Author Topic: Ecotricity powers the EFL  (Read 2230 times)

Ecotricity powers the EFL
« on: 14 May, 2017, 05:05:21 pm »
Congratulations to Forest Green Rovers.   Quite some achievement.   

Jaded

  • The Codfather
  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: Ecotricity powers the EF
« Reply #1 on: 14 May, 2017, 09:27:21 pm »
I was there :)

Wow. Just Wow!
It is simpler than it looks.

Jaded

  • The Codfather
  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: Ecotricity powers the EFL
« Reply #2 on: 15 May, 2017, 01:29:44 am »
OK. A bit more..

Thanks PB!

We've been helped by Ecotricity money, but who cares, we now are the smallest conurbation ever to have a National League Football side.

We have a population of just under 6,000. We have two football clubs, the biggest of which, Forest Green Rovers, has been around for 128 years, being mostly promoted over the years, rarely relegated. I first heard of them when we moved here and they had just been promoted to the Conference. Until today we were the longest serving Conference Football club ever. You don't stay, you get promoted, or, most likely, you get relegated or put into receivership.

A few years back we were in dire straits. We'd moved to a new ground but did not have a sound financial base. Many people gave time up to help the club. But it needed a local green hero to come on board and set upon a new direction. To be the first (recognised) Vegan football club in the world. It was a long journey. First the cow meat went. Then the Chicken meat, then the fish, then the dairy.

Cow poo on the pitch. Vegan pies. Vegan chips. Vegan Beer. Vegan curry sauce. Vegan milk.

The food is delicious! And it generates more money than the traditional stuff did.

The Chairman put money in. Then more money. It is a funny relationship with him - this is two things - a project to show that Veganism can work (and what more hostile environment could you choose than the neolithic one of football?), and a marketing vehicle for his green energy company, Ecotricity.

Interestingly I didn't hear any of the standard chants today of where we can put our veggie burgers, or other opposition favourites.

Will the project last? I hope so, even though I have responsibilities to the town and the town will face difficult times when larger teams come to play. But that'a mainly logistics.

Hey! Some years ago I was entertained in a box at Highfield Road, when Coventry were First Division. Now we will be entertaining them (and other historical 1st Div teams like Luton) in our amazing community ground, the 10th highest ground in the football league (you know when you have walked up that hill!), with sheep on one side and llamas on the other.

Anyway - here are some of my memories of today







It is simpler than it looks.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Ecotricity powers the EFL
« Reply #3 on: 15 May, 2017, 09:55:09 am »
Congratulations!  :) And commiserations to Tranmere.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
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Re: Ecotricity powers the EFL
« Reply #4 on: 15 May, 2017, 10:30:50 am »
Interesting contrast! Nailseaworth* (!) - the smallest "conurbation" to support a league club, compared to Tranmere, part of one of the biggest.

I remember reading in some education paper years ago that Tranmere was the last local authority in the UK who regularly treated its school children for infestations of fleas. I think they stopped some time in the 1960s.

Congratulations to FGR, Jaded, Dale Vince and Ecotricity! Elon Musk eat your heart out...

Edit: I must visit some time and charge my car up at the football ground. Colchester United also has a rapid charger outside its ground, but it's not an Ecotricity one.

*Edit again: oh bugger...
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Mr Larrington

  • A bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
  • Custard Wallah
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Re: Ecotricity powers the EFL
« Reply #6 on: 15 May, 2017, 11:01:27 am »
Half Man Half Biscuit drummer Carl Henry is an FGR supporter, trivia fans!
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime

essexian

Re: Ecotricity powers the EFL
« Reply #7 on: 15 May, 2017, 02:30:35 pm »
Congrats to FGR and all the best for the next few seasons and the new stadium which I understand is in the planning stage. I've seen pictures of it...it looks very green  ;D

However…. If I was a Forest Green fan, I would enjoy the time while it lasts as clubs with a “money man” often end up with major issues when the money man leaves/ dies or decides to go and do something else instead.

As an example, I give you Rushden and Diamonds. Now I am old enough to remember seeing what were two village sides playing as individual clubs in the FA Cup in front of a few dozen supporters back in the 1980’s.  After a merger and an investment of a considerable amount of money, the new club climbed into the league where it held its own for a few seasons before dropping back out of the league and eventually going bust when the money man walked away. There is a new “phoenix” club playing in front of reasonable crowds in Wellingborough…or they are currently until the stadium in Wellingborough is sold by its owner for housing. This will leave them as homeless as the stadium the league club was using was recently raised to the ground.

You could also look at Gretna who were promoted from non league to the Scottish Premiership due to a considerable amount of money their benefactor invested in the club. However, when he died (apologies if I have got this wrong and he is still with us) the money dried up and again, the club folded only to reform as Gretna 2008 who play in the Lowland League in Scotland. 

If I was a FGR fan, I would hope that the club start small, build the stadium and raise as much income via that as they can so they are financially self-sufficient if the need arises.

Re: Ecotricity powers the EFL
« Reply #8 on: 15 May, 2017, 02:57:14 pm »
Congratulations to FGR.

As a Gainsborough Trinity fan, we had excitement to a lesser degree and  a league lower, and at the other end.  We avoided relegation from the Conference North on the last day of the season by losing 5-1 while our rivals Worcester City (Conference North?) lost 4-2. That extends the 'never been relegated nor promoted' run (if you don't include 'failure to be re-elected to the football league' as relegation)  to 144 years of glorious mediocrity. We did have a sugar daddy chairman a few years ago. He got us to the play-offs a couple of times and a Trophy semi-final, but left after failing to persuade the club to move from the ground it had occupied for 142 of those 144 years.  From what I can gether he left the club in a more stable position than most at that level.

Up the Blues. (Gainsborough's blue boys)

Salvatore will be along soon to correct my factual errors.

essexian

Re: Ecotricity powers the EFL
« Reply #9 on: 15 May, 2017, 03:07:07 pm »
Worcester City are in a right mess at the moment off the field after having sold their St Georges Road ground a few years ago once again for housing.  The club had plans for an epic new stadium and moved to Bromsgrove to share while planning permission and building got underway..... you can guess the rest: no planning permission, no new ground and now, no money.

It looks like Worcester City are leaving Bromsgrove and are likely to have to drop down a couple of levels to re-establish themselves.  Whether they will ever get a new ground within the City, who knows, but if I was a Worcester fan, I would not be counting any chickens.

And well done to the Trinity.  :thumbsup:  There are some "money men" who do good. However, Hereford United found out that there can be utter gits out there. If I was a Billericay fan I would be very worried what was planned for my club.


Mr Larrington

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Re: Ecotricity powers the EFL
« Reply #10 on: 15 May, 2017, 06:20:15 pm »
The money man doesn't even have to die or go off and do something else; he could just be a twat, a criminal or both.  See for e.g. Leyton Orient and Charlton Athletic.
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime

Jaded

  • The Codfather
  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: Ecotricity powers the EFL
« Reply #11 on: 15 May, 2017, 11:14:53 pm »
We've missed out on Leyton Orient, they are on the down escalator as we go up.
It is simpler than it looks.