Following the sad news of former FGR chairman Trevor Horsley’s death – we are inviting fans to lend their support to a minute’s applause in his honour at our next home game on Saturday 30 March against MK Dons.

Just before kick-off we will applaud Trevor’s life and his tireless support of FGR.

Trevor laid much of the important groundwork for our modern era over two decades at the club – spearheading the return of the Forest Green Rovers name, guiding the club through the leagues, and then driving our move to the New Lawn in 2006.

Trevor will be missed by everyone that knew him. His contribution to FGR has already endured beyond his time as Chairman and will endure for many years to come. Dale Vince, FGR Chairman

Back in 1990 Forest Green Rovers, known as Stroud FC at the time, was on its knees, facing crippling debts and a loss of support. Colin Peake had recently joined the Club and introduced Trevor Horsley to the Directors as someone with a keen interest in football. He became a director and changed the club’s name back to Forest Green Rovers for the 1992-93 season.

Always an ambitious man, he saw the potential in the club to move on from its previous glory period in the early 1980s and with a firm hand and careful stewardship, the club’s debts were rescheduled and a new manager, Frank Gregan, was appointed in 1994.

Three years later Rovers were in the Southern League Premier Division for the first time in its history, but still that wasn’t the end of it. By April 1998, Conference Football was within the club’s grasp as FGR became the first village team to reach the national leagues.

In August 1998, Rovers kicked off in The Conference against Rushden and Diamonds, and the dark days of Stroud FC became a distant memory.

Rovers were everybody’s favourites for relegation in 1999 but instead they went back to Wembley in the FA Trophy, becoming the first club to appear in both the Trophy and Vase Finals, a sign of how far the club had come. The Trophy final was lost to Kingstonian 1-0, but 12th place in the league confounded the pundits.

In 2002, ten years after joining the Club, Trevor recognised that Rovers would be stopped in its tracks if it couldn’t improve its facilities. He drew up plans for a new stadium and over the next three years went about obtaining planning permission for “The New Lawn”. A year after getting permission, the new stadium opened for business and in September 2006 was officially opened in a game against the England Non-League team.

And so, 20 years after joining the club in crisis, Rovers were established in the Conference and had progressed hugely off the pitch too, playing in a new and improved stadium.

That success was all down to the driving ambition and vision of one man, Trevor Horsley.