Renewable energy entrepreneur Dale Vince remade the Forest Green Rovers in his own image - and success followed.
Forest Green Rovers are the greenest football club on the planet, according to FIFA. Located in Nailsworth in the west of England, the team was playing in one of the UK’s lower leagues when Dale Vince (founder of Ecotricity) took over, reports Bloomberg.
While the changes didn’t go over well with everyone, the local fans eventually came around. And not only that - the emphasis on sustainability also managed to earn the club a worldwide following. And perhaps, some say, the greening of the Rovers had something to do with its recent success - including promotion to the next highest level of English football.
So, what did they do to really put the 'green' in the team's name?
The aptly named Forest Green Rovers is the world’s first and only vegan football club, and the first to be crowned carbon neutral by the United Nations. The club is solar powered and boasts an organic, pesticide-free pitch; and on match days fans tuck into plant-based food, such as veggie pies.
The team travels to matches in a zero emission 48 seat electric bus and the squad’s distinctive zebra stripe kit is made from waste coffee grounds and recycled plastic, and its training regime is fuelled by a vegan apple diet.
Now Forest Green has kicked off the new season with a drive to get fans to travel to games on foot, or by public transport. It has teamed up with the mobility platform, Bolt, which is encouraging supporters to log their steps on match day via the club’s YuMuuv wellness app - with the chance to win prizes as an incentive.
But their eco ambitions don’t end there. A proposal for a 5,000-seat, timber stadium designed by world renowned practice Zaha Hadid Architects was approved by Stroud district council in 2019, and has received a green light from the English Football League.
Revised plans for a wider project to include club training facilities, parkland, a biodiversity scheme, office space and a green tech business park are being considered by the council.
Forest Green’s existing ground, New Lawn, will be turned over to low carbon housing development if the project gets the go-ahead.
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