logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2023
1h 1m

Should Premier League clubs stop flying ...

BBC Sounds
About this episode

Manchester to Leicester. Nottingham to Blackpool. Liverpool to Newcastle. Just a small sample of the routes Premier League clubs have travelled by plane rather than road or rail despite the increased damage to the environment.

In this week’s podcast, a BBC Sport investigation reveals that Premier League clubs have taken more than 80 private charter flights between matches in the past two months – with some spending less than 30 minutes in the air.

We also reveal the frequent use of positioning flights – which are often empty - to get the planes to the players.

So are these flights an unjustifiable extravagance in the face of our global climate emergency – or a necessary evil at the elite end of sport where marginal gains and player welfare come first?

We hear the views of former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin, Forest Green chairman Dale Vince, football physio Matt Konopinski and Dr Sally Cairns, an aviation specialist from the Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions.

Panel: Nesta McGregor, Dan Roan, David Lockwood, Pat Nevin, Sally Cairns

Producer: Sam Sheringham

Up next
Feb 2024
Sir Jim Ratcliffe: full exclusive interview
Sir Jim Ratcliffe sits down with BBC sports editor Dan Roan after completing his deal to buy a 27.7 per cent stake in Manchester United. The British billionaire's investment is worth about £1.25bn. He says it's a boyhood dream to be involved in United and that restoring them to t ... Show More
50m 23s
Feb 2024
Harry Kane on breaking records and building resilience
We catch up with England captain Harry Kane after his brilliant start to life at Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.Kane talks to Alex Howell about his pre-move nerves, his pride at his goalscoring feats and his hopes of ending his personal trophy drought.We also hear from Bayern fa ... Show More
32m 42s
Jan 2024
Luke Littler: The Boy who Changed Darts
The public has watched with growing astonishment at the 16 year old darts prodigy who has beaten players forty years his senior to progress in one of the biggest tournaments in the world. We discuss the impact Luke Littler has had on the sport already and how his success could ch ... Show More
33m 27s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2021
Premier League Review: Liverpool-City serves up classic | Three-horse title race? | Brentford ripping up rulebook
As the Premier League pauses for the second international break of the season, Sky Sports features writer Nick Wright and football journalist Charlotte Marsh join Alice Piper to survey the scene in the top-flight after another fascinating round of fixtures… PART 1 | After the dra ... Show More
55m 54s
Aug 2022
Premier League 2022/23 season preview: Can anyone stop City & Liverpool? | Surprise teams & potential strugglers | Behind the scenes at Sky
The Premier League is back – with a World Cup twist in the middle of it – and in this special preview podcast we take a look at how the 20 teams are shaping up for a mammoth campaign. Ron Walker is joined by Sky Sports senior football journalists Peter Smith and Oliver Yew as wel ... Show More
1h 26m
Oct 2021
Premier League Review: Liverpool-City serves up classic | Three-horse title race? | Brentford ripping up rulebook
As the Premier League pauses for the second international break of the season, Sky Sports features writer Nick Wright and football journalist Charlotte Marsh join Alice Piper to survey the scene in the top-flight after another fascinating round of fixtures… PART 1 | After the dra ... Show More
55m 54s
May 2020
Manchester United: Champions Of The Solar System
Former England forward Dean Ashton slams Tom Cleverley after the Watford midfielder suggested that it’s ‘safe’ for football to return, on the Final Word Simon Jordan criticises the Premier League for not looking after the EFL in helping out with funding for Covid-19 testing, Mani ... Show More
19m 44s
Feb 2024
Champions League Fallout & United's New Sporting Director?
Welcome back to Stick to Football with Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, Roy Keane and Jill Scott – the original show from the award-winning The Overlap, brought to you by Sky Bet. With Ian away in St Lucia and Jill back in the studio, the panel kick off the show with the reaction t ... Show More
1h 1m
Dec 2021
Are Everton's Problems Higher Up?
Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Tom Clarke and Jonathan Northcroft. Liverpool outclassed Everton in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park. Fans showed their frustration to the board after the game - is that where the club’s problems lie? (00:00) The two teams ahead of them won last ... Show More
52m 51s
May 2023
Luton Are Back In The Premier League, But Who Will Go Down?!
Luton Town are promoted back to the Premier League after a 6-5 penalty shoot-out victory over Coventry City at Wembley, but who will still be in the top flight after tomorrow? We hear from Everton boss Sean Dyche, Leeds manager Sam Allardyce and Leicester's Dean Smith, who have a ... Show More
18m 6s
Oct 2022
What's going wrong at Wolves, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa? | Can Brendan Rodgers turn things around at Leicester?
On the latest episode of Essential Football, we take a closer look at the Midlands teams in the Premier League. Sky Sports News senior reporter Rob Dorsett and Sky Sports football features writer Adam Bate join Danyal Khan to take a more in-depth look at Aston Villa, Leicester, W ... Show More
33m 57s
Oct 2020
“I’d Have Hasenhüttl At Manchester United Tomorrow”
Tony Cascarino queries why Liverpool didn’t try to sign Crystal Palace’s Wilf Zaha in the summer, Mikel Arteta isn’t happy with a disallowed goal as Arsenal lose 1-0 at home to Leicester City, Jurgen Klopp bemoans VAR once again after Sheffield United were awarded a dubious penal ... Show More
17m 49s
Aug 2022
Premier League is back | What do Man Utd do with Ronaldo? | Early takeaways from Liverpool and Chelsea's opening matches
Darren and Vicky are joined by Dharmesh Sheth to discuss the opening Saturday of the Premier League season and what Manchester United could - or should - do with an unhappy Cristiano Ronaldo. The Athletic's James Pearce joins to discuss Liverpool's draw at Fulham and Standard Spo ... Show More
1 h