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Forest Green Rovers: Club history

Although Forest Green Rovers are regarded as being the new kids on the block, in terms of their profile, the roots of football in Forest Green go back a long way. They were formed in 1889, and as with many of the opposition profiles this site carries, there is a religious theme to their start-up – the Reverend EJH Peach is the man credited as having formed the club.

They’ve undergone a series of name changes over the years. In 1889 they were simply Forest Green, but in 1893 they became Forest Green Rovers. By 1894 they became Nailsworth Association Football Club, but when that club folded, there was an immediate restart in 1898 under the Forest Green Rovers name, with Nailsworth Thursday being consumed under that name as well. By 1911 they merged with Nailsworth to become Nailsworth and Forest Green United, but after the First World War had ended, they reverted to Forest Green Rovers again. From 1919 until 1988 they stuck with that name, but from then until 1992 they tried to answer the question of ‘Where the hell is Forest Green?’ by retitling themselves as Stroud FC. By 1992, they decided they preferred good old Forest Green Rovers and have stuck with that since.

For the vast majority of its years, Forest Green (or its various guises) has spent its time playing at County League level – they were founder members of the Mid-Gloucestershire League. Between their formation and 1968 they also played in the Dursley & District League, the Stroud & District League, the North Gloucestershire League, the Gloucestershire Northern Senior League and the Stroud Premier League. From 1968 until 1975 they were founder members of the Gloucestershire County League.

It’s only once they reached 1975 that their profile began to be noticeable. They joined the Hellenic League Premier Division, and by the 1981-82 season they were both Hellenic League Champions and FA Vase winners, defeating Rainworth Miners Welfare at the old Wembley Stadium. At the end of that season, their position as Champions saw them promoted into the Southern League Midland Division. In 1994, Frank Gregan became their manager, and after switching to the Southern Division of the same pyramid level, they gained a double promotion, taking them through the Southern League Premier Division and straight into the Conference.

From 1998 onwards, they were mainstays of the Conference’s national division. In fact until their 2016-17 promotion, they were the longest serving members of that league. That wasn’t always without problems – in 2004-05, 2009-10 and 2010-11 they came dangerously close to relegation. They were reprieved twice, with Northwich Victoria and Salisbury City demoted out of the division after stadium and financial irregularities – situations that raised eyebrows amongst football supporters given that Colin Peake was until 2012 their Football Secretary, as well as also being Director of the Football Conference (now the National League) – he has since become the League’s Press Officer.

The season of their last bit of flirting with relegation was also the year that they were taken over by current owner Dale Vince. His 2010-11 takeover saw him become Chairman in 2010. He is the owner of Ecotricity – a green/renewable energy company based in Stroud. Some of his changes to the club have been sensible in that he has installed solar panels and a solar-powered robot grass mower that would both make the football club more ‘green’ and cut down on their operating costs.

Other changes have been more controversial – in February 2011, Forest Green’s players were banned from eating meat at the ground. This worked until a group of them were snapped by the Paparazzi in May 2016, tucking into some of Gregg’s finest bakery products in Stroud High Street in May 2016, creating national headlines. Vince also turned all of the club’s teabars and the social club into Vegan-only outlets. Even the beer and cider on sale is certified as not containing any animal products (ruling out things like isinglass and gelatin).

The other major change that Vince has introduced has been Forest Green’s wage bill. For the 2013-14 season they recorded debts of £2.5 million, whilst for the 2014-15 season they lost £2,928,709. For their last set of accounts for the 2015-16 season, they recorded losses of £2,469,374. Their 2015-16 season wage bill was £2,146,999, which was an increase of £219,624. Vince’s energy company might be sustainable, but losing close to £8 million in three seasons makes Ru$hden and Diamonds’ spending look like Poundland. Those losses are currently being underwritten by new share investment via Ecotricity, but as we saw with Ru$hden’s Max Griggs and his Dr Martens Shoes, that can only be done for as long as the parent company and owner is able to sustain it.

