Ian Crawley – Chair

Born a few miles from White Hart Lane and first attending a Spurs match there in 1959, that will always be my spiritual home. I was a regular in the 60’s, carrying my wooden box to every game in the early years,  to stand on at the front of the terracing in the enclosure. Season tickets for 20 years from 1986 and a lot of away travel, reinforced that commitment.

Having moved to Nailsworth in 2003, I discovered the little club on the hill, in walking distance from home.  I was not previously aware FGR existed, even though I was often in The Jolly Foresters. A few matches then captured my interest.

A regular home and away FGR supporter now for over 10 years, confirms me as a ‘blow-in’, to the club, Nailsworth and the Stroud valleys. I am now a complete convert to the lower leagues, the honesty; the camaraderie with home and away fans; and the unique journey the Club is on, under Dale’s ownership and leadership.  Long may it continue.

Phil Butterworth

My addiction to the club from the town of my birth, Bury, waned in the 1990s. With a young family long road trips were not on;  I began to watch a few matches at Shortwood & Forest Green. The latter won my affections & I became a regular at the New Lawn in the seasons they climbed to the summit of non-league football.

In the last 20 years I’ve been active on the club forum, tried to watch most matches home & away and worked to raise the profile of the club in the local community. I started the club’s Ambassador scheme which has grown to 90 enthusiastic advocates from 70 schools.

I fully support the eco credentials & the sustainability values of the club. It’s great that FGR is a prime mover in green agenda and this attracts fans to our club from all over the world.

Rachel Twinning

Hello! I am Rachel and I live close by in Minchinhampton with my husband Luke and our 4 children, Noah, Poppy, Hollie and many of you will know our littlest Twinning, Martha!

We moved to Forest Green in 2007 and that’s where we first found our little club on the hill. We attended the odd game but it wasn’t until much more recently that we became regulars! For the past 5/6 years we have been season ticket holders and over the past 3 seasons Luke and Martha have attended virtually every game, home and away!

Martha and Poppy have been ambassadors for the past 3 seasons and love to get involved in all things FGR!

We support the green values of the club and are loyal supporters of our team! The rollercoaster of a ride FGR brings can be tough but we wouldn’t have it any other way! #WeAreFGR

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Neil Munro

I was mainly brought up in Kent/South London. So my first football love was Crystal Palace. I was a regular on the Selhurst Park terraces. I still try to get to the odd game including going to  the 2016 Cup Final.  As my parents were originally from Scotland I have watched a few of the Scottish teams on visits to the ‘old country’. On Sunday mornings I still check to see how Queens Park, Partick Thistle and Dundee have fared.  About 30 years ago my wife and I moved to Stonehouse. She sometimes visited a friend in Nailsworth and would drop me off to watch FGR before meeting up later for a meal at the Britannia.

I co-founded Stroud FM Radio and when the station went to full-time broadcasting I presented the Sunday Breakfast Show. Local sport was an obvious thing to include in the programme.  I started to interview the FGR manager after each home match starting with Jim Harvey then Hockaday and Pennock. So I went from an occasional attendee at matches to a season ticket holder.  I was Secretary of Stroud FM for 10 years but stood down when I had to undergo major surgery.  Sadly about a year later Stroud FM closed down.

When the Trust merged with the Supporters Club the Board co-opted me into the role of Secretary.  I have also, amongst other things, covered membership, organised quiz nights, produced the monthly newsletter and sell Rovers Raffle tickets – normally by the ticket office.

When I first came to watch matches at FGR one the people who made me feel welcome was Brian Fream so it was a great honour in 2021 to be awarded the Brian Fream Memorial Trophy for FGR Supporter of the Year.

Phil Doble

We moved to the area from Bristol in 2002 and I’ve been watching Rovers ever since.  My son has been an ambassador for the club for a little while so, in recent years, I haven’t missed many home games and have travelled to numerous away grounds in the National League and League 2.  I probably enjoy the awaydays even more than home matches – it’s always exciting to visit a new ground and a new town.  Adams Park (home of Wycombe Wanderers) is one of our favourites for the terrific welcome they gave us.

I’m not vegan (not yet at least!) but I’m a big fan of Dale  and what he has achieved with our club.  Having watched football for more years than I care to think about, I did feel the game needed a fresh approach and a new way of looking at things and FGR are certainly ticking those boxes!  And I can almost see the floodlights of The Fully Charged New Lawn from where I live!

