The Pledgeball Podcast

Ep 6: Serving Up Sustainability: Tennis Ball Waste & Life on the ATP Tour with Lloyd Glasspool

This week, hosts Katie Cross and Laurence McKenna are serving up a brilliant father-son double act to explore how tennis is grappling with its own massive climate footprint. We are joined by Neil Glasspool, the driving force behind Hubba's incredible Circularball scheme, alongside his son, 2025 Wimbledon Doubles Champion Lloyd Glasspool. Together, they bridge the gap between grassroots community solutions and the relentless, international reality of elite sport. We take a deep dive into how Neil looked at a dead tennis ball and saw a circular solution, transforming club waste into UK-manufactured flooring tiles and sound insulation. Meanwhile, Lloyd gives us a rare, courtside look at how the professional circuit is coping with extreme weather, the fatigue of constant global travel, and whether the next generation of players are starting to prioritise the planet over pure performance. In this episode, we cover: * The Circularball Solution: How Hubba is helping local clubs divert 100% of their old tennis balls away from landfill and keep them in a circular loop. * Life on the Relentless ATP Tour: Lloyd’s firsthand perspective on playing in brutal heat, navigating endless travel, and what players really think about sustainability. * The Ultimate Hubba Quiz: Neil tests his knowledge on his own statistics (and the shocking scale of the 325 million tennis balls produced globally each year). We've also got a very special guest appearance from sports broadcaster Jonathan Overend, who drops in with some incredibly exciting details on the launch of the 2026 LTA Pledgeball League! Want to get your local tennis club involved? Head over to the Hubba UK website to learn more about the Circularball scheme, and make sure to follow Lloyd's upcoming schedule. Ready to make a difference and be entered into a draw to win tickets to the 2027 HSBC Championships at The Queen's Club!? Head over to https://pledgeball.org [https://pledgeball.org] to back your club, make your nature-friendly pledge, and help Protect Where We Play.

The World Cup Fan Guide Special

The 2026 World Cup is set to be the largest tournament in football history. But what does that actually mean for the travelling fans on the ground? In this special episode, hosts Katie Cross and Laurence McKenna sit down with Ashley Brown from the Football Supporters' Association (FSA) and Madeleine Orr, Assistant Professor of Sport Ecology at the University of Toronto and author of Warming Up. Together, they cut through the gloss to look at the brutal realities awaiting supporters heading to North America. From the vast distances and the impossibility of a flight-free tournament, to the extreme heat and logistical hurdles that will define the fan experience, this is the essential guide to understanding what it will truly take to follow your team in 2026. The team were also joined by TalkSPORT's very own Shebahn Aherne who has an exciting update to share, as well as informing you how you could win a ticket to the end of season FSA Awards. Make your nature-friendly pledge and back your club today at pledgeball.org.

Ep 5: The season finale, lessons learned & looking back with Laurence McKenna

This week, we are shaking things up for the season finale. Host Katie Cross turns the microphone on her usual co-host, Laurence McKenna, to explore the man behind the mic. Why does sustainability matter to him? What initially drove him to join the Pledgeball project? Laurence opens up about his personal connection to the cause and what he has taken away from his time in the studio. Together, Katie and Laurence also take a trip down memory lane, looking back at the incredible roster of guests they have spoken to this season. From the realities of fast fashion to elite-level club strategy, they break down their biggest learnings and the key takeaways from every single conversation. Plus: Broadcaster Ben Haines drops into the studio to deliver the final, highly anticipated Pledgeball League table update of the season. The battle at the summit has been fierce. Tune in to find out exactly how your club is getting on. Make a pledge for your club: https://pledgeball.org [https://pledgeball.org]

Ep 4: Sustainability at the elite level & The Red Way with Rishi Jain

This week, hosts Katie Cross and Laurence McKenna explore what sustainability looks like at the very top of the footballing pyramid. How does a global institution like Liverpool FC translate climate action into a strategy that reaches millions of fans worldwide? We are joined by Rishi Jain, Director of Impact at Liverpool, to discuss the responsibilities and opportunities that come with elite-level sport. We take a deep dive into The Red Way, the club’s comprehensive framework for people, planet, and communities and how they are integrating sustainability into the heart of their operations.  Of course, no discussion with Liverpool around sustainability would be complete without a discussion about their famous the Office inspired 'Let's Save the Planet! Team Meeting' viral sketch.  In this episode, we cover: * The Power of the Global Game: How a Premier League club leverages its platform to inspire fan action across the world. * Inside The Red Way: The practicalities of managing environmental impact at an elite club, from stadium operations to global travel. * Leading by Example: Why authenticity is key when a club of Liverpool's scale speaks out on the climate crisis and how 'that' famous Team Meeting became a viral sensation. Plus: Legendary commentator Conor McNamara joins us for an update on the Pledgeball League table. There has been a seismic shift at the summit this week... tune in to hear if your club is part of the shake-up and how you can help them climb the standings.

Ep 3: The un-dying shirt, fast fashion & inclusivity with Joana Czutkowna and Julia Cove-Smith

This week, hosts Katie Cross and Laurence McKenna unpick the fabric of the modern game. Literally. We all love copping our club's latest shirt, but have you ever stopped to consider what your kit is actually made of? We are joined by two pioneers in sustainable sportswear: Joana Czutkowna, CEO of 5THREAD, and Julia Cove-Smith, founder of Eleven as One. Together, they discuss the intersection of circular fashion, waste, and inclusivity in sport. We dive into Joana’s fascinating research on textile waste (including the "buried shirt" experiment) and Julia’s mission to rethink football apparel for women, focusing on fit, access, and creating a genuine sense of belonging in the game. In this episode, we cover: * Why circularity should be the future for sports brands. * How ill-fitting kit excludes women from the sport and drives a "throwaway" culture. * Why polyester shirts are essentially wearable plastic bottles that never decompose. Plus: Broadcasting heavyweight Lynsey Hooper drops into the studio to give us the latest update on the Pledgeball League table. It is tight at the top, so tune in to hear which fanbase is currently leading the charge and who needs to step up. Make a nature-friendly pledge for your club at https://pledgeball.org [https://pledgeball.org]