who owns forest green rovers

[22][23], Vince received an OBE from the Queen for services to the environment in 2004. 0 Forest Green Rovers granted outline consent for new stadium . This made Nailsworth the smallest town ever to host a Football League club.[12]. A decision by the club at the end of the 2012–13 season saw the areas in which home and away fans were housed at the ground switched with home fans reverting to the EESI Stand at the opposite end of the ground which was converted from seating to a standing terrace. Although the stadium can hold 5,147 fans, the highest league attendance recorded at the venue so far was 3,781 in a Conference Premier fixture against Bristol Rovers. On 2 July 2012, it was announced that the club would change its home strip from its traditional black and white stripes to a lime green shirt with black shorts and socks. They held up traffic while calling for millionaire Dale Vince, who owns League Two side Forest Green Rovers, to come out to make a rallying speech. They went on to lose 2–1 to Tranmere in the play-off semi-finals. [21] In April 2012, Forest Green introduced the first robot lawn mower to be used by a British football club on to its playing surface. Follow. Local eco hero, Dale Vince owns the world's first vegan football club and will soon be opening a new stadium within an eco park, for his Nailsworth team, Forest Green Rovers. The league subsequently held a draw to decide the championship, with Forest Green drawn against Stonehouse in a semi-final, with the winner to play Chalford for the title. JUMPING FOR JOY . [6] A third consecutive play-off campaign was secured with a third-place finish in 2016–17. Grimsby Town 1-2 Forest Green. [4] After finishing as runners-up in 1948–49, they won successive league titles in 1949–50 and 1950–51. The following season saw them finish as runners-up in the renamed National League, their highest-ever league position; in the subsequent play-offs they defeated Dover Athletic 2–1 in the semi-finals, before losing 3–1 to Grimsby Town in the final at Wembley. Immediate Reaction: Forest Green Rovers 0-1 Bolton Wanderers 13 unbeaten for the Whites Match Preview: Forest Green Rovers vs Bolton Wanderers Lee previews Wanderers’ trip to FGR MOTM: Bolton Wanderers 2-1 Walsall - Kieran Lee The former Sheffield Wednesday man is … The team bus is fully electric. #WeAreFGR. The western side of the ground is an open terrace available to home fans. The club withdrew from the Stroud Premier League in 1930,[3] the league for a third time in 1934, rejoining the Stroud Premier League. In 2004–05 Forest Green finished in the relegation zone, but were reprieved after Northwich Victoria were demoted due to issues with their stadium. Following Vince’s acquisition of the club in … [4] They went on to finish as runners-up in 1926–27 before leaving the league again to play in the new Stroud Premier League. Forest Green Rovers’ stadium could called ‘Kevin’ after fans voted for the name in a Twitter poll.. Rovers' home kit for many years was a black and white striped shirt with black shorts. [3], The club was re-established in 1898 under the Forest Green Rovers name, and absorbed Nailsworth Thursday shortly afterwards. [13] The 2018–19 season saw them finish fifth in League Two. [10] The club was then taken over by Ecotricity owner Dale Vince; Vince set out plans to make the club more eco-friendly, including removing red meat from players' diets, stopping selling meat products in the ground and treating the pitch with organic fertiliser. [25], In a statement, Vince branded the court's decision "mad": "I feel that we all have a right to move on, and not be looking over our shoulders. [6] In November 2000 Gregan was replaced as manager by former England international Nigel Spink; the club reached the FA Trophy final again at the end of the season, losing 1–0 to Canvey Island. ", "Forest Green Rovers spread manure on pitch", "Forest Green Rovers football club installs solar panels", "Robot lawn mower used by Forest Green Rovers football club", "Forest Green Rovers FC wins award for 'organic' pitch", "Winning stadium design announced / 2016 / First Team News / News / Home - Forest Green Rovers Football Club", "Forest Green Rovers build 'world's first wooden stadium, "Eco Park - About Ecotricity - Ecotricity", "Forest Green Rovers reveal plans for eco-friendly stadium made wholly from WOOD", "Football bosses approve world's first all-timber stadium", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Forest_Green_Rovers_F.C.&oldid=1012872974, Association football clubs established in 1889, Pages using infobox football club with unknown parameters, Football team templates which use short name parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Rovers, The Green, Green Devils, Green Army, Record transfer fee received: £350,000 from, This page was last edited on 18 March 2021, at 20:08. The 1997–98 season saw them win the Southern League Premier Division, securing a second successive promotion and entry to the Football Conference.