Vince’s ambitions don’t just lie with players wages though. From around a year after their formation, Forest Green had played at The Lawn stadium in Nympsfield Road. In 2006, that stadium was demolished and replaced by housing, and the club have now moved 400 yards further up the road to The New Lawn, with the gambit being that it gave them a Football League standard ground. Despite the current size of their ground currently meeting their needs, in July 2015, Vince announced plans for a £100 million sporting complex situated close to the M5 at Junction 13, that would also include another new Forest Green stadium. In line with his ethics, he plans it to be an ‘Eco Park’ with the stadium itself made entirely out of wood. The plan is still for an initial capacity of just 5,000 but for it to be expandable to around double that size, with Vince hoping that he can propel the club into the Championship.

At the end of the 2016-17 season, he achieved the first step in that, with Forest Green getting promoted into the Football League via the play-offs at the third time of asking. The man at the helm that day? Why, it was current Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper, in his first season in charge in Gloucestershire, a job he held for five years. But the following campaign they made it in to the League Two play-offs thanks in no small part to the goals of Christian Doidge (now back at The New Lawn), but they fell at the hands of familiar opposition. Tranmere Rovers, the team which Cooper and Forest Green overcame to win League status in the play-offs, beat them over two legs in the play-offs.

They finished tenth the following season and then made it in to the play-offs in the 2020-21 season, one which proved to be Cooper’s last in charge. Having had an outstanding first two-thirds of the campaign, Forest Green’s form dropped off a cliff and in April they sacked their manager. Speaking about the decision, Dale Vince said: “This decision we’ve made today is about giving ourselves the best chance of securing promotion with six games left. Despite our collective efforts we’ve been unable to halt our slide in form, which has the potential to take us out of contention this season.” Under-18s’ manager Jimmy Ball was given the job and stemmed the tide to ensure a play-off place, but they fell short again at the hands of Newport County.

Now Luton Town manager Rob Edwards, who had previously been in charge of England Under-16s, was the man who won the club promotion to League One as champions in the 2021-22 season. They just pipped Exeter City on goal difference to the title and Edwards bowed out on a high, joining Championship side  Watford in the summer of 2022. Ian Burchnall, who had been successful at Notts County, was next in the hot seat, but he lasted until the end of January with the club cemented to the bottom of the League One table. Next up? Duncan Ferguson, who had enjoyed a successful stint in interim charge at Premier League Everton, but even Big Dunc could not find enough fight to keep them up. The 2023-24 season saw Vince go through two bosses, first up former Southampton B manager David Horseman. Heard of him? Nope, me neither, but he is/was (depending on when you are reading this) in interim charge at Bristol Rovers following the sacking of Matty Taylor. He lasted til December, then there was another ill-judged appointment, former Watford striker Troy Deeney, he lasted a month – yes, a month! Finally, stability came in the form of Steve Cotterill, a controversial appointment having had huge success at local rivals Cheltenham Town earlier in his career. However, he could not save them and non-League football returned to the New Lawn.

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Forest Green Rovers: We’ve Met Before

Previous Results for Yeovil Town First Team vs Forest Green Rovers

30/07/1981	Away	Friendly	D	1-1
07/08/1982	Home	Friendly	L	1-2
10/08/1985	Away	Friendly	W	2-0
30/07/1994	Away	Friendly	W	3-2
26/01/1999	Home	Conf	L	0-4	2437
17/03/1999	Away	Conf	W	2-1	860		Thompson 52, Patmore 88
27/12/1999	Away	Conf	L	0-3	1837
03/01/2000	Home	Conf	W	1-0	3028		Foster 76
26/12/2000	Away	Conf	W	1-0	1756		Belgrave 73
03/01/2001	Home	Conf	W	2-0	4361		Patmore 24,37
26/12/2001	Away	Conf	D	1-1	1609		Grant 41
29/01/2002	Home	Conf	D	2-2	2686		Miles 7, Grant 11
26/12/2002	Away	Conf	L	1-2	1836		Skiverton 90
01/01/2003	Home	Conf	W	1-0	4692		Jackson 69
29/07/2013	Away	Friendly	W	5-3	647		Hoskins 7, Own Goal 24, Ngoo 40, 52, Long 80
19/08/2017	Away	FL2	L	3-4	2615		Olomola 9, Khan 14, Zoko 35
09/01/2018	Home	CTT3	W	2-0	1395		N Smith 3, C Smith 26
24/08/2018	Home	FL2	D	0-0	2789
08/12/2018	Home	FL2	L	1-2	2529		Browne 56
16/02/2019	Away	FL2	L	0-3	2449

