By Tom Heap BBC News

The pitches may be green, but what about the football clubs themselves?

Mention the idea of environmentally friendly football to a fan and they are likely to either sneer, sigh or quite probably both.

Written over faces and sometimes expressed is the dread that green preachiness is going to pollute their fun.

Football support is about passionate escapism. Green is the colour of the pitch, the goalkeepers jersey and envy for Chelsea's millions - not a new code of conduct.

I understand all these feelings, but just stop and consider the size of the prize. There are 26 million trips to football matches every year; the FA Cup Final of 2004 generated 28 million car miles; a typical Premiership club gets through eight million plastic cups a year.

Then there's food, drink, water, floodlighting. Clubs and players have an influence over their supporters far greater than most corporations, so leading by example here could have greater impact. And green stuff is beginning to happen.

Green goal

David James, Portsmouth and former England keeper, has just got the record for the most clean sheets in the Premiership and now he's trying to save the planet too.

Why not introduce initiatives to qualify for Europe through environmental friendliness David James

We talked to him and midfielder Richard Hughes amid the Porsches, Range Rovers and Ferraris of the players' car park.

He has been talking to clubs and the FA about some ideas like adding a public transport pass to a match ticket.

"I'd like rewards for teams that were environmentally friendly. Why not introduce initiatives to qualify for Europe through environmental friendliness rather than friendliness on the field," he suggested.

But what about the personal example set by players? They embody the traditional route of success leading to consumption. Big cars, big homes and big weddings to shopaholic WAGs.

David James insists this image is beginning to change, especially at Portsmouth. He has a three litre diesel Chrysler but it's being converted to run on biodeisel.

Richard Hughes acknowledged that fans aspire to what players have. He went on, with admirable honesty, to say he is just taking delivery of a large Mercedes.

Game of two halves

As with all of us, green thoughts come easier than green actions. But at least the ideas are now there.

Clubs are moving too, and in the Premiership it's Manchester City that is setting the standard.

Manchester City will generate its electricity from a 120m turbine

Later this year they'll have a 120-metre wind turbine in place providing renewable electricity for the whole stadium and surrounding sports facilities.

The programme is printed on recycled paper, their plastic cups avoid landfill by being turned into venetian blinds, grass cuttings are composted and food in the stadium is all locally sourced.

Fans' travel is still the hardest nut to crack but they are working on safe walking routes and encouraging public transport.

At the other end of the league ladder, Dartford FC's Princes Park claims to be the first sustainable stadium.

It has a green roof to provide insulation and habitat. Solar panels heat the water, rain collection tanks irrigate the pitch and two-thirds of the crowd come by public transport.

But despite these noble efforts, you still get the feeling that most fans would roast the Earth to avoid relegation. So is their way to make environmental points mean performance prizes?

Ipswich Town's sponsor has promised to give the manager more money if the fans make enough energy saving pledges. So far, the supporters have promised to save 2,600 tonnes of carbon - 80% of what the club emits.

If they can reach the 100% target the club becomes carbon neutral and more cash is released to buy more players. A little convoluted but certainly creative.

The governing bodies have been pretty uninterested in the subject up till now. Maybe they're just accurately reflecting the fans feeling that environmental concern isn't the core job of football, but the English FA say they are working on a green strategy over the summer.

David James has some recommendations: "There needs to be a bit more joined-up thinking. The FA, Football League and Premier League should get together and discuss it (environmental policy).

"If they could incorporate a travel ticket - preferably a train ticket - with the match ticket at a price which is affordable then the fans can do the travelling, the environment is not going to get the damage.

"And for players there's nothing better than going somewhere like Middlesbrough and having a few thousand away travellers."

Planet football is not yet helping to save our planet but it is showing less hostility. Even Sir Alex Ferguson gave the hot air a rest to attend a conference on climate change led by Al Gore.

Now all we need is a photo spread of the soccer star and his WAG, not in their dream home but on a bicycle made for two.

Tom Heap reports in Costing The Earth: Come On, You Greens at 2100 BST on Thursday 26 April on BBC Radio 4.