[6]. [14], In the summer of 2014 the home strip was changed to lime green and black stripes on the front, with a plain green back, green shorts and black and green striped socks in order to align with sponsor Ecotricity's marketing colours. Forest Green won the Hellenic League in the 1981–82 season and lifted the FA Vase after beating Rainworth Miners Welfare in the final at Wembley. In 2018 Forest Green Rovers became the first football club in the world to be certified carbon neutral under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) initiative Climate Neutral Now. Nailsworth had become an urban districtin 1894 and there was an effort to ensure the town was represented by a footb… [30], "Power to the people: Dale Vince, green energy pioneer", "Dale Vince: UFOs, alternative energy and money", "Eco millionaire fights ex-wife's claim for maintenance 20 years after divorce", "The TH Interview: Dale Vince of Ecotricity", "Dale Vince: "The police should be better than us" – Leadership :: Real Business — The Champion of UK Enterprise", "How an 'off-grid' hippie built a wind energy empire", "Dale Vince: Tilting at windmills: how to turn the UK green", "Ecotricity gives £250,000 to Labour amid 'existential threat' from Tories", "Ecotricity founder to grow diamonds 'made entirely from the sky, "ENERGY firm Ecotricity will today confirm they are joining forces with Forest Green Rovers", "Dale Vince becomes Forest Green chairman", "Burger ban begins at Forest Green Rovers football club", "Veggie Burgers on Sky Sports Soccer Saturday", "Forest Green Rovers football club installs solar panels", "Robot lawn mower used by Forest Green Rovers football club", "Forest Green Rovers spread manure on football pitch", "Dale Vince: Forest Green Rovers using 'Moneyball' model", "Football club goes vegan in world first", "Forest Green top of the league after becoming 'world's first' football club to go entirely vegan", "Soy of the Rovers: the vegan football club kickstarting a green revolution", "Forest Green Rovers named 'greenest football club in world, "University Announces Honorary Doctorates and Fellowships", "Delayed divorce battle: Ecotricity founder Dale Vince's New Age traveller ex-wife wins cash fight", "Woman wins right to seek money from ex-husband 30 years after breakup", "BBC News – Woman could win cash payout 20 years after divorce", "Dale Vince divorce ruling 'like cashing in old lottery ticket, "Celebrities sign statement of support for Caroline Lucas – but not the Greens", "The South West is rich in solar, wind, marine & geothermal energy. In May 2011, the club released a consultation for supporters inviting opinions on the club's decision to change its badge. [26][28], Vince has made donations to both the Labour Party and the Green Party. Dale Vince, OBE (born 29 August 1961) is a British "green energy" industrialist. They became founder members of the Gloucestershire County League in 1968, before they were moved up to the Premier Division of the Hellenic League seven years later. Forest Green Rovers who play their football at The New Lawn, has, for many years now, been implementing changes to make the experience of going to football more environmentally friendly for both the players and fans alike. Join the conversation. The flag of St. George appeared on both badges, showing his links to England as well as Catalonia. Vince made his fortune by founding one of England’s green energy companies, Ecotricity, as well as an electric car charging network and other green initiatives. The Court of Appeal rejected the claim, stating it had "no real prospect of success" and was an "abuse of process". In 2010 Vince became a major shareholder of Forest Green Rovers FC, and three months later was appointed club chairman. [23], On 3 November 2016, the club announced the winning design for a proposed 5,000 seat new stadium to be built within the Eco Park complex beside Junction 13 of the M5 in Gloucestershire, 1.5 miles west of the town of Stonehouse (and 8.5 miles northwest of their spiritual home of Nailsworth). Along with Ecotricity, a company that has been turning wind power into electricity since 1996, Vince owns Forest Green Rovers, a League Two football club in the small town of Nailsworth in rural Gloucestershire. [3] They joined both Division One of the Mid-Gloucestershire League and also the Dursley & District League for the 1899–1900 season. [1] Another third round appearance in 2009–10 ended with a 2–1 defeat at Notts County. The club initially played at a ground 'at the top of the hill' in Forest Green known as the Lawn Ground. It also has the poorest regions in the UK! [7] After reverting to their original name, the club continued to struggle in the league until they were transferred to the Southern Division in 1995. This followed a previous robot mower that had been in service at the club's former ground. [14][15], Vince has also introduced a number of different eco-friendly developments at the club including the installation of solar panels[16] on its New Lawn home ground, the use of a solar-powered robot grass mower,[17] and the creation of the world's first organic football pitch. [6], Vince was born