Founded in 1889, the same year as Sheffield United and Brentford, Rovers have lived in relative obscurity for the majority of their existence. In 1982, while Aston Villa beat Bayern Munich to bring the European Cup home to Birmingham, Forest Green Rovers brought the FA Vase home to Nailsworth, Gloucestershire – Rainworth Miners Welfare FC didn’t stand a chance.
The club’s fortunes changed in 2010 with investment from Dale Vince, the founder and owner of renewables firm Ecotricity. Vince soon established an array of sweeping changes at the New Lawn ground: red meat was cut from player’s diets, organic fertiliser was used on the pitch, and by 2015 the club was 100% vegan. 2021 saw the club’s kits follow suit to become fully eco-friendly, made from coffee grounds and recycled plastic.
2021 saw the club’s kits follow suit to become fully eco-friendly, made from coffee grounds and recycled plastic.
Environmental success came hand in hand with improvements on the pitch. Former Stoke City coach Adrian Pennock was appointed as manager, and solidified FGR’s presence in the National League, reaching the Playoffs in both 2014/15 and 2015/16 before being replaced by Mark Cooper. The former Rovers player, now manager of Yeovil Town, led Forest Green to victory in the 16/17 playoffs, taking the vegans to League 2 and the EFL – where they were no doubt disappointed with catering options.
Following two failed League 2 playoff campaigns in 18/19 and 20/21, Cooper was replaced by your mum’s favourite manager, Rob Edwards. In partnership with Director of Football Richard Hughes, Edwards led The Green Army to the League 2 title in 21/22 with an exciting squad. A devastating Wing-back partnership of Nicky Cadden, now of Hibernian, and Kane Wilson, now at Derby, chipped in with 25 assists and 9 goals in all competitions, while the lethal finishing of striker Jamille Matt saw the former Blackpool man bag 19 times in the league alone.
Was the triumph of 2021/22 the beginning of a vegan takeover in football? Did Dale Vince take FGR to the Premier League and single-handedly end the meat and dairy industry? Are Jeremy Corbyn and Greta Thunberg, armed and funded by 300-time Champions League winners Forest Green Rovers, going door-to-door confiscating Christmas turkeys? I wish, but no. In fact, promotion to League One marked the beginning of a period of decline for FGR.
In fact, promotion to League One marked the beginning of a period of decline for FGR.
Just 4 days after he was sprayed with vegan champagne, Rob Edwards left Forest Green to take the top job at Watford. A club statement revealed that negotiations between Edwards and Watford happened “behind our backs”, and revealed disappointment that “our support, loyalty and honesty towards Rob has been repaid in this way”. Edwards fell victim to the classic Watford curse and lasted only 5 months at Vicarage Road, with the highlight of his career there being a selfie he took with The Courier’s Head of Culture, Adam Lovegrove.
Promotion to the Premier League, and a noble attempt at survival with Luton Town has improved Edward’s national reputation, especially in your mum’s eyes, but his departure left FGR severely weakened.
Opening day victory away at rivals Bristol Rovers gave hope to fans, and new manager Ian Burchnall, hope that Forest Green could establish themselves in the third tier, but proved to be one of only six league wins that season. The vegans were relegated with a miserable 27 points that season, although did hilariously derail Sheffield Wednesday’s automatic promotion push with a 1-0 win against Darren Moore’s side in March. To be fully transparent with you, as a Blade and a vegan, I really enjoyed writing that.
You’d think that having spent five out of the previous six seasons in League 2, FGR would take to another season in the English 4th tier like a duck to water – a duck that the catering staff at the New Lawn Ground wouldn’t cook, I might add. Further positive sentiment was raised around the club as academy coach Hannah Dingley was appointed as caretaker manager. Her 13-day stint in charge before the appointment of new permanent manager David Horseman remains the only time in history where a woman has managed a professional men’s side. This positivity would not last, however, and 2023/24 proved to be a disaster for the Gloucestershire side.
Taking only 7 wins from his 29 games at FGR, Horseman was soon sacked, and replaced by – brace for it – Troy Deeney. Despite being a brilliant player in his prime, the former Watford striker took to management with about as much success as the aforementioned Stevie Wonder would have in a driving test.
In the ancient ballads of the Iliad and Odessey, Troy is defeated by a giant wooden horse. At Forest Green Rovers, Troy was defeated by Harrogate Town. It was comments following this game, a 0-2 defeat at home, that sealed Deeney’s fate. The 36-year-old branded his squad “babies” and singled out former Coventry man Fankaty Dabo, who he called “awful”. This outburst received widespread condemnation, and Deeney was promptly sacked after just 6 games, becoming one of few managers to hold a career 0%-win rate.
This outburst received widespread condemnation, and Deeney was promptly sacked after just 6 games, becoming one of few managers to hold a career 0%-win rate.
If there was any hope of remaining in the EFL left among fans and players, Deeney’s catastrophic tenure was a gut-punch to it. Forest Green, under new manager Steve Cotterill, were unable to undo the damage, and suffered back-to-back relegations.
Keen not to follow the likes of Scunthorpe, who suffered three consecutive relegations and now play in the National League North, Rovers have started this season well. A 0-4 away win at Boston United set the standards, and Cotterill’s side took 14 points from a possible 18 this September.
A key reason for this season’s early success has been strong recruitment policy. The summer window saw the majority of the squad overhauled, with just four players in the starting lineup for September’s 0-2 win at Gateshead having been at Forest Green last season. The signing of Ben Tozer, two-time promotion winner with Wrexham, has added much-needed experience and calm to the vegan backline, who trail only league leaders York City for fewest goals conceded.
The Green Army currently sit 2nd in the table at the time of writing, just one point away from 1st. Having taken League One high-flyers Stockport County to extra time in the FA cup in an admirable performance, vegans worldwide – or at least Gloucestershire-wide – will be hoping that promotion is on the horizon for Steve Cotterill’s men. Fuelled by nothing but tofu, Forest Green Rovers are winning again, finally bringing home the Quorn bacon. Will veganism return to the EFL? Will we see more clubs take on an environmentally-friendly approach? Will Stevie Wonder, Lewis Hamilton and myself be able to at least get a vegan burger on our next away day? Maybe not, but we'll always have a home in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire.
