Forest Green Rovers have always sparked conversation amongst football fans and the media alike. The fully-fledged vegan club ran by marmite Dale Vince, have had a turbulent last 10 years in the football sphere.
Having finally reached the football league for the first time in 2017, after two bitterly close attempts in previous seasons, FGR solidified themselves in League Two, before now-Wolves boss Rob Edwards guided them to promotion to League One in 2022, before departing for Watford.
The Nailsworth-based team however found life at Tier 3 tough and were relegated straight back to League Two before being relegated again, finding themselves back in non-league after 7 years in the EFL.
Last season, in their first back in the National League, they finished 3rd, missing out on the final after being beat on penalties at home to 7th-placed finishers Southend United.
EFL stalwart Steve Cotterill guided Rovers last season, but Vince opted to bring in Macclesfield manager Robbie Savage in the summer.
Savage, of course, is no stranger to any football fan. The flamboyant, eccentric Welshman made a name for himself in the Premier League for his antics on and off the pitch, before carving out a career in punditry and now management.
Since his arrival in Gloucestershire, the former Derby captain has got FGR firing. His side sit at the top of the pile in the National League, but have played a couple more games than their title rivals Rochdale and Carlisle.
They have only lost twice in the league so far this campaign, but those two defeats have come against the two previously mentioned sides, maybe showing his side’s lack of know-how in the big fixtures that could cause them to falter in the latter stages of the season.
Savage however has galvanised the local community down in Nailsworth, buying into the ethos of the club, generating a lot of noise on social media and also with his post-match celebrations, particularly in front of the home supporters at the New Lawn.
His summer recruitment caught the eye, with the talented Nick Haughton joining the club from AFC Fylde and Temi Babalola signing from Worthing. Both from Step 2 sides, but both players with Step 1 quality.
Savage almost masterminded a dramatic comeback in the FA Cup too, going 3 down away at Luton in the first round, before bringing it back to 3-3, only for Gideon Kodua to break FGR hearts in the dying embers, making it 4-3 to the Hatters at Kenilworth Road.
It’s been a whirlwind few months for Savage since arriving at Forest Green, but if his side can find the conviction to win the decisive games, there’s no reason they can’t get themselves back into the EFL once again — hopefully, with lessons learned.
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