Results Summary For Yeovil Town First Team vs Forest Green Rovers

Home					Away					Overall
W	D	L	F	A	W	D	L	F	A	W	D	L	F	A
4	2	3	10	10	5	2	4	19	22	9	4	7	29	32

Forest Green Rovers: Club Statistics

19/10/2024	Braintree Town	Home	NLP	W	2-1	1997		Cardwell 35, McAllister 87
22/10/2024	Ebbsfleet United	Home	NLP	W	3-1	1311		McAllister 7, Jobson 47, Knowles 52
26/10/2024	Woking	Away	NLP	D	1-1	2280		McAllister 42
02/11/2024	Stockport County	Away	FAC1	L	1-2	4624		Doidge 82
05/11/2024	Stoke City Under-21s	Home	NLC	L	0-4
09/11/2024	Maidenhead United	Away	NLP	W	4-1	1256		Bunker 20, McCann 35, Moore-Taylor 69, Jenks 80
16/11/2024	York City	Home	NLP	W	2-0	2697		Bunker 64, McAllister 83
23/11/2024	Southend United	Away	NLP	D	2-2	6725		Bunker 40, Doidge 73
27/11/2024	FC Halifax Town	Home	NLP	D	1-1	1205		McAllister 63
07/12/2024	Braintree Town	Away	FAT3	W	1-1			May 65 (Forest Green won 5-3 on penalties)
14/12/2024	Boston United	Home	NLP	W	1-0	1796		Bunker 36
21/12/2024	Aldershot Town	Home	NLP	D	1-1	2116		McCann 46
26/12/2024	Tamworth	Away	NLP	D	1-1	1721		McAllister 38

CURRENT LEAGUE SEQUENCE STATISTICS

Games Without A Win:	2		Games Without A Home Win:	1
Games Without An Away Win:	2		Games Without Defeat:	12
Games Without A Home Defeat:	10		Games Without An Away Defeat:	5
Games Without A Draw:	0		Games Without A Score Draw:	0
Games Without A No-Score Draw:	19		Games Without Scoring:	0
Games Without Conceding:	0		Home Results Sequence:	WWWDWD
Away Results Sequence:	LWDWDD		Overall Results Sequence:	WWDWDD

ATTENDANCE STATISTICS

Highest League Attendance: 2,697 – vs York City – 16/11/2024
Lowest League Attendance:  1,205 – vs FC Halifax Town – 27/11/2024
Average League Attendance: 1,571

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Forest Green Rovers: Club Information

The New Lawn Stadium
Another Way
Nailsworth
GL6 0FG
Click for map.
What 3 Words: //w3w.co/nags.forecast.exams

Telephone Number: 0333 123 1889
Email: reception@fgr.co.uk 

Owner: Dale Vince
President: Allan Grant
Secretary: Rolf Stein
Media & Communications Officer: Josh Evans
Team Manager: Steve Cotterill

Capacity: 5147
Seated: 2000
Record Attendance: 4,836 – vs Derby County, 3 January 2009

Home kit: Green with black…..electricity flashes. 
Nickname: The Gumps
Programme: £3.00

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Ticketing

Okay, so we gave you 26 days of warning on this one – see here – but this is not an easy one! So, first things first, you can buy tickets for the New Year’s Day match by clicking – HERE.

But, before you get around to buying them you’ll need to sign up for a “My FGR” account before going any further, a valid email address and phone number and a unhackable password is needed.

Then once on the correct match page, you’ll need to “Change to Away” so that you’re not in with the home fans… obviously.

Right, awesome, now you should have a screen that looks like this… with THREE different options, because anything else would be far too straight forward.

Now, obviously, having three different options means three different price points… I’m not typing all that out, so here are three screen shots.

If you are choosing to pay the roof & seat premium there are two rows to choose from (fair play to the proud owners of B29 and B30 who were QUICK to secure their seats).

Right, so now we’re getting somewhere.

