S2:E3. A New Kind of Winning

Emergency on Planet Sport

Jonathan's in Bristol to speak to Katie Cross from Pledgeball and Pete Smith from Bristol City FC. They're exploring the idea, mooted in Episode Two with Sail GP, that we can redefine the parameters of sporting success. Of course winning means more goals, more points and faster times. But does it always have to be? As we search for positive solutions in the sport and sustainability space, clubs and supporters are on a quest for daily victories! Can these different "wins" help with the global fight against climate change, if we all work together? That's certainly the message from Pledgeball, an increasingly popular scheme which allows supporters to make simple changes to their everyday lives. Bristol City, one of the clubs fully behind it, are on their own mission to engage with fans, but it's all about the communication, according to Pete, who is a must-listen in this episode along with the inspirational Katie. Find out more about Pledgeball at https://www.pledgeball.org and check out the case study Katie talks about at https://climateoutreach.org/engaging-football-fans-case-study/

Time Codes:

00:00. Uh-oh. What's up with Jonathan?!

02:20. Hello to Katie Cross from Pledgeball. It's all about the tone of the conversation...

04:40. So how does Pledgeball work? Katie explains.

06:20. We introduce Pete Smith from Bristol City. Why did they want to be part of Pledgeball?

08:00. Katie's all about shifting mindsets with the aim to spark conversation in spheres where it hasn't before.

09:30. How much buy-in is there at the top of a football club like the Robins?

10:20. Katie puts it simply; sustainability isn't an extra that is showcased but something that's integral to every decision.

11:15. Pete explains the size of the Bristol Sport umbrella and the work that's being done to deliver significant change.

12:45 But who's asking the challenging questions?

14:00. Pete wants supporters to "put their green glasses on" when they come to games, to get people thinking.

15:30. Katie and Pete talk about getting people talking and how we can slant the conversation to engage more football fans.

17:30. A city rivalry! Bristol City aren't the only Pledgeball team in town! Welcome to The Gas...

18:30 The lights go out. Somebody wave!

19:00. Jonathan starts thinking out loud.

20:15. Will winning always mean winning the match? Pete and Katie get deep into this and what winning means to the fans.

22:45. Pete says "the impact of getting this wrong will be absolutely huge". Fans now get that, he says.

23:30. Katie says this scheme helps make visible the fact that people care. It's about social norms in adopting a cultural shift.

25:15. Making an impact turns a club - or any organisation - into a more attractive proposition for a workforce and sponsors, as well as supporters.

27:20. Why did they name their project "Project Whitebeam". Leads to an interesting conversation about language and phraseology.

28:50. Katie talks up the Bundesliga example of writing sustainability into the licensing of clubs.

30:00. More on how Pledgeball works; Katie explains how supporters can help on a match day.

31:15. Pete suggests all other clubs should engage with Pledgeball to save a large amount of carbon. "It will be worth doing it" he says.

32:30. Jonathan and Melissa discuss what they've heard.

33:30. How important is vocabulary in this conversation?

35:00. Jonathan wonders whether the challenging questions can be asked more directly to people in power at football clubs.

37:00. Melissa is getting slightly tired of talk of "small steps". What circumstances would we need to have "big steps"?