.

Across Scotland, windstorms pose the greatest threat, with all SWPL clubs projected to be exposed to high or very high winds, with gusts up to 120 miles per hour.

Clubs projected to be most exposed to all five climate hazards combined

The data also identified the pitch locations used by women’s teams expected to be most impacted by high or very high levels of all five climate hazards combined (wind gusts, heatwaves, drought, extreme rainfall and flooding):

• Across all four leagues: Aberdeen, Durham, Blackburn Rovers, Plymouth Argyle, Rangers, Montrose, Queen’s Park, Ipswich Town, Exeter City and Bristol City.
• Barclays Women’s Super League: Liverpool, West Ham United, Brighton & Hove Albion, Crystal Palace and Leicester City.
• Barclays Women’s Championship: Durham, Blackburn Rovers, Bristol City, Charlton Athletic and Portsmouth.
• FA Women’s National League Northern and Southern Premier divisions: Plymouth Argyle, Ipswich Town, Exeter City, AFC Wimbledon, MK Dons
• Scottish Women’s Premier League: Aberdeen, Rangers, Montrose, Queen’s Park and Hibernian.

Tessel Middag, midfielder for Rangers, says:

"Football can be a positive force for social change. It has the power to inspire millions of people and that is what is needed now. We know that weather conditions are only going to get worse so it is important to take steps to protect the game however we can. This starts with action from football bodies and clubs, such as making sure they only partner with responsible companies. Fans can also do their part. Passing on kit, taking public transport to games, eating plant-based food, all of these actions together help make a difference. It is remarkable what can be achieved when we have a common goal."

Ex-player and ‘Lost Lioness’ Chris Lockwood agrees that more needs to be done to protect women’s football from weather hazards:.

‘I started playing football in the 1960s. Thankfully a lot has changed for the better for female players since then, but one thing that has got worse is climate change and the impact it is having on the game. We faced a lot of challenges 60 years ago, but today’s teams are battling increased flooding, wind damage and droughts, causing pitch issues and match cancellations. This is only going to get worse and may mean that women will have less opportunity to play the sport we fought so hard to be a part of. With women’s football enjoying the best visibility and popularity in the sports history, it is vital that the necessary steps are taken to help protect its future from weather hazards. This can be our collective action on living more sustainably, but it also needs to be acknowledged and prioritised by clubs.’

Climate change already stopping play

A number of recent women’s games have already been called off due to dangerous playing conditions linked to climate change, for example:

• This season, Storms Éowyn and Babet led to multiple match cancellations for clubs across the SWPL due to damage to stadia and unsafe playing and travel conditions for fans, players and staff.
• Extreme temperatures and frozen pitches led to the postponement of six matches during the Women’s FA Cup Fourth Round.

These challenges look set to worsen. For example, 44% of all postponed games in Birmingham County FA’s Women and Girls Pathway were called off because of pitch conditions, in comparison to 18% the previous season.

The power of climate change mitigation and prevention:

Those pitches expected to be most at risk may not, of course, suffer the most climate-related damage, if clubs are monitoring their risk exposure and - if needed - have a response plan and appropriate protections in place. The WPLL, for example, has had only one match cancelled since the summer of 2023, thanks to their pitch protection initiatives.

However, given the increasing climate threat and accompanying commercial risks for clubs, it’s critical that footballing organisations put robust plans in place to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate the impact of climate change. For example, supporting fans to adopt climate-friendly habits, including saving kit from landfill or travelling greener; reducing waste and non-renewable energy use; or even exploring the benefits of using green roofs and walls to help combat climate change.

Daniel Keir, climate resilience specialist from Zurich Resilience Solutions, commented:“Football clubs are increasingly having to cope with unpredictable weather, but this research demonstrates just how much climate change may impact the game in the future. Clubs should consider taking proactive action now to minimise disruption and protect their stadiums, training facilities, people and fans. Taking action sooner rather than later may help prevent a big repair bill in the future.”

Sarah Jacobs, from Green Football’s Great Save, said: “This new research highlights the urgent need for football to turbo-charge its efforts to tackle climate change. Football has a huge opportunity to lead the charge, by shining a light on the issue, prioritising sustainability in business decisions and supporting millions of fans to make small but important changes in our everyday lives.”

The research was undertaken as part of Green Football’s Great Save, the world’s biggest climate-football campaign, which brings together the football community - fans, players, clubs, leagues, grassroots teams and schools - to take action to tackle climate change and protect the future of the game.

The campaign is focusing on the estimated 100,000 tonnes of sportswear that ends up in UK landfills every year, taking decades to break down and contributing to methane emissions—a powerful greenhouse gas which fuels climate change. Throughout the campaign, fans, clubs and players are helping to make the great save, by donating, selling or reusing kit instead of throwing it away.

In recognition that more work needs to be done to improve pitches across the grassroots game, The FA has committed to ensuring 12,000 quality grass pitches and 300 more 3G pitches, to be delivered by the Football Foundation by 2028.