Dale Vince arrived in 2010, bringing an organic pitch and vegan burgers and patronising tabloid headlines.
The Ecotricity founder boosted Forest Green’s playing budget like a shot of nandrolone, yet progress on the pitch remained steadfastly incremental.
Top-half finishes. Play-off defeats. Plod, plod, plod. By the time Mark Cooper finally managed to win the play-offs in 2017, the club had been in Non-League’s top flight for 19 years. They would spend the next five in League Two, making similarly stately progress.
So what happened? How has an ostensibly wealthy, stable club that won a historic promotion to League One in 2022 found itself back in the National League by 2024?
Analysing Forest Green’s dramatic collapse is difficult, for the simple reason that they don’t fit the usual template.
Vince is still there. He’s still got plenty of money, as evidenced by heavy outlays in each of the last three transfer windows. This is not the familiar story of a disillusioned owner pulling the plug after years of covering losses. A glance at the 62-year-old’s Twitter feed is enough to confirm that Vince remains invested, financially and emotionally.
There were no administrations or points deductions. No supporter protests. No tales of late wages, unpaid utility bills or visits from the bailiffs.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 26, 2024 من The Non-League Football Paper.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 26, 2024 من The Non-League Football Paper.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
WHITES GO FOLLOWING
WIDNES moved six points clear at the top of the league following a gutsy draw at play-off-chasing Hednes ford.
SILKMEN ALMOST UP WITH BIG WIN
WINNING 3-1 at Warrington Rylands, and with their nearest rivals dropping points, Macclesfield tightened their grip on the league, extending their lead at the top to 22 points with just 10 games to play.
RESURGENT REYNOLDS REBELLING AT RYLANDS
NEIL Reynolds is relishing being back in control at Warrington Rylands - and says getting sacked by FC United was the best thing that could have happened to him.
KEV MUST SETTLE FOR A POINT!
SOUTHEND United boss Kevin Maher felt his deserved at least a share of the spoils from this hard-fought draw with Rochdale at Roots Hall.
BORO IN HEAVEN COURTESY OF MATT
MATT SARGENT scored late on to seal the points for Radcliffe after Kieran Burton was sent off for Buxton in the second half.
FIVE STAR TIGERS COOK-ING ON GAS
LOUCESTER put on a fivestar performance in front of a bumper crowd at the TigerTurf Stadium.
IT'S ALL CHANGE FOR CRISIS CELTS
...but board say 3G pitch plans shelved
BIRTHDAY BOY TAYLOR SEALS THE DEAL FOR SOLID ROBINS
GATESHEAD and Altrincham produced a trademark game between the two sides of thrills and spills, an entertaining match somehow producing just one goal.
PENALTY HEROICS INSPIRE WOOD!
A PENALTY save from Boreham Wood keeper Nathan Ashmore and three quickfire goals in what Eastbourne Borough boss Adam Murray described as \"five minutes of madness\" turned this game on its head.
LET US PLAY IF WE WANT
AFC FYLDE chairman David Haythornthwaite believes introducing a waiver form to exonerate officials when both clubs are happy to play a game in doubt, will see fewer matches postponed.