Select your ticket, tell FGR how you heard about them (not an option you can skip past), head to the checkout, spot the £2 processing fee that has appeared out of nowhere for those wishing to collect physical tickets on the day, immediately change to either Print Your Own Ticket or E-Ticket and pay the good people.

According to the club (Yeovil, that is), tickets are available to buy on the day as well. UPDATE (29/12/2024): Seated tickets have sold out for the New Year’s Day fixture.

ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE

If you require any additional assistance, there is some availability for any disabled supporters making the trip.

“Disabled facilities – We have a limited number of seats with level access at the front of the East Stand, as well as a platform for disabled fans with lift access. There are disabled toilets around the stadium, including one in the Green Man, two either side of the East Stand concourse and one opposite the board room.

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Official Away Travel

The Green & White Supporters’ Club is running away travel to Forest Green Rovers on Wednesday, 1st January 2025, 3p.m. kick-off.

Details are as follows:

Members: Adults – £24, Concessions – £22
Non-Members: Adults – £27, Concessions – £25
Coach departs Huish Park: 10.15am

To book, call Paul Hadlow on 07736 044570.

If you are getting in touch by email, please make it clear which match you are booking for and that you give your full name, the names of people that are travelling and a contact telephone number.

You may be asked to pay a £5 deposit to reserve your seat.

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Forest Green Rovers: Directions To The Ground

Forest Green Rovers is situated in the suburbs of Nailsworth – a small town with a population of 6,000 on the edge of the Cotswolds in South Gloucestershire. The ground is situated just off Nympsfield Road, a short distance from the main A46 Bath-Stroud road. It’s at the top of a very steep hill.

By Road

From the M5: This is probably the best route for coach drivers, or for those who want a simple motorway route. Leave the M5 at Junction 13, take the A419 towards Stroud, then after 5 miles take the A46 towards Bath as far as Nailsworth. In the centre of Nailsworth, just after the Clock Tower, take the first right (signposted Forest Green and Nympsfield). The Lawn is about half a mile up the hill and on the left.

From the M4: This is also the route you’ll want if you decide to go entirely via A-Roads to the ground – e.g. if you live in the Bath area of Somerset. Leave/cross the M4 at Junction 18, take the A46 towards Stroud for 15 miles to Nailsworth. In the centre of Nailsworth, just before the Clock Tower, take the left turn (signposted Forest Green and Nympsfield). The Lawn is about half a mile up the hill and on the left.

Parking

This is probably the most visited part of the guide because, whilst the ideals of making The New Lawn a sustainable stadium are laudable, no-one told the public transport infrastructure – and parking close to the stadium  is (ironically) a pig to find.

Parking at The New Lawn is for VIPs, hospitality guests and pre-booked disabled visitors only and the Park & Ride at Renishaw (if you’ve read the FGR website, you’ll know what we mean) is only available for weekend fixtures, which New Year’s Day is not one. Forest Green has confirmed (31/12/24) that the Park & Ride is NOT operating on New Year’s Day.

Probably your best bet is Nailsworth Primary School (GL6 0ET) which is about a five-minute walk from the stadium and costs £15 – this is updated (and increased by £10 from the initially quoted price in early December) on the basis of information provided by FGR on 31st December.  But, you need to book your space please by contacting reception@fgr.co.uk or call 0333 123 1889.

There are a number of different car parks in Nailsworth town centre, but a lot of it seems to be short stay only – how enforced this will be on New Year’s Day is anyone’s guess. The best of a bad bunch is Nailsworth Old Market West Long Stay (GL6 0DU) which has 33 bays, but is a solid 20-minute walk to the ground and involves a serious hill to climb. Bring crampons.

The ground is surrounded by housing estates and the club website says that street parking is patrolled on matchdays. Park with caution. Aside from that, there will probably be a field somewhere being offered for matchday parking which no-one is advertising.

By Rail

Train…..on New Year’s Day? Are you crazy? Okay, well, Great Western Railway (GWR) which serves Stroud (Gloucestershire) station does have a service running on New Year’s Day, but getting there from Yeovil is not a simple task.