Tim Barnard
I grew up in Nailsworth and got my first Saturday job doing the milk round around Forest Green in the 1970s. I started watching Rovers with my mates (now flung far and wide) in the afternoons and have great memories of travelling to away matches at the back of the team coach as a teenager.
I moved away in 1979 but continued watching FGR from afar and the 1982 FA Vase run cemented Rovers as my team.
I watched with something approaching fairytale disbelief as Rovers started rising through the leagues in the 1990s and was in dreamland when we reached the Conference.
As a Civil and Structural Engineer running my own business I was heavily involved in the development of The New Lawn with Trevor Horsley from 2002 to 2006 to help ensure that Trevor’s vision of higher things for the Club came true without the wheels coming off. So far so good.
Since that time I have been involved with the Club on a voluntary basis and have written a book about the history of the Club “Something To Shout About – A History of Forest Green Rovers AFC”.
I see the Supporters Club as a way of keeping the supporters at the heart of the Club with the aim of increasing the support for the club in any way possible.
The Supporters Club provides an opportunity for this to happen, long may it continue. We are FGR.

Chris Gardner

I am an exiled sexagenarian Bristolian who has lived in Stroud since the mid eighties. Aware of Forest Green Rovers well before then through franchised reports in the Bristol Evening Post, I had no idea where in Gloucestershire Rovers were located.

Interest peaked by the Stroud News & Journal’s reports, I saw my first few home matches about 36 years ago, but only when my own sporting commitments – football, hockey, cricket & dry-slope skiing – permitted. As my joints screamed for mercy and body parts seized up, adrenalin though sporting competition was traded for a gradual addiction to supporting Rovers, home & away.  Later, I played sidekick to Bob Hunt in live BBC Radio Glos commentaries

In the late 80s, a cricket injury deprived me of the hearing in one ear, and gradually my deafness worsened.  Nonetheless, I found that yelling support from the anonymity of The Old & New Lawn’s stands (where no one can hear what anyone else says anyway) meant a level playing field for my depleted senses.   Eventually, severe & profound deafness led to early retirement in 2010.   That left me more time for putting in volunteer work with the Club, the more so on Dale Vince’s arrival as initiatives like the Ambassador Scheme met increased support.

I’m proud to be the author of 2 books about FGR, ‘The Rise of Forest Green Rovers – The Road to Wembley’ (2015), and ‘We Did It Our Way – Forest Green Rovers’ Triumph at Wembley’ (2016).  All the sales proceeds were paid to Gloucestershire’s excellent local deaf charity, GDA for whom I am past Chair, Trustee and now Friend.

Already in our mid 60s, 2 years ago my wife and I adopted vegan diets, proving you can teach old dogs and bitches new tricks!

Currently, I am delighted to be Members Secretary for FGR Supporters Club.

Chris Latham

Like quite a few people of my age, some of my awareness of football clubs started on football manager and that is how I first came across FGR. It was when I moved more local that I started to read match reports in the paper whilst waiting to pick up a curry and decided I should go to a game and I was instantly hooked. There is something special about the ground, the fans and the football that created a special mix alongside the way FGR do things a bit differently.
As well as watching the men’s side, when I can, I also try to watch the women’s side. We are lucky that both teams seem to be on an upward trajectory at the moment.
I joined the supporters club board a couple of years ago and have enjoyed being part of a great community of fans who all care passionately for FGR.

Stephen Thatcher

Hello, my name is Stephen Thatcher, or some of you may know me as voodoobluesman.  I am a Guitar-slinging, Motorbiking, Mortgage Adviser living at the top of the top of the hill in Nympsfield.

As a child I started to support Manchester United having the excellent credentials of living in Gloucestershire.  I continued to be an armchair supporter right up to the point where I realized that I didn’t care about them winning any more. 

A client of mine took me to my first ever proper football match at FGR in 2013 and I’ve been a fan ever since and sit in the library section of the East Stand.  I also like to go to various away games and love the opportunity of a good shout for the team!

Dale and FGR’s ethics have bled into my everyday life and I now share their environmental ethos and am Veganish with my diet.

I am proud to associated with FGR and proud to be a member of the Supporter’s Club Board.