in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. The Etesia robot mower – known as a 'mow bot' – uses GPS technology to guide it round the pitch without the need for human intervention and gathers power from the solar panels at the stadium. Forest Green finished as runners-up in 1924–25 and 1925–26,[3] before rejoining the Gloucestershire Northern Senior League in 1926. [18] In September 2015, Vince revealed Forest Green were using a player recruitment method similar to the 'Moneyball' model that had been initially used in baseball to sign players by using computer-generated analysis. Under Dale Vince's chairmanship Forest Green became the world's first vegan football club in 2015, and the New Lawn was installed with numerous eco-friendly innovations. [6], The 2009–10 season saw Forest Green finish in the relegation zone, but another reprieve from relegation was won when Salisbury City were expelled for breaking financial rules. Competing in various local league competitions for much of the 20th century, they won a multitude of league titles: the Dursley & District League (1902–03), the Stroud & District League (1911–12 and 1920–21), the Stroud Premier League (1934–35, 1935–36 and 1936–37), the North Gloucestershire League (1920–21 and 1921–22), and the Gloucestershire Northern Senior League (1937–38, 1949–50 and 1950–51). The decision to move away from the traditional black and white stripes proved controversial with many supporters. This could signal open season for people who had brief relationships a quarter of a century ago. They moved to a ground in Nailsworth in 1924, but returned to the Lawn in 1927 after it was upgraded with a boundary wall and entrance gates. The team’s founder and chair, Dale Vince, owns the green energy firm ... it will be interesting to see if more clubs start following in the wake of the Forest Green Rovers. Their first home league match on 6 October was a 1–1 draw with Brimscombe, and the club went on to finish the 1894–95 season in third place. In the Stroud & District League they finished as runners-up to Brimscombe, whilst in the Dursley & District League they finished joint top of the table with Stonehouse after being awarded the points from an unplayed match against Chalford. As sustainability grows in importance for fans, shareholders and the media, it wouldn’t be a wildcard move. Forest Green: Dale Vince reveals Championship goal Forest Green Rovers owner Dale Vince has defended the club's £5.4m debt, insisting it is sustainable. [3] They withdrew from the Dursley & District League in 1908.[3]. In 1989, the club was renamed Stroud Football Club. They divorced in 1992.[25]. Dale Vince, who owns Forest Green Rovers Football Club, was responding to comments made by the Carlisle United chairman Andrew Jenkins, about veganism. Vince hoped that the club would be able to play games at the stadium within "three or four years".[28]. Fixtures between the two sides are humorously named El Glosico, a play-on-words of the famous El Clásico fixture.[16]. The away strip was also changed to an all-white kit with the dates '1899–2012' near the neckline of the kit to indicate the years when the club first played in an all-white kit and the decision to bring it back in 2012. Their owner, Dale Vince OBE, is a British green energy industrialist who owns a company called Ecotricity and first became the major shareholder in 2010. The usual attendance was between 1,300 and 1,800 for National League fixtures. After Vince had made his fortune, Wyatt, who had lived what was later described in court as "16 years of real hardship", lodged a financial claim of £1.9 million against Vince in 2011, nearly 20 years after their divorce. They went on to win the league title in 1937–38. The League Two side, who became the first ‘vegan football club’ in 2015, asked fans on social media to suggest a new name for The New Lawn Stadium, with the club demanding that new sponsor Innocent Smoothies is inserted in the name. However, Stonehouse beat Forest Green 3–2 in the semi-final match. They separated some years later, and Wyatt subsequently raised the couple's son alone. In February 2011, Rovers players were banned from eating red meat for health reasons, and a few weeks later the sale of all meat products was banned at the club's ground, leaving only vegetarian options and free-range poultry and fish from sustainable stocks. [7] In 1996, he launched his first wind turbine supplying "green electricity". [3] They repeated the double league championship the following season. Read More Related Articles This included developing an entirely organic pitch. [19] The East Stand is the largest-capacity stand at the ground and is a seated stand that contains seven boxes, the 'Green Man' public house, gym, dance studio and conference and leisure facilities. Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin has become the second largest shareholder at League Two football club Forest Green Rovers. "[11], In 2010 Vince became a major shareholder of Forest Green Rovers FC,[12] and three months later was appointed club chairman. The park near junction 13 of the M5 in Gloucestershire was linked to plans for a new stadium for Forest Green Rovers. