Get the lowdown on our next opponents: Forest Green Rovers.
The Opposition
Forest Green Rovers have entered a new era, with manager Steve Cotterill mutually departing after failing to guide the Green back into League Two at the first time of asking.
In his place sees Macclesfield boss Robbie Savage take over the hotseat at The New Lawn, having guided the Silkmen to promotion from the Northern Premier League last season.
The world’s first fully vegan club will now be looking to mount another promotion charge under Savage, having ended the 2024/25 campaign third in the division and were only denied a shot at promotion by a penalty shootout against Southend United at the semi-final stage.
Despite a whirlwind couple of years which has seen Forest Green drop from League One back to the National League in just two seasons, Savage still has plenty of talented players at his disposal. Kyle McAllister, Charlie McCann and Ryan Inniss have all remained from their EFL days, and they subsequently added Tom Knowles and Adam May to their ranks last summer, along with former Southend United striker Harry Cardwell who joined at the end of August 2024.
A comfortable third place finish was clinched in part thanks to the stellar work from defenders Inniss, Sean Long and Jamie Robson, the latter of which played more games than anyone else alongside May with 48 appearances last term, and helped to secure the joint-second best defensive record (42) in the division after title winners Barnet – a key part of their promotion charge.
A new man has been given the task of achieving promotion now though with Savage takes the reigns, and he has already brought Macclesfield trio Laurent Mendy, Tre Pemberton and Neil Kengni with him from the Leasing.com Stadium, along with reliable National League frontman Kairo Mitchell, and joins Luke McNicholas, Jayden Clarke, Yahya Mamba and Isaac Moore in Gloucestershire, while more recently, the Green have brought in AFC Fylde hotshot Nick Haughton.
As such, Savage will be hoping to continue Rovers’ momentum and steer them back into League Two.
The Manager
Robbie Savage
Former Wales international Robbie Savage was named as Steve Cotterill’s replacement in the summer, with the 50-year old opting to depart Macclesfield following the Silkmen’s promotion to the National League North.
A former midfielder, Savage is a well-known ex-player having started in the renowned Manchester United academy, before turning out for Crewe Alexandra, Leicester City, Birmingham City, Blackburn Rovers, Derby County and Brighton & Hove Albion during his senior career, making a name for himself at the highest level of domestic football with 346 Premier League appearances.
After hanging up his boots in 2008, Savage largely turned his attention to punditry, working for the likes of BBC Sport and TNT Sport, before a brief return to football with Stockport Town led to his involvement with the creation of phoenix club Macclesfield, following the unfortunate demise of Macclesfield Town,
This saw him briefly take over as caretaker boss in Cheshire, having been initially appointed as a member of the board, before taking on the role permanently in June 2024.
Under his leadership, the Silkmen secured promotion to the National League North after defeating Bamber Bridge, becoming champions of the Northern Premier League Premier Division in his first full season at the club.
However, Savage would never manage a game at sixth tier level with the Silkmen, opting to move up another division to the National League, with Cotterill’s departure from Forest Green after failing to gain promotion leading to Savage’s arrival at The New Lawn in the summer, where he has so far won two of his three competitive games in charge.
One to Watch
Nick Haughton
Nick Haughton joined Forest Green in the summer after making a name for himself as one of the most dangerous forwards in non-league across a seven-season spell at AFC Fylde.
A Bolton Wanderers academy product, Haughton would be released in 2013 and subsequently gained experience in non-league with stints at Curzon Ashton, Trafford and Runcorn Town, before joining League Two side Fleetwood Town in 2014. He would move on loan to Nantwich Town in order to maintain first team football, before making his debut for the Fishermen at the end of the same year.
Haughton would go on to make 46 appearances for the club, and later moved on loan to Salford City and Chorley before returning to the former on a permanent deal. He would spent nine months at the Peninsula Stadium, but departed in October 2018 to join Fylde where he has remained ever since, going on to appear over 200 times for the club.
The 30-year old finished the 2022/23 campaign as the division’s top goalscorer with 26 goals, winning the Player of the Season award and helping the Coasters win promotion to the National League as champions. He would subsequently contribute to a successful survival bid the following season with 18 goals to his name, and continued his goalscoring form with 19 goals last term, bettering his previous tally despite Fylde’s relegation back to the National League North.
This resulted in an end to his seven-year stay on the Lancashire Coast, proving his worth at fifth tier level with a move to Forest Green in the summer, where he scored on his debut against Solihull Moors on opening day, and has featured in all three of the Green’s games so far this season.
Recent Form
Forest Green Rovers 2-0 Yeovil Town
Forest Green Rovers 3-1 West Bromwich Albion
Solihull Moors 2-2 Forest Green Rovers
Forest Green Rovers 0-3 Walsall (Pre-Season)
Forest Green Rovers 4-0 Buxton (Pre-Season)
Slimbridge 0-3 Forest Green Rovers (Pre-Season)
Last Time Out
Forest Green Rovers produced a relentless display to take all three points from Yeovil Town, as goals from debutant Jili Buyabu and Kairo Mitchell secured a 2-0 win.
After a goalless first half, which saw Yahya Bamba, Jayden Clarke, Jordan Moore-Taylor and Laurent Mendy go close, the Green broke the deadlock on 75 minutes when Buyabu crossed low into a dangerous area before getting a deflection off a Yeovil defender and past Jed Ward in goal.
This was followed by Tom Knowles hitting the woodwork, before Yeovil defender Jake Wannall was given a second yellow card late on as he was adjudged to have handled the ball, before Mitchell sealed the win in stoppage time, turning home a left-footed finish following a corner routine.
Photo Credit: Forest Green Rovers Football Club
