Watford FC helps to plant trees with kit sales

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Louise Parry

BBC News, Hertfordshire

Watford FC Two young women stand in the countryside on a grass track under some large trees. They wear the new Watford away shirt which is a dark forest green with lighter green checks. They smile at the camera and both have long straight fair hair. It is a sunny day.Watford FC

Watford FC, which has unveiled its new away kit, aims to cut its carbon emissions in half by 2030

A football club is joining a campaign to plant trees by donating money from shirt sales.

Championship side Watford FC has unveiled its new 2025/26 away kit, which is made from recycled polyester.

The club will donate 50p from every away shirt sale to Your Tree Our Future – a free tree giveaway programme in Hertfordshire.

Run by the county and borough councils, the project aimed to get 1.8 million new trees planted by 2030.

In the past four years, 191,000 trees have been planted in Hertfordshire in places including gardens and schools.

In Watford alone, 5,000 trees were handed out to residents this year, taking the total over the whole scheme to 13,000.

The away shirt is aptly coloured forest green, and matches the kit’s black shorts and green socks.

Fans can choose to buy tops without the branding of a local gambling company, although, on the pitch, players’ shirts will feature the sponsor’s logo.

Watford FC A young man wearing the new Watford away shirt and giving a huge smile, looking very energised. He is standing against a black background.Watford FC

Fifty pence from the sale of each away shirt will go towards the tree planting project in Hertfordshire

Tarang Panchal, head of procurement and sustainability at the club, said: “We have an ambition to be one of the most sustainable, green football clubs in the UK, and the launch of our away kit is very much aligned with this vision.”

He said the recycled polyester kit and tree planting pledge were “part of a development plan with short, medium and long-term goals”.

He added: “For example, we recently partnered with The Wildlife Trust, an organisation that would help us to develop the training ground from a biodiversity and ecological point of view.”

Ian Stotesbury, a Liberal Democrat councillor with a responsibility for sustainability at Watford Borough Council, said: “Watford FC continues to lead by example – aiming for net zero by 2040 and a 50% carbon cut by 2030.

“Linking their new away kit sales to the Your Tree Our Future programme also supports Watford’s ambition to be a carbon-neutral town by 2030.

“Trees help absorb carbon and clean the air, making a real difference to our environment.

“All the club does for the community highlights why they are the original family club,” he said.

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