Climate change is threatening the viability of the beautiful game in the UK, with postponements of football games up and down the country wreaking havoc on fans’ enjoyment and the costs of clearing up after floods impacting club finances at all levels. 

Non-league football is particularly hard hit. Clubs like Belper and Whitby have had to cope with the costs of clear-ups and unpredictable gate receipts, the financial lifeblood of the game in the lower leagues.

A poll by Focaldata commissioned by the non-profit Round Our Way found that extreme weather is a rising concern for fans. The poll found:

• Half (50%) of football fans say they are worried about how extreme weather is affecting the game.
• 70% experienced at least one football game cancellation in the past year due to extreme weather:
  • 44% faced less than 5 cancellations,
  • 16% faced 6-10 cancellations,
  • 10% faced more than 10 cancellations.
• Heavy rain and flooding are the primary disruptions for 40% of fans.
• 70% believe national football associations should do more to support affected clubs.
• More than half (56%) agree that the government should enhance infrastructure to mitigate weather impacts on sports.

The story was featured on ITV News.

The UK is experiencing more intense levels of rainfall due to climate change. Warmer skies over Britain are holding more moisture, leading to both greater levels of rain and more sudden heavy downpours which can overwhelm drainage systems. 

Latest data from the Met Office UK State of the Climate Report found that 2023 was the seventh wettest year on record since 1836. March, July, October and December 2023 were all top-ten wettest months in the UK monthly rainfall series, the first year this has happened for four separate months. Earlier this year a report by World Weather Attribution estimated that rainfall in the UK during Autumn and Winter 2023/24 was a fifth heavier as a consequence of human-caused climate change.

All hands on deck at “Nailers” Belper Town 

Northern Premier League club, Belper Town, is located just 200 yards from the River Derwent in Derbyshire. The club’s been hit by severe floods multiple times since 2019. 

Ex-player Nigel Oldrini, recounted the devastating impact of the floods which have engulfed the Belper’s facilities.

He said: “Floods have been more prevalent in recent years. We have had several incidents, including serious flooding in February 2019. 

“Overall, four times in just over five years, two of them last year, with dirty floodwater creating havoc and leaving a real mess in the changing rooms, clubhouse and seating areas, costing us a fortune to put right.”

Mr Oldrini said the club had not been able to get insurance and in recent years relied on fundraising and FA grants to carry out renovations and to clear up.

He said: “We often get around 400-500 spectators. If the players can’t play, there’s no gate money and fixtures have to be rearranged, often midweek with smaller crowds. We also lose money as the clubhouse, our space for events, is hit too.”

In the past frost and snow were the only reason for postponements, but rain and floods are now “a big concern, and things are not going to get better, they will get worse”. 

Non-league Whitby hit with £20,000 flood bill

It’s hard enough for non-league clubs to keep their heads above, but Yorkshire's Whitby FC has had to absorb steep costs from flooding, suffering 10 home games postponed because of waterlogged pitches in the 2023/24 season. 

Last year was "the most extreme season in terms of postponements," according to the club's finance manager, Craig Moth, who confirmed the club faced estimated losses of around £20,000 last year due to cancellations.

Whitby took proactive steps in the summer to address the problem, digging a 50-metre drain along the side of the pitch. The project, which was paid for by a £2,000 donation, was led by a team of volunteers.

Despite this, persistent rainfall continues to challenge the club, with September seeing particularly intense downpours.

David Moth, a dedicated volunteer and supporter for 60 years, underscored the unpredictability caused by worsening weather conditions.

He said: “The rain has definitely gotten worse in the last year. I was shocked by the amount of rain last season, and then so much last month [September 2024]. In the last week of September there was a day where we had 80mm of rain. Then the following week it rained for about 36 hours non stop.”

In an ideal world “we’d have a new drainage system under the pitch, but that would cost at least £120,000. We can get a grant towards it and do fundraising but it’s still a lot for the club”. 

Wet weather also means the ground often cannot be used by other local teams in the community. 

Middlesbrough legend “no beautiful game if we have nothing to play on”.

Ex-Middlesbrough striker, Bernie Slaven, played 382 times and netted147 goals for the Teeside club. 

Mr Slaven, now in his 60s, remains a popular figure in the area. He added his voice to the concern and urged the football community and public to take climate change seriously.

He said: “There are a lot of folk sitting on the fence about climate change. But, when you see how many football pitches around the country have been flooding, with some of them flooding regularly, it's clear to me as a former player, and someone still obsessed by footie and by my team Middlesbrough, that our beautiful game won't be beautiful for anyone if there's nothing to play on.” 

As rainfall becomes more unpredictable and intense, the stories of these clubs highlight the urgent need for investment in protective measures and infrastructure. Without decisive action, the future of football – a cornerstone of British culture – is at risk.

Meteorologist, Gemma Plumb, UK Weather and Climate Lead at Weather Change said: 

“We are seeing an increase in extreme weather as a result of climate change, and this can have a real impact on people’s lives. According to the State of the UK Climate 2023 report, five of the ten wettest years for the UK have occurred in the 21st century.

“Climate change is expected to bring more frequent and intense rainfall here in the UK, and this could bring an increased risk of flooding, which could have a real impact on sports, such as football.”

Sofie Jenkinson, Co-Director of Round Our Way, an organisation that supports people impacted by weather extremes in the UK, said:

“The extreme weather that was predicted would become a fixture of climate change is upon us and our polling shows that football fans have started to notice the effect it’s having on the game. 

“Things like flooding, waterlogged pitches and holes on the green come with a real cost to the fans, who miss out on their weekly football fix - whether that be playing for their pub team or watching their favourite club. But it also comes at a significant cost to the small clubs up and down the country who are the backbone of our national game.

“Football is our national pastime and we should all be able to kick back at the weekend and enjoy the sport we love – we want to see politicians and sporting bodies taking this threat to grassroots sports more seriously –  to make sure we are better prepared for the new weather extremes that climate change brings.”