The Pledgeball Podcast

The England Fan Road Diaries | Ep 3: Beer Showers at the Azteca, Lightning Storms & Silencing Mexico

What a match, what a win, and what an away day. Harvey checks in from Miami after witnessing one of the most chaotic, historic, and beer-soaked England victories in living memory at the legendary Estadio Azteca. In this episode, Pledgeball’s Katie Cross catches up with a slightly under-the-weather Harvey to digest the fallout of a classic World Cup knockout game. Harvey breaks down the unbelievable atmosphere in Mexico City—ranging from hundreds of Chihuahuas randomly wearing football shirts to the incredible grace of the home fans shaking hands after the final whistle. We also hear about surviving a terrifying pre-match lightning storm, getting absolutely coated in local beer after Mexico scored (forcing some tactical raincoat deployments), and the one moment of pure solidarity when the entire stadium united to boo Gianni Infantino. Finally, looking ahead to Miami, Harvey previews the brutal 40°C humidity facing the squad against Norway, and reveals why a sudden travel bug left the lads abandoning fine dining for a recovery McDonald's. Support Pledgeball Pledgeball is a charity that mobilises the football community to take action on climate change. We show how the collective power of fans can make a massive impact through small, everyday lifestyle changes. 👉 Pledge your support and see your club rise up the Pledgeball League table: https://pledgeball.org/ 👉 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pledge_ball 👉 Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pledge_ball

Ep 8: Can Tennis Survive a Changing Climate? feat. Kyle Edmund, the LTA's Jack Baker and Rafatennisonly

Live from Day One of the Lexus Nottingham Open! 🎾🌱 In this episode, Katie sits down on-site to explore how tennis is adapting to a changing climate, from elite tournaments to local grassroots courts. We are joined by a fantastic panel: Jack Baker (Head of Public Policy and Sustainability at the LTA), former British Number One Kyle Edmund (now stepping into his new role as Assistant Tournament Director), and grassroots tennis content creator and influencer Raf (@rafatennisonly). Plus, we feature a special guest appearance from BBC presenter Qasa Alom! Jack opens up about the very real threats climate change poses to British tennis, from the increasing financial burden of flooded local courts to the introduction of extreme heat rules for domestic competitions. He shares how the LTA is leading by example—utilising solar energy, switching to 90% lower-emission HVO fuel for temporary power, and rolling out a 100% electric vehicle fleet for tournament transport. Kyle gives us an exclusive look behind the scenes at transitioning from player to organiser, managing chaotic player requests, and reflecting on his own career training in brutal heatwaves. He also highlights the simple operational changes making a massive dent in waste, like banning single-use plastic racket bags at the stringing desks and partnering with Brita to eliminate over half a million plastic water bottles. We also get a special update from Qasa Alom, who check-ins to deliver the latest standings from the LTA Pledgeball League table, celebrating our incredible Round One winners and reminding us how to get involved for Round Two. Finally, Raf shares his inspiring journey as a self-taught player, the power of filming your own matches to level up your game, and how everyday players can drive massive collective climate action from the ground up. We wrap things up with a tense, highly competitive sustainability quiz that puts our guests to the ultimate test! 🏆 Get Involved: Want to help protect where we play? Support your local club and help them climb the national leaderboard by logging a quick nature-friendly pledge at pledgeball.org [https://pledgeball.org]. Every pledge enters you into a draw to win tickets to the HSBC Championships at The Queen's Club for the 2027 season!

The England Fan Road Diaries | Ep 2: Grasshoppers, High Altitude & Facing Mexico

From a nerve-shredding late win in Atlanta to eating grasshoppers in Mexico City, Harvey checks in for Episode Two of The England Fan Road Diaries! In this episode, Pledgeball’s Katie Cross catches up with Harvey right after he touches down in Mexico. They break down the incredible away-end atmosphere at the Atlanta stadium, the reality of high-altitude headaches, and the looming tension of facing the host nation at the legendary Aztec Stadium. Harvey also takes us through some unexpected culinary adventures with his dad, and highlights the one stadium on the tour that is finally fighting back against extortionate tournament beer prices.

The England Fan Road Diaries Ep 1: High Costs, Massive Stadiums, and Following England Stateside

Welcome to the first instalment of our brief tournament check-ins: The England Fan Road Diaries. This week, Katie Cross catches up with Harvey from the Football Supporters Association (FSA), who is embedded with the England fan embassies on the ground in the United States. While the mood among supporters remains incredibly high after a thrilling opening victory against Croatia, the actual logistics of navigating a US-based tournament are presenting some massive hurdles for everyday matchday fans. Harvey opens up about the stark contrast between the fan-first experience of Euro 2024 in Germany and the commercial extraction dominating this World Cup. From stadium seats placed so high up you almost need binoculars (if the stadium security even lets you bring them in!) to public transport companies rinsing fans with $90 train tickets, we get an honest look at the true cost of football tourism in 2026. We also hear about Harvey's multi-state road trip, the surprising differences in stadium infrastructure when dealing with extreme heat and heavy rain, and his standout moments of the tournament so far in our quick-fire round. To find your club and make a pledge to help protect where we play, head over to pledgeball.org

Ep 7: Can Comedy and Sport Save the Planet? feat. Stuart Goldsmith and Peter Smith

In this episode, Katie flies solo to explore how unexpected worlds collide to tackle the climate crisis. Joined by award-winning stand-up comedian Stuart Goldsmith to discuss his Edinburgh Fringe show, Spoilers, looking at how comedy can disarm climate dread and combat inertia where traditional environmentalism sometimes struggles to reach everyday people. Despite Stuart openly hating sport, the team calls in backup from Peter Smith, who drives sustainability at Ashton Gate Stadium. Together, they make the case for why football's passionate, tribal audience makes it the perfect vehicle for massive environmental action, proving that aligning climate goals with club loyalty can reach millions. Peter introduces the city-wide impact of Project Whitebeam and shares how local fans are already engaging with sustainability initiatives across Bristol. The quiz is here in its usual glory as Stuart is grilled on stadium sustainability, uncovering surprising facts about local food miles, matchday travel logistics, and massive water-saving innovations at Ashton Gate, before the panel asks the ultimate question: can football save the world? Find your club and make your pledge to protect where we play at pledgeball.org