Clubs across Europe in Deep Water as Flooding Takes its Toll
The flash flooding and subsequent casualties in Valencia are the culmination of a devastating few months of flooding across Europe, and a stark reminder of the severity of the climate crisis.
Over 200 people lost their lives as a result of the recent flooding in the province of Valencia. Meanwhile, over 105 football pitches were also impacted, with at least 15 being totally destroyed.
A quick look across the UK and Europe illustrates just how regularly football clubs are being disrupted by flooding events.
After pumping over 100,000 litres of water out of Plough Lane, an effort supported by a fan-led crowdfunding page which brought in over £120,000, AFC Wimbledon were able to return to their home stadium with a 4-0 victory over Carlisle. They were not the only ones to be affected by the extreme weather, however.
In Shropshire, AFC Telford United suffered completely submerged pitches, and set up a crowdfunding page to help support the recovery efforts. Wolves Women, who also play on Telford’s grounds, were forced to move their match to the training grounds, as a result of the unplayable conditions at Telford. In the neighbouring Herefordshire, Westfields FC had their game against Brimscombe and Thrupp postponed due to flooding.
These events do not only impact stadiums; clubs and their fans are also affected by transport disruption, as a result of flooding. Bristol Rovers supporters have previously been unable to travel to matches as a result of flooding on the M5, which was again submerged last month.
Europe-Wide Impact
Areas in Poland have seen widespread damage, and casualties, as a result of the worst deluge in over twenty years. Top-division club Slask Wroclaw were forced to postpone their match against Stal Mielec, while the Polish Football Association (PZCN) announced just over £340,000 in funding to help clubs in Central Europe.
Elsewhere in Europe, the Bosnian Football Association (NFSBIH) declared a state of national calamity, postponing all football matches after flooding and subsequent landslides led to at least 16 casualties. Third-division side Brnjaci sought help from the local community after their grounds and infrastructure were severely damaged.
As with all of these incidents, clubs suffer significant knock-on effects. Inability to host matches leads to lost matchday income, which lower-league clubs rely on much more heavily than those in the higher divisions.
Hurricanes Hit the South-East US
Women’s football is also among the worst affected, as shown by the recent Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, which have wrought huge damage across the south-east US. The Players’ Association for US professional women’s soccer players, NWSLPA, suffered significant damage at their offices in North Carolina. Meanwhile, other clubs have shown their support, with Charlotte FC donating $3 million to help repair damages, and North Carolina Courage FC donating proceeds from their ticket sales and merchandise to the relief effort. Inter Miami CF also opened their training grounds for use after the Al Lang Stadium was badly damaged.
Extreme weather means #GameOff
Sadly, this is not the first time that extreme weather has caused mass cancellations. In 2022, severe flooding led to eight women’s fixtures and one men’s fixture being postponed, a predicament which highlighted the uneven distribution of impacts across the men’s and women’s game. Meanwhile, over 60 games were called of in January 2023, due to frozen pitches.
Former player and pundit Paul Merson spoke to the BBC about the impacts of climate change on grassroots football, and the urgent need to take action, in order to protect the foundations of the sport. Merson’s statements underline the already urgent need for climate change to be taken seriously throughout the football pyramid.