If you’re going from Yeovil Pen Mill, it’s three changes and a rail replacement bus going from Yeovil-Frome, Frome-Chippenham (that’s the bus), Chippenham-Swindon and finally Swindon-Stroud. It sounds like it has huge potential to go wrong, and you’d need to get the 1036 departure from Pen Mill to get in to Stroud for 1357. There’s an 0735 from Pen Mill which doesn’t seem to involve a change at Bath Spa and Swindon, but it gets you in at 1057 to Stroud.

From Yeovil Junction, there’s a service which takes about three-and-a-half hours, via Basingstoke and Reading, on GWR as well. It doesn’t involve a bus, but you do have to go via Basingstoke and Reading. You can make it back on the same day whichever is your Yeovil station of choice, but it might be a long day. 

By Bus

There is a Stagecoach bus which operates to Forest Green from Gloucester including on bank holidays. The Number 63 bus – download timetable here – will take you all the way to the Nailsworth Primary School which is about a five-minute walk to the stadium.

By Taxi

A selection of taxi firms based in the Nailsworth area can be found here.

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Web Sites

Forest Green Rovers – official website

Forest Green Rovers Supporters’ Club 

Forest Green – Official Fans’ Forum – a message board available on the club website

Forest Green Rovers – official X/Twitter account

FGRFC – official Facebook account

Local Press

GloucestershireLive

Stroud News & Journal

Stroud Times

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Forest Green Rovers: Food & Drink

General

Forest Green, under their ownership of Dale Vince, have made a big deal about their owner’s beliefs. They’re eco-friendly, and they’re also entirely vegan which rules all meat and dairy-based products off the menu either in the ground or the clubhouse. You’ll also find that Forest Green itself doesn’t have pubs, so if you do want more mainstream food, then you’ll need to claim it in Nailsworth itself, or do without around the match. Inside the ground you’ll find fajitas, veggie burgers and something called a Q-pie (made from Leek and Quorn), apparently it’s won awards and guess what? The catering firm is owned by Dale Vince. The company behind the matchday catering, The Devil’s Kitchen, has its own website if you want to check the menu – see here.

Club Bar

If you have been to the New Lawn before and visited The Green Man inside the stadium, this is now a home supporters’ bar only. For away supporters it the Truck Norris Brewdog Bar (yes, it’s called that!), it’s a retired Brewdog bar on wheels which is found in the Away Fan Zone located next to the ticket office for the exclusive use of away fans. This bar closes at kick-off.

Local Pubs

This is going to be a tricky visit – it is New Year’s Day 2025 afterall……happy new year, by the way! The most likely to be unaffected by trading hours would be the Wetherspoons’ empire, but the nearest one of those is in Stroud, a 15-minute drive to the stadium.

This guide is split three ways – Pubs in Nailsworth close to stadium (good luck getting there), Pubs in Stroud for train and bus travel (good luck getting there – it’s New Year’s Day) and Pubs on driving route with decent food & ale near to Nailsworth (Thank your driver).

Pubs in Nailsworth

The Britania Inn: Grade II-listed Cotswold stone inn with a flagstone floor, real fire and a well which is visible through a glass cap in the floor. Regular beers: Wadworths 6X  and two changing ales.
The Britannia Inn, Cossack Square, New Market Rd, Nailsworth, GL6 0DG. Tel: 020 3751 8574 Map: Click Here

Village Inn: Multi-roomed pub which is home to the ‘Keep Brewing Brewery’ with at least two of its beers usually available. Regular beers: 2 Regular Beers from Keep Brewing and two hanging guest ales. Opening times: New Year’s Day 12:00-23:00 (Check Times)
Village Inn, Bath Road, Nailsworth, GL6 0HH. Tel: 01453 835715 Map: Click Here

George Inn:  Traditional Cotswold stone village pub overlooking the Newmarket valley towards the hamlet of Shortwood. This seemingly remote and peaceful rural location was at one time home to three mills and a bacon-curing factory. Track at rear of pub leads up to the Ground, around 20 minutes’ walk away. Regular beers: Goff’s Jouster & Uley Bitter and one guest ale. Opening times: New Year’s Day 12:00-23:00
George Inn, Newmarket Road, Nailsworth, GL6 0RF. Tel: 01453 833228 Map: Click Here

