Should football clubs reward fans for green travel? It feels like a no-brainer
Football clubs have spent decades finding new ways to reward loyalty. Season-ticket holders receive priority access to matches, supporters accumulate points for attending away games and membership schemes offer everything from ticket discounts to exclusive merchandise.
But what if fans could earn rewards for something other than watching their team? Imagine receiving loyalty points for cycling to the stadium, discounted tickets for travelling by train or the chance to meet your favourite player because you've left the car at home.
Find out how you can help you team rise up the Pledgeball League table It might sound like another marketing gimmick, but some clubs are already putting the idea into practice. And with supporter travel accounting for a significant share of football's environmental footprint, there's a strong argument for making greener journeys worth fans' while.
In January 2026, Real Betis announced a partnership with sustainable mobility platform Ciclogreen throughthe Spanish club's Forever Green initiative. Supporters can register journeys made by walking, cycling, public transport or electric scooter, earning points according to the distance travelled.
Those points can unlock rewards and entry into prize draws for match tickets, signed shirts, merchandise and experiences involving players. The scheme is designed to encourage environmentally friendly journeys while helping the club measure the collective impact of its supporters' travel choices.
Fans already make the journey to the stadium; why not give them an additional incentive to choose a less polluting way of getting there? There are examples closer to home, too.
Bradford City announced a partnership with BetterPoints in 2026, encouraging supporters to earn rewards for walking, cycling and using public transport. Participants can accumulate points redeemable for shopping vouchers, local purchases or charitable donations, while the club has also offered exclusive incentives, including a season-ticket prize draw.
The initiative forms part of Bradford's wider Greener Bantams programme, which also includes a sustainable travel hub developed through its community foundation. Supported by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, the hub aims to make journeys around Bradford more accessible and affordable, including trips to the University of Bradford Stadium.
That wider infrastructure matters because supporters cannot always choose how they travel. A fan living two miles from the ground might happily cycle if there are safe routes and somewhere secure to leave their bike.