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. [13] In February 2011, Rovers players were banned from eating red meat for health reasons, and a few weeks later the sale of all meat products was banned at the club's ground, leaving only vegetarian options and free-range poultry and fish from sustainable stocks. English Football League side, Forest Green Rovers (FGR) has been given the green light on its new sustainable stadium after being granted outline planning permission on Wednesday night (01/01). As a result, the club was renamed Nailsworth Association Football Club and many members of the original team were replaced by players from Nailsworth, although they continued to play at the original Lawn Ground in Forest Green. [7] Another season in mid-table was followed by two in which they finished in the bottom five. #WeAreFGR . The team competes in League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and have played their home games at the New Lawn since 2006, when they moved from their original home at The Lawn Ground. League Two 02/04/2021. Please contact your club for more information. They also reached the 2001 FA Trophy Final, which again they lost. [3] Nailsworth had become an urban district in 1894 and there was an effort to ensure the town was represented by a football team. [22], The United Nations has recognised Forest Green Rovers as the world’s first carbon-neutral football club and it was described by FIFA as the “greenest team in the world”. Forest Green Rovers, who were founded in the 19th century by a man named Peach, and play in green at the appropriately named New Lawn, take on … At the end of the season the club were promoted to the Midland Division of the Southern League. We are therefore unable to provide subscriptions to fans of AFC Bournemouth, Birmingham City, Bristol City, Cardiff City, Charlton Athletic, Derby County, Forest Green Rovers, Harrogate Town, Leyton Orient, Middlesbrough, QPR, Salford City, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City, Watford and Wigan Athletic. However, they were Division Two champions the following season, and were promoted back to Division One. The design is for a stadium made almost entirely of wood, including the roof cantilevers. [6] After finishing eighth under Frank Gregan in 1995–96, they won the division the following season, earning promotion to the Premier Division of the Southern League. [citation needed], In 2013, he was given the honorary degree of Doctor of Philosophy by the University of Gloucestershire. It is intended that the new stadium will have the lowest carbon footprint of any stadium in the world. [9] In 2007–08 the club defeated Football League opposition in the FA Cup for the first time, beating Rotherham United 3–0 in a first round replay, before losing 3–2 at Swindon Town. [18] However, following Rovers' promotion to the EFL in 2018, these rivalries are no longer competed. After beating Dagenham & Redbridge 3–1 in the semi-finals, the club defeated Tranmere Rovers by the same scoreline in the final at Wembley, earning promotion to League Two. [24][25][26][27] The plans were initially rejected by the planning authorities in June 2019 but revised plans were approved later that year. Grimsby Town 1-2 Forest Green. [25] However, in March 2015 the Supreme Court set aside this decision, ruling that there was no time limit in law for claims for financial provision, and the claim could progress in the High Court. Having made his senior debut playing for Forest Green Rovers in the 2020 - 2021 season, the gifted Forward has struck 4 league goals in the League Two 2020 - 2021 season so far coming from a total of 10 appearances. [5] Although the club finished as runners-up in 1952–53, they were relegated to Division Two at the end of the 1954–55 season. In June 2011, the club began work on making the stadium environmentally friendly following the arrival of new owner and green energy entrepreneur Dale Vince. Smile for the camera. Join the official forum. … The English Football League gave their consent to the stadium in February 2021. The name Rovers was adopted in 1893, and the following year the club were founder members of the Mid-Gloucestershire League. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. [19] In October 2015, Forest Green became the world's first all vegan football club. The innocent New Lawn, Another Way, … [8] However, they lost 1–0 to Kingstonian. The couple subsequently became New Age travellers together, and had a son in 1983. [24], While studying, Vince met and married Kathleen Wyatt in 1981. "Football clubs can influence society to create change," he said. Peach, representing the Forest Green area of Nailsworth. [3] After finishing fourth in the league, the club returned to the Northern Senior League at the end of the season,[4] although they also kept a team in the Stroud Premier League. [3] They entered a team into the Dursley & District League in 1912–13, but withdrew from the Stroud & District League after only four matches. [3] In 1920 the club also entered a