Pubs in Stroud

Ale House: A real go to pub for any ale lovers travelling to Stroud Railway Station as part of their journey. Converted into a pub in late November 2012. It stands on the corner of John Street opposite the Cornhill Market, home to Stroud’s celebrated Saturday farmers’ market, in the semi-pedestrianised middle of the town centre. Grade-II listed, built in 1837 for the Poor Law Guardians. The bar occupies the double-height top-lit former boardroom. Regular beers: 10 Changing Cask Ales  and hand pump for both perry and ciders. Opening times: New Year’s Day – 12:00-00:00 (check times).
Ale House, 9 John Street, Stroud, GL5 2HA. Tel: 01453 755447 Map: Click Here

Lord John (Wetherspoons): Pub in a former Post Office named after Lord Russell former MP and architect of the 1832 Reform Act. It’s located close to Stroud train station. Opening times: New Year’s Day 08:00-01:00 (Check Times). Regular beers: Usual Spoons range with three regular with up to three guest cask ales.
Lord John, 15-17 Russell St, Stroud, GL5 3AB. Tel: 01453 767610 Map: Click Here

Clothiers Arms: Built of Cotswold stone in 1880 on the site of an 1840 beer house. The pub is on route between Stroud and Nailsworth with Bus 63 stopping close by. Regular beers: St Austell Tribute & Butcombe Original and one Guest Ale. Opening hours: New Year’s Day – 12pm-10pm (check times).
Clothiers Arms, 1 Bath Road, Stroud, GL5 1JJ. Tel: 01453 763801 Map: Click Here

Prince Albert: Lively, stone-built Victorian pub located at the top of Walkley Hill on the Rodborough to Minchinhampton road out of Stroud. Bus 63 stops nearby at Junction of Walkley Hill & Bath Road. Pizzas and burgers are served from a kitchen adjoining the large covered courtyard. Regular beers: Regular Ale Timothy Taylor’s Landlord + 4 Guest Cask Ales. Opening times: New Year’s Day – 1pm-11pm (Check Times) 
Prince Albert, Rodborough Hill, Stroud, GL5 3SS. Tel: 01453 755600 Map: Click Here

Pubs for Drivers*

Weighbridge Inn: The Weighbridge stands beside the original pack horse trail to Bristol and is one of Stroud’s more unique venues with a USP – its two in one pie, the reputation of which has spread way beyond Gloucestershire, and if you believe some people beyond our shores. This is available in two sizes with a variety of traditional and not so traditional pie fillings on one side with a choice of cauliflower cheese/Broccoli or roasted root veg the other – quite simply it is a complete mouth-watering meal. Regular beers: Uley Old Spot + 2 Guest Cask Ales. Opening hours: New Year’s Day – 12pm-10pm.
Weighbridge Inn, Longfords, Minchinhampton, GL6 9AL Tel: 01453 796358 Map: Click Here

Old Lodge: The Old Lodge Inn is a 16th century Cotswold stone building set in the heart of Minchinhampton Common. It is thought that the inn was a former hunting lodge of Henry VIII. Good locally sourced food. Regular beers: Two Regular Ales – Doombar & St Austell Proper Job + Two Guests. Opening times: New Year’s Day – 8am-1am (check times)
Old Lodge, Cirencester Road, Minchinhampton, GL6 9AQ. Tel: 01453 832047 Map: Click Here

*- please drink and drive responsibly.

 

 

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Likelihood the Natives Will Understand You: It’s pretty rural in this part of Gloucestershire, so if you get on in Somerset there’s every chance 

Top-Tip: Have a full-on eighteen ounce fillet steak and mixed grill before you step into the ground, or be prepared for a meat-free day.

Local Amenities: Nailsworth has the largest number of working water wheels per square mile in the UK, if you class that as an amenity. There’s a walking trail which will let you see some of them. On New Year’s Day, there’s probably not much chance of there being too much in the way of amenities.

Other Points Of Interest: If you see someone who looks like a walking mid-life crisis, very rich and probably munching on a tofu burger, that will probably be Chairman Dale Vince. That said, you’re only 40 miles from Jeremy Clarkson’s inheritance tax swerve/farm, so if the person fitting this description is not eating tofu, it could be him.

[No responsibility is taken for any inaccuracies. This page is entirely the product of bias and prejudice. ]