OUR HIstory
Founded back in 1889, Forest Green Rovers has a long and vibrant history, bringing the excitement of football to our local community and fans everywhere.
Beginning at county level, we have climbed the football ladder. Emerging from the National League by defeating Tranmere Rovers in the play-off final at Wembley in 2017, Forest Green Rovers climbed into the English Football League. Then, on the final day of the 2021/22 season FGR were crowned Champions of League Two – another great stride in the club's history.
From the Dursley and Stroud leagues in the early 20th century, through the Gloucestershire Northern Senior League in the 1950s to the Hellenic in the 1980s, FGR reached the Southern League Premier Division in 1997 before ascending to the National League a year later.
During its time in EFL League Two, FGR reached the play-offs in 2019 and 2021, establishing an attractive style of high-tempo football alongside our friendly club atmosphere. Off the pitch, we have spread our sustainable ethos to the sporting world, winning numerous awards in green business, leisure and catering, groundsmanship, sustainability – and let’s not forget: The British Pie Awards!
Our goals
Everyone at FGR is focused on our long-term ambition, which is to reach the Championship. At the neckline on the back of our shirts you’ll see an FGR monogram with three stars above it. Two of them are now filled in, signifying the club’s promotion into EFL League Two in 2017 and into League One in 2022. One remains greyed out, indicating our next step – to reach the Championship. It will be an exciting journey, so stay with us for the ride!
Our trophy cabinet
On the pitch
2022 EFL League Two Champions
2017 National League play-off winners
1998 Southern League Premier Division winners
1997 Southern League Southern Division winners
1982 Hellenic League winners, FA Vase winners
1955 Northern Senior League Division Two winners
1951 Northern Senior League winners
1950 Northern Senior League winners
1938 Northern Senior League winners
1937 Stroud Premier League winners
1936 Stroud Premier League winners
1927 County Cup winners
1935 Stroud Premier League winners
1922 North Gloucestershire League winners, Northern Junior Cup winners
1921 North Gloucestershire League winners, Northern Junior Cup winners
1912 Stroud & District League winners
1903 Dursley and District League winners
Off the pitch
Green Heart Hero Sustainability in Sport Award
In March 2018, we beat Manchester City and Lords Cricket Ground by winning the first ever Green Heart Hero Sustainability in Sport Award by the Climate Coalition at a ceremony in Parliament.
Institute of Groundsmanship Industry Awards
We received the Innovative Project of the Year award at the IOG Industry Awards in 2017.
British Pie Awards
Our Q Pie was highly commended ahead of 40 other entrants in the Vegetarian Pie category at the British Pie Awards in March 2017, with London-based MYPIE winning top honours.
Sport and Leisure Catering Magazine
We celebrated a big victory off the pitch after we won the Sport and Leisure Catering Magazine Menu of the Year Award at a ceremony at BAFTA in London in September 2016.
Football Business Awards
In 2001, we were shortlisted for a Football Business Award and highly commended in the innovation category.
Business Green Leaders Awards
We won the Green Transport Project of the Year in 2013 for the rollout of our fleet of electric vehicles at the club.
The history of FGR
2022 Forest Green Rovers finish top of the League Two table and are promoted to League One as Champions, following a 2-2 draw at Mansfield Town on the last day of the season.
2019 In December, Stroud District Council approved our plans to build Eco Park. We aim to make our new home the world's greenest football stadium, for the world's greenest football club.
2017 Mark Cooper leads us to the Football League for the first time in the club’s history, following a 3-1 success over Tranmere Rovers in the National League play-off final at Wembley.
2016 We announce plans to move to a new 5,000 seat stadium to be built beside junction 13 of the M5, with plans for the stadium to be made almost entirely out of wood.
2015 We went completely vegan as a football club, the first and still the only certified vegan team in the world.
2010 With the club in financial difficulty, Ecotricity founder Dale Vince got involved with us in August, to improve the club's social and environmental impact.
2006 The New Lawn officially opened in September, 400 metres away from the old stadium. The ground was built to Football League standards and painted head to toe by our supporters, a tradition set back in the 1950s.
2001 Under Nigel Spink, we returned to the Trophy Final at Villa Park, this time losing to Canvey Island again by the only goal of the game.
1999 We were favourites for relegation in 1999 but we went back to Wembley in the FA Trophy, becoming the first club to appear in both the Trophy and Vase finals. The Trophy final was lost to Kingstonian 1-0.
1998 A showdown with Merthyr Tydfil in front of a record crowd of 2,962 at the newly upgraded Lawn saw us through to the Conference.
1992 The arrival of Trevor Horsley in 1992 saw our name changed back to Forest Green Rovers.
1997 Frank Gregan arrived as manager in 1994, taking us to the Southern League Southern Division title in 1997 and into the Southern League Premier Division for the first time.
1989 In a bid to turn the club’s fortunes around, we were renamed Stroud FC but this proved near disastrous when many life-long fans and committee members turning their back on the club.
1982 A successful few years culminate in a double winning season as we clinched the Hellenic League title and won the FA Vase, defeating Rainworth Miners Welfare 3-0.
1975 We were promoted to the Hellenic League in 1975 under Goring’s stewardship.
1968 We joined the newly formed County League and played under manager Peter Goring.
1938 We won the Northern Senior League for the first time in 1938.
1936 Committee members bought our field at auction for the princely sum of £120.
1927 A crowd of over 5,000 saw us lift the County Cup beating the Sharpness Sharks in nearby Dursley.
1926 The Lawn was created with the field where the team played officially enclosed.
1921 After a break during WWI, we enjoyed a period of great success winning two football leagues and three cups in both 1921 and 1922.
1912 We won the Stroud League under the name Nailsworth and Forest Green United, after the Nailsworth Club amalgamated with us at the top of the hill above the town.
1903 Our first piece of silverware was secured when we won the Dursley and District League.
1902 A switch from the MGL when it folded in 1902 ensued, becoming members of the newly formed Stroud League and also members of the Dursley and District League.
1894 We became founder members of the Mid Gloucestershire League (MGL), the first league in the county outside Bristol.
1889 Life began for us in the hamlet of Forest Green in October 1889, founded by the local Non Conformist Church Minister.
