West Ham United stars Michail Antonio and Vladimír Coufal joined 2023 Great British Bake Off champion Matty Edgell in a Claret and Blue-inspired baking challenge to promote Green Football Weekend.
Hosted by fellow Hammer ‘JaackMaate’, the two men’s first-team players were tasked to create a meat-free, veggie and eco-friendly version of the classic cupcake at Cleves Primary School, Upton Park.
The challenge was held to promote Green Football Weekend - an initiative running from Friday 2-Monday 5 February, which aims to leverage the power of football to combat climate change.
Hammers fan Matty challenged the two UEFA Europa Conference League winners to recreate his classic cupcake recipe and discussed how football fans everywhere can adopt more environmentally friendly habits in their daily lives and on a matchday.
Antonio and Coufal also took part in a special question and answer session with pupils from Cleves, which is situated just a few minutes away from the start of the West Ham victory parade held back in June 2023.
Children from across the age groups had the chance to talk to their heroes, who were on hand to promote the importance of protecting the environment and being more sustainable. Two pupils were also tasked with choosing their West Ham United Bake-Off challenge winner!
Speaking on the importance of Green Football Weekend, Antonio said: “I have always tried to be as green as possible and do my best to care about the environment. Everyone in football just needs to do the best we can because every little thing helps, so all the small things we can do to make a difference is important - not just on Green Football Weekend but across the season too.”
Matty also offered tips for fans to be more sustainable and explained: “There are lots of small things we can do as football fans, especially when it comes to travelling to games. Whether that is going to a game as a collective, on public transport or in a shared car or walking it if it is possible, we can all make a small difference and help the climate.”
Outside of Green Football Weekend, West Ham United works with London Stadium throughout the year to ensure that the Club has a home ground that leads on sustainability.
Furthering its clean energy drive, the Stadium’s electricity is supplied from 100 per cent renewable sources, with a new workforce entrance building set to include 150 sqm of Solar panels.
The Stadium now has LED floodlights, reducing the carbon footprint since August 2021, and holds an excellent BREEAM standard. It is also promoted as a public transport venue (less than one in eight people or 12 per cent travel by car to watch matches) with all plastic straws, stirrers and plastic cutlery removed by caterers from their operation.
Likewise, ninety-five per cent of the Stadium's urinals are waterless, sinks have either sensor-activated taps or percussion cap taps and the majority of taps are fitted with water-saving devices.
More widely across the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, promoting biodiversity and conservation in urban spaces has been a key part of the transformation of the area, with the park marking the 10th anniversary of the London Games in 2012 with a ninth straight Green Flag Award.
