Forest Green Rovers 2-0 Morecambe, Saturday 28th October 2018

Forest Green Rovers 2-0 Morecambe (att. 2,515 )

Welcome to ....

One of the advantages of Sheffield Superclub’s (Sheffield Wednesday's) ludicrous pricing policy is that one doesn’t have to pay £36 to see one’s club at their Victorian hovel in a second division fixture, one can go on a groundhop. So it is that today I’m off to Forest Green Rovers, and, even better, I’m to be joined by The Captain, fresh from the Hampshire sticks in his own bid for 92 glory. After Forest Green, I’ll have 4 more to go: Stoke, Bristol Rovers, Accrington and Bury.

The Big Match Live.

I was very pleased to see Forest Green get promoted, though it does continue a recent pattern of clubs bankrolled into the league (Crawley, Fleetwood, etc) while traditional (northern) outposts go by the wayside (Hartlepool, Darlington, Tranmere). But at least Mr Forest Green is making his money in the right way, through ‘green energy’. And another reason to visit here ASAP is before he realises his ambition of building a new 5,000 stadium entirely of wood.

A glimpse of the stadium through the housing.

Of course, a visit here is unique in many senses. Based in the village of Nailsworth, there’s no smaller place boasting of a league side. And there’s no trains to Nailsworth, so, unless you drive or come by supporters coach, you’re almost certainly coming via Stroud, about 4 miles away. With The Captain arriving an hour after me, I was able to have a good nose about. While Stroud looked a vaguely prosperous market town, it was noticeable that half the pubs had shut down. Shame. The local Oxfam had an excellent selection of books, however.

Nailsworth's clock tower resplendent in a wreath of poppies.

Once The Captain arrived, we reposed to the Wetherspoons, before wandering through town for a bus to Nailsworth, the #88 as I remember. Or was it a 63?  Despite being tempted by having a beer in one of Nailsworth’s pubs, we made the correct decision in staying on till the end, to Forest Green’s ‘New Lawn Stadium’….which is based at the top of a very large hill. Maps tend not to show you the hills you have to walk up! (OK, maybe Ordnance Survey ones do…)

A nice touch from the food stall.

We’d done our homework though and knew the stadium had a social club, and what a fine example ‘The Green Man’ is. Sizeable, a big screen showing Sky (Man U were on, for a change), local ales on tap from the Stroud Brewery and the legendary vegan ‘Q pie’. You could even see the pitch through the serving hatch. Naturally, I had to have one of these non-meaty delights and…actually, it was rather nice. Certainly better than the steak and kidney I’d eaten at Oakwell the week before. Mind, speaking to a local, it was an open secret that the players enjoyed regular forages to the local Greggs for their animal fix. This despite the programme being a virtual vegan manifesto. From what I garnered, the local vegan society has its own football team…

The Green Man

What with it being such a beautiful day, we elected to stand on the away terrace, which ran all the way down one touchline. We were Shrimpers for the day! And Morecambe had brought a decent amount, over 100. The ground itself is small, but perfectly formed, with two small covered end terraces and a cantilevered main stand opposite. If I’m to be harsh, I guess it wouldn’t put them out too much to give over some of that terraced cover to the away fans; I’m guessing the weather isn’t always perfect, even in the Cotswolds.

The view along the terrace.

It wasn’t a classic, as befits two sides struggling at the wrong end of the league, but Forest Green won through. A simple give-and-go put Marsh-Brown through to nutmeg the keeper on the half hour, before a second half inswinging free kick was destined to creep in, whether someone got a touch or not. 2-0 and comfortable victory for the home side. All that was left was a return to the Wetherspoons and a mixed grill. I wasn’t taking the p***. I just fancied one. A lovely day out in the countryside.

The TV gantry-cum-scoreboard.

The Damage:
£18 Ent (standing)
£3.80 dayrider (bus)
£25 train
£3 prog
£?? Q pie
£?? Beer x 2.
= £49.80 plus beer and food. Problies another tenner or so.

Forest Green v Morecambe panorama.

Further green/Green credentials in the social club.

The North Stand.

This fella is one scarf short of a club shop.

The South Stand.  Teenagers and a drum.

What IS that thing in the corner?  A giant compost bin?

Match action.

Of all the places...The Captain MUST stand here.

The Main Stand.