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Football

16th Oct 2021

Man Utd defend decision to make 10 minute flight to Leicester for Premier League clash

Daniel Brown

It’s a 100-mile trip.

Manchester United have defended their decision to fly to Leicester ahead of their Premier League match on Saturday afternoon.

The squad flew from Manchester Airport to the East Midlands on Friday – a 100-mile trip that took 10 minutes – due to the M6 being closed.

United would usually have travelled by coach, but the last minute decision to organise a flight was made following the unexpected closure of the motorway.

The Red Devils have been heavily criticised for the decision, but the club has defended the action by stating that plans changed due to “circumstances” out of their control and they would not normally fly to the game.

Although flying is a significant contributor to global warming, the two-time Champions League winners have strongly defended its commitment to clean energy.

In July, United announced that they had agreed a partnership with the Renewable Energy Group, with the club stating that it was keen to “raise awareness of how people can contribute towards a cleaner, more sustainable future for our planet”.

When the BBC questioned the Red Devils on travel plans, the club said that they possess a policy to purchase certified green electricity for all club buildings and facilities and have reduced annual carbon emissions by over 2,700 tonnes since 2008.

In addition to this, United stated that they had achieved the Carbon Trust Standard certification for a sixth consecutive year in 2020, as well as attaining 12 consecutive years of energy and carbon reductions through the Manchester United Energy & Carbon Reduction Programme.

Man Utd face Leicester at the King Power Stadium on Saturday (16 October) afternoon, hoping to bounce back from a disappointing draw against Everton in their last Premier League outing.

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