Meliora: a podcast from the Sustainability & Resilience Institute
Welcome to the Meliora Podcast from the Sustainability and Resilience Institute at the University of Southampton!
This podcast explores the greatest and most wicked problem that is sustainability, whilst looking at how we are collectively addressing this critical global challenge.
Sustainability needs to be addressed by understanding how the economy, society, culture, politics and environment intersect, and this is the focus that informs each episode of the Meliora podcast.
In each episode, host Professor Simon Kemp and guest hosts are joined by a variety of guests, including academics, students, staff, researchers, alumni, community groups and business leaders.
The aim of the podcast is to shine a light on the vast range of topics surrounding sustainability and to allow listeners to learn about the critical challenges we face, as well as how they can be part of the solution. We also ensure our fantastic students have the opportunity to share their brilliant work with the world.
Podcast host: Professor Simon Kemp, Deputy Director of the Sustainability & Resilience Institute, University of Southampton
Podcast editors: Lily Killner, Sophie Green, Libby Kale, Jack Dinham, Ellie Howell, School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton
Podcast communications: Hannah Parish, Alexander Ayerst, Maya Stevens, University of Southampton
Please do get in touch to discuss this podcast and any of the issues we raise by emailing sri@soton.ac.uk
Follow us on instagram and X: @meliorapodcast
Meliora: a podcast from the Sustainability & Resilience Institute
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 Machay
Episode host: Prof Simon Kemp
Episode producer and editor: Jack Dinham
