Forest Green Rovers Football Club is a professional football club based in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, England. 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.
Formed in October 1889, the club became founder members of the Mid Gloucestershire League five years later. 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). 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 won the Hellenic League in the 1981–82 season and lifted the FA Vase after beating Rainworth Miners Welfare in the final at Wembley. They spent the next 13 years in the Midland Division of the Southern League, and briefly competed under the name Stroud F.C. 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. 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. They also reached the 2001 FA Trophy Final, which again they lost. 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.
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.[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 2016 final.
Tom Nichols’ first-half goal proved enough as Crawley recorded a narrow 1-0 League Two victory to end Northampton’s five-game winning run at home.
Nichols scored the only goal of the game late in the first half as Northampton missed a series of late chances to avoid back-to-back defeats.
James Tilley’s sweet long-range strike whistled narrowly over in the first five minutes but the opening half was desperately short on entertaining and goalmouth action.
Sam Hoskins and Jack Sowerby never threatened the target with half chances for the home side before Crawley took a surprise lead when Nichols latched onto Sam Matthews’ through pass and clinically fired the ball home.
Northampton improved after half-time and dominated possession but their end product was poor and they struggled to create clear-cut opportunities.
Debutant Chanka Zimba came off the bench and hit the crossbar with his very first touch while Aaron McGowan cleared the angle of post and bar from a corner.
Zimba was also superbly denied by Glenn Morris in the closing stages as Crawley just about held on for maximum points.
Forest Green made it 12 League Two games unbeaten as the runaway leaders opened up a nine-point gap at the top with a 2-0 win over Colchester.
Jamille Matt’s 16th goal of the season and a stoppage-time strike from substitute Josh March proved the difference between the two sides against a Colchester side struggling at the wrong end of the table.
Rovers were indebted to Luke McGee’s strong glove to deny Alan Judge early on.
But Rob Edwards’ side hit their straps when Regan Hendry’s slide-rule pass released the over-lapping Udoka Godwin-Malife to fizz a ball into Matt who finished with an audacious flick beyond Jake Turner to nose the home side ahead after 15 minutes.
Colchester offered little but veteran Cole Skuse should have done better when shooting wide from the edge of the box.
McGee spared Rovers’ blushes with two smart blocks after the restart and a gloved response from Skuse.
Matt had a goal ruled out for offside and Matt Stevens could not get enough purchase on his header.
Jordan Moore-Taylor’s 90th-minute clearance off the line from Luke Hannant proved pivotal.
March made it game over in added time when he shot home after Tommy Smith squandered possession.
Jamille Matt’s second-half header sent Forest Green back to the top of League Two in a turgid clash against Northampton.
Rovers fashioned the first opportunity when Regan Hendry fizzed the ball out to Nicky Cadden and he flicked it up to send a sumptuous strike towards the Northampton goal but keeper Liam Roberts did well to palm over.
Jack Aitchison broke free to feed Matty Stevens and his fierce goalbound shot was touched over by Roberts on the stroke of half-time.
The tempo increased after the break, with Aitchison forcing Roberts into a diving save and Cadden bending an effort over.
Northampton were indebted to Roberts with 23 minutes to go as he parried a well-struck shot from Wilson straight to Matt but his poked attempt was cleared spectacularly off the line by McGowan.
Rovers grabbed the only goal of the game with 13 minutes to go when Cadden arrowed the ball into the box for Matt to plant a cushioned header beyond Roberts for his fifth goal of the season.
Meanwhile, earlier on Saturday Northampton confirmed defender Sid Nelson will be out for “some considerable time” after suffering a knee ligament injury in training.
| Played | Won | Draw | Lost | F | A |
| 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Biggest Win | 06 Nov 2010 – New Lawn FA Cup – 3-0W |
| Biggest Loss | 01 Jan 2019 – New Lawn – 2-1L – Leauge |
| First-Ever Game | The two sides first met in 2010/11, as Northampton Town ran out 3-0 winners in the FA Cup. |
STEPHEN GUINAN
Here’s an in-depth look at we look at Stephen Guinean who played for both the Cobblers and Forest Green Rovers.
Marc Edwards will take charge of the Cobblers match v Forest Green Rovers this Saturday.
In what is Edwards’ Third EFL campaign as a referee, the Tyne and Wear-based official will travel to the Sixfields Stadium for his 16th game of the season following his promotion to the National List of Referees ahead of the 2019-20 season.
So far this season Marc has managed 15 games booking 51 players and sending off one player, Shane McLoughlin for Morecambe back in September.
Marc’s last Cobblers game was just under a year ago the 9th February 2021 when Wigan beat the Cobblers 1-0 with 5 players making the book on the day.
Dean Treleaven and Abbas Khan
Fourth Official : Marvyn Amphlett
| 1 | Northampton have won both Football League home games against Forest Green, should they win again it would be the first time since against Stevenage in October 2015 that they’ve won each of their first three Football League home games against a side. |
| 2 | Forest Green won the reverse fixture against Northampton in September 1-0, victory would see them become the first side in this fixture to win consecutive Football League games. |
| 3 | After a run of four straight league wins in November/December, Northampton have lost both of their League Two games in 2022 so far. |
| 4 | Forest Green Rovers are unbeaten in their last 13 away league games (W8 D5), and are the only side in the top four tiers of English football yet to lose on the road this season (W7 D4). |