team into the North Gloucestershire League and went on to win both leagues, as well as the Northern Junior Cup. What a strike! Partners. Reverting to the name Forest Green Rovers, the club won successive Southern League Southern Division and Premier Division titles in 1996–97 and 1997–98, winning promotion into the Conference. However, the highest all-time attendance was 4,836 for an FA Cup third round tie at home to Championship side Derby County. of the world's greenest football club @FGRFC_Official. On 19 August 2014, the new away strip was announced, which would be a modern version of the traditional home strip of black and white striped shirt, black shorts and red socks. The Sustainability in Sport terrace is at the north end of the ground. [3] In 1906–07 they finished bottom of the Stroud & District League with zero points (although they had won one game, they had two points deducted for fielding an ineligible player). Forest Green Rovers Football Club is a professional football club based in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, England. Forest Green's first season in the Hellenic League Premier Division saw them finish fourth. Forest Green claim to be 100 per cent vegan with their stadium made entirely of wood. [10], Prior to the 2015 UK general election, he was one of several celebrities who endorsed the parliamentary candidacy of the Green Party's Caroline Lucas. The club was established in 1889 by Reverend E.J.H. The previous club badge was very similar to the FC Barcelona badge. [7][8], In 1991, he saw his first windfarm ("I thought, either I can carry on by myself with the windmill on my van, or I can get into the big stuff"[9]) and in 1995 he founded the Renewable Energy Company. It will be able to be increased in size to 10,000 capacity depending on the club's success. [3] In 1902–03 they joined the new Stroud & District League, also continuing in the Dursley & District League. Twice reprieved from relegation from the Conference National due to the demotion of other clubs, the club was transformed following investment from green energy industrialist Dale Vince in 2010. Forest Green Rovers, formerly known as Stroud FC, has been based at the New Lawn stadium in Nailsworth since 2006. Peach, representing the Forest Green area of Nailsworth. [15], Gloucestershire rivals Cheltenham Town are seen as the club's main rivals. [10], In October 2020 The Guardian reported that he plans to create artificial diamonds by chemical vapor deposition using "carbon dioxide captured directly from the atmosphere to form the diamonds – which are chemically identical to diamonds mined from the earth – using wind and solar electricity, with water collected from rainfall. [2] Investment in the playing squad saw the club compete for promotion into the English Football League, which they achieved with victory in the 2017 National League play-offs, having been beaten in the semi-finals in 2015 and in the 2016 final. [3] Their first home league match on 6 October was a 1–1 draw with Brimscombe, and the club went on to finish the 1894–95 season in third place. In 1911 Forest Green merged with Nailsworth to form Nailsworth & Forest Green United, continuing to play at the Lawn Ground and in the Stroud & District League; the new club won the league, losing only one match all season. Although they finished third in their first season in the new league, the next six seasons were spent in mid-table. But this is no ordinary sports organisation. Grimsby Town 1-2 Forest Green. In Forest Green's first season in the Conference they finished twelfth, as well as reaching the final of the FA Trophy, becoming the first team to play in the final of both the FA Vase and the FA Trophy. He is thought to have invested £250,000, acquiring a stake of about 2% in the club, which is majority owned by Ecotricity, the green energy firm founded by Vince. [26] Lord Wilson said the court must have regard "to the contribution of each party to the welfare of the family, including by looking after the home or caring for the family", but the claim only had a prospect of "comparatively modest success" with a £1.9 million payout "out of the question". Formed in October 1889, the club became founder members of the Mid Gloucestershire League five years later. Reaching the 1999 FA Trophy Final, which they lost, they became the first club to reach the finals of both the FA Vase and FA Trophy. [3] The Mid-Gloucestershire League folded in 1901, with Forest Green left playing in the Dursley & District League. Forest Green Rovers granted outline consent for new stadium. [3] At the start of the 2006–07 season the club moved to the New Lawn. [5] Forest Green were amongst the founders of the Gloucestershire County League in 1968, where they played until moving up to the Premier Division of the Hellenic League in 1975 under the management of Peter Goring.[6]. The following season saw another first as the club reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time; after beating Guiseley 6–0 in the first round, they lost 3–0 at home to Torquay United in the second.
who owns forest green rovers 2021