Forest Green Rovers have experienced a rollercoaster ride of emotions in recent years. Their ups and downs are worthy of any thrill ride at any of the world’s big theme parks.
History of Forest Green Rovers
The Green Devils were founded in 1889, and for most of its history, the Gloucestershire outfit has plied its trade in non-league football.
Forest Green only made their debut in the fifth tier of the English game in 1999. They struggled to make an impact at the top of the National League until season 2014/15 when they finished fifth place in the table and then lost in the play-off semi-finals.
The following season Rovers experienced more play-off heartbreak. This time, they suffered a play-off final defeat after finishing as the division’s runners-up.
In 2017, they finally won promotion to the EFL for the first time, winning the play-off final 3-1 against Tranmere Rovers. It got even better for Rovers in season 2021/22, as they won the League Two title and earned promotion to League One for the first time in their history.
However, the promotion came too soon for Rovers, as they suffered immediate relegation, as they finished rock bottom of the table.
The following campaign brought more misery, as Forest Green once again struggled and finished 24th place in League Two to suffer relegation back to the fifth tier of the English game.
For season 2024/25, Rovers are back in the division where they have spent the majority of their recent history, the National League.
Forest Green Rovers are no typical football club
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While their on-field fortunes may have been up and down in recent years, it is their off-field activity that has really raised the profile of the club to the broader world. Why, you might ask?
Well, Forest Green Rovers are the world’s first football club to be carbon-neutral. Solar panels and wind turbines power the club’s stadium while they attempt to offset their remaining carbon footprint.
The pitch is also treated with all organic material, and the kit for season 2024/25 is made from bamboo. In fact, the club were the first club to wear a kit made from composite material of recycled plastic and coffee grounds.
The food at the club has also been vegan since 2015 for both players and fans, including the club serving a special Bovril, which uses plant-based ingredients instead of the traditional beef that is usually in the stadium staple.
These facts are unlikely to be a surprise, considering that the club is owned by a former new-age traveller, Dale Vince, who is a green energy innovator and owns the electricity company Ecotricity.
Vince was at the forefront of the eco-friendly electricity revolution in Britain by starting the Renewable Energy Company in 1995.
The millionaire became a major shareholder in Rovers in 2010, and soon afterwards, he became the chairman. In February 2011, Vince contributed to the ban of Rovers players from eating red meat due to health concerns.
He was also responsible for introducing the solar panels and a robotic grassmower to the club’s New Lawn stadium.
The changes at the club led to football’s governing body, FIFA, describing Forest Green as the “greenest team in the world”.
Other clubs are working to be more environmentally friendly
Forest Green is leading the way when it comes to football clubs being more environmentally friendly.
However, according to Statista, Liverpool and Tottenham are the most environmentally sustainable clubs in the English Premier League, with scores of 24 out of 27, respectively.
Meanwhile, at Spurs’ arch-rivals Arsenal, the north London club saved 3 million litres of water in 2020 due to a recycling system. Brighton Hove Albion offers a Free Travel Zone on match days so that supporters can leave their cars at home to prevent extra pollution from exhausts.
Premier League champions Manchester City has been working to reduce both their electricity and water use while also being working towards being water-positive.
Forest Green Rovers are now more than a football club
Barcelona’s motto may be ‘Mes que un club’ (More than a club), but as far from Catalonia as Forest Green is, the same could be said for Rovers.
Whatever happens on the pitch for Forest Green Rovers, no matter what ups and downs they experience, the Gloucestershire club are now more than just a football club.
They have made history and use their influence on the local community to make an effort to improve their local environment.
As extreme as the club seems, Forest Green could well be an excellent example to all football clubs who are looking to be more environmentally friendly in the future.