Climate change experts have warned participation in grassroots football could be on the verge of extinction by the year 2080

Climate change experts have warned participation in grassroots football could be on the verge of extinction by the year 2080 - due to extreme weather linked to a rise in greenhouse gases.

A huge 62,500 amateur matches were postponed or delayed by weather conditions in the last year, as rainfall, snow, ice or extreme heat made matches impossible.

On average, every amateur football club in the country is hit with five cancellations or postponements each season because of severe weather.

This rises to an average of seven matches in Wales, the most affected area of the UK, according to the research from The Climate Coalition to mark the start of Great Big Green Week.

No clear government plan

Experts now fear that without a clearer Government plan on how to tackle climate change, participation in the amateur game could dry up within 60 years.

Extreme weather has been linked to changes in the climate by experts at The Met Office and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Fiona Dear, Head of Campaigns at The Climate Coalition, said: “Top football players may be global superstars, but they represent only the tip of the pyramid.

“Grassroots football remains the lifeblood of the game and a key way that many people keep fit, socialise and stay close to their community - that’s what makes our findings so alarming.

“Extreme weather conditions linked to climate change are already having a disruptive impact on the grassroots game, but we’ve also got deep concern about future participation levels.

“With The Met Office predicting that the UK could have between 70 and 100 per cent more rain by 2080 – under 60 years away – it’s not beyond reason that participation in the grassroots game could all but vanish by that point.”