FA Cup Fourth Round Qualifying, The New Lawn, Saturday 12 October, 15.00 BST
This is it, Terras fans.
The game we’ve been waiting for, the one that could take us to the FA Cup First Round proper.
We don’t need to tell you just how much that would mean to you all, do we?
With two bus loads of you heading to Gloucestershire, we will need you every step of the way.
Standing in front of us will be fifth-tier Forest Green Rovers, a side who, statistically, could not have been a tougher match out of teams in this round.
The Green spent last season in the Football League, and their start to this campaign suggests they could be back up there soon.
With 27 points in 13 league games, including eight wins, Steve Cotterill’s side sit second in the National League.
If their fantastic form could not be frightening enough, they currently sit 45 places above us.
Still, though, as Mark Molesley pointed out, the FA Cup is “where dreams are made…”
HOW TO FOLLOW
We are pleased to announce that Robert Santonna will be back in the commentary booth this afternoon; click HERE to access his in-game thoughts.
Live updates will also be posted on our social media accounts; footage and reaction will also be uploaded after the final whistle.
A GREENER GREEN
If you aren’t too familiar with Forest Green’s football feats, you may be aware of something a little more unique surrounding the Gloucestershire-based outfit.
In 2015, the club, in response to “the huge environmental and animal welfare impact of livestock farming,” decided to make some changes, those of which were led by club owner, chairman, and “eco-entrepreneur” Dale Vince.
Their first replacement was their food; they introduced “fresh, vegan food,” ranging from their Devil’s Kitchen Burgers to their Q-pie, alongside various other “meat” options.
Their delicious new dishes haven’t gone unnoticed, either.
These swaps gained recognition from the Vegan Society in 2017, who awarded them with an official Vegan Trademark for their efforts.
Their acclaimed assets were also handed the “Menu Of The Year Award” by the Sport and Leisure Catering Magazine a year previously.
Hey, if a vegan menu is good enough for Hector Bellerin, it’s good enough for us, right?
Vince’s introduction of “green practices and ideas to blokey aspects of life” hasn’t ended there, their green activities expanding to the use of solar panels, a pitch free of chemical fertilisers or pesticides, and charging points for electric cars.
Unsurprisingly, FIFA have dubbed this side “the greenest team in the world.”
Well, that is until Snoop Dogg buys a club.
The Green haven’t just attracted the attention of chief governing bodies, also earning praise from the United Nations, alongside football’s most famous vegan, Hector Bellerin.
Oh, and they have over 100 supporters clubs around the world, too.
No need to brag, we say.
We have a smoking area inside our ground!
LIFE AS THE “GREENEST TEAM IN THE WORLD”
Vince hasn’t just transformed the club’s ethos since his takeover in 2010; fortunes have also changed on the pitch during this time.
Unsurprisingly, his net worth of over £100m allowed investments into squad improvements, first paying dividends in 2017 with a promotion to League Two, after defeating Tranmere Rovers in the 2016/17 play-off final.
It was a case of third-time luck for The Green, suffering play-off defeats in the preceding two seasons.
However, under the guidance of Mark Cooper, who took over as a manager in 2016, his side entered the Football League for the first time in history.
This feat also ensured another unique fact; the West-Country oufit’s hometown of Nailsworth is the smallest ever to host a Football League team!
Cooper’s crusade continued after his team’s first taste of life in the fourth tier, taking just seasons to emulate their previous three, albeit with more play-off heartbreak after Tranmere Rovers got their revenge in the semi-finals
Then, in true groundhog day fashion, Newport County subjected The Green to yet another play-off defeat, after a high scoring 5-4 aggregate in the semi-finals.
The following season saw the club, now managed by Rob Edwards, not make the play-off places…
Luckily, though, they didn’t need to, their 84 points handing them the league title on goal difference.
The gane that sealed their champions status was an exciting one, as they came from behind twice to secure a 2-2 draw away to Mansfield Town on the final day.
Unfortunately for The Green faithful, though, their time since has been marred by decline on the pitch.
Their only campaign in League Once saw them 19 points off safety, with just six wins and 27 points.
Unsurprisingly, those year of performances saw them back in League Two.
However, any hopes that The Green would regain their spark were quickly put out.
With just five more wins and 16 more points, today’s hosts suffered a second successive relegation.
Perhaps unsurprising, considering Troy Deeney was briefly in the dugout.
Luckily, though, Cotterill’s first full season has started brightly, his side’s form leaving them just three points off the top.
So much is their form better than ours, they sit a whopping 45 places above us.
However, as our gaffer pointed out, this competition is “where dreams are made.”
