James Machay: The Catalyst for change - exploring sustainability and pressures in non-league football

James Machay, BA Geography, joins us to discuss his research project 'The Catalyst for change - exploring sustainability and pressures in non-league football'.Abstract - Attentiveness towards sustainability has expeditiously intensified due to the evolving climate emergency. Yet non-league football remains neglected in academic and media discourse regarding its capacity to become more sustainable. With non-league clubs at the heart of communities and climate change posing an imminent threat to society, this contemporary area warrants further exploration. Therefore, the aim of this project is to investigate sustainable practices and challenges restricting implementation across non-league football clubs in the South of England. Adopting a qualitative approach, this study employs semi-structured interviews with 12 club representatives, alongside observations of club facilities. Analysis of these results conveys a prominent enthusiasm from clubs in improving their sustainability, with observations highlighting efforts in revenue diversification and a strong social sustainability focus. However, clubs encounter significant financial constraints and weak governance, hindering efforts. Despite these obstacles, this study concludes by identifying several opportunities for improving sustainability, including enhanced education, financial interventions, and increased regulatory support from the Football Association. Aligning with existing research on football’s financial disparities, this study challenges elite football’s resource-intensive operations and commercialisation. This is effectively achieved by elucidating the potential for non-league football to be a catalyst for positive sustainable change.Episode guest: James MachayEpisode host: Prof Simon KempEpisode producer and editor: Jack Dinham