Rivals in this league

[FGR Stroud]

I don't have to have attended a FGR game to know what people are like. I've read and heard plenty of derogatory comments from our fans aimed at your club, seemingly based on nothing more than their perception of what your club stands for. What can I say, some people are just twats.

Okay, I'll leave it there.
You can buy me a drink on 20th November when FGR are guests at Hartlepool and we can have a convivial natter on subject.

 

[MadJohn]

Okay, I'll leave it there.
You can buy me a drink on 20th November when FGR are guests at Hartlepool and we can have a convivial natter on subject.

Ah sadly my friend I will be missing that one. Life is slowly getting back to normal and I will be at a 3-day music festival that weekend, but I'm sure you'll be made very welcome if you were to pop into the Corner Flag for a pre-match swift one, and you'll find willing natterers. I would hope to be at the return fixture in April

 

[Conker]

Bring back the East Midlands mini league!

 

[GEORGE]

Swindon is probably our 2nd biggest rivalry although the games in recent years have been pretty tame.

If we’re both pushing for promotion this season then it should be a lot fiercer

Gassy -- There is only one rival for us and you no its not Swindon.

 

[Reremnart]

Bolton.

I can understand you disliking them. Horrible club, arrogant knuckle dragging fans with delusions of grandour. Easy to dislike for all the obvious reasons.

I suppose now that Notlob have spent money they haven`t got again to get out of this divison our nearest rivals are Oldham but I honestly don`t mind them. Decent loyal fans going through a bad time due to a crappy owner and deserving of better so I find it hard to dislike them. Forest Green and that scruff of an owner of theirs on the other hand.......... And by the way the reason FGR have a better sponsorship deal than anybody else in this division is because the Sponsor is owned by Vince "Swampy" Dale and it`s a sneaky way of getting around FFP.

 

[Agombar stool]

I can understand you disliking them. Horrible club, arrogant knuckle dragging fans with delusions of grandour. Easy to dislike for all the obvious reasons.

I suppose now that Notlob have spent money they haven`t got again to get out of this divison our nearest rivals are Oldham but I honestly don`t mind them. Decent loyal fans going through a bad time due to a crappy owner and deserving of better so I find it hard to dislike them. Forest Green and that scruff of an owner of theirs on the other hand.......... And by the way the reason FGR have a better sponsorship deal than anybody else in this division is because the Sponsor is owned by Vince "Swampy" Dale and it`s a sneaky way of getting around FFP.

I know its probably not a fair representation of their fanbase as a whole but the characters who post on here are like absolute simpletons who you imagine are 50+ grown men who still live at home with their parents and have Mixu Paatelinen posters plastered on their bedrooms.

 

[Si Robin]

Unsurprisingly we have none at this level. Geographically the closest teams to us our Leyton Orient and Crawley. And we’ve never played a league game against Crawley (the pre-2004 non-league structure in Southern England was messy)

Our traditional local rivals carshalton athletic and Kingstonian are both in the Isthmian league system and we’ve not played either in a decade.

For our younger and newer fans (our attendances have more than tripled in the last 6 years) Bromley were our rivals, however we’re a league above them and tbh most Sutton fans over the age of 20 weren’t really bothered.

It’s sad in a way when you leave your rivals behind. Time to build rivalries with Crawley and Wimbledon I guess.

This is an issue with all traditionally non-league clubs. When we left Gloucester City behind in 1997 our fans spent years trying to concoct rivalries with teams that a) didn't care about us at all, or b) already had much bigger rivals.

The first was Rushden and Diamonds - we both fought over the 98/99 Conference title and with them being the original jumped up non-league money men, beating them without spending as much money (though we raped Hereford to be fair) felt like a victory for the good guys. That continued to about 2002 when we beat them in the Division 3 playoff final.

We'd met Oxford by then though, so some fans started to consider them a rival. They'd sell out our away end, so they must care about us. Same with Bristol Rovers. They didn't.

On promotion though we met, and beat, Swindon. I've still got the programme where their then captain refers to us as a derby game and I remember pointing out to other Cheltenham fans that it must be a derby game because they consider it as such. Again, they really didn't give two shits.

Then you factor in Kidderminster and Hereford, both of whom didn't really have their own rivals, but again there simply wasn't the animosity, and Hereford were certainly more bothered by Shrewsbury than us.

We then bumbled along without anyone until 2015 when we finally met FGR and suddenly we have a local team that apparently hated us as much as we hated them. This was Rushden again, except they don't like us either. For most of us older (and I'm only 37, but I remember the non-league days) fans it's not a derby, but for anyone under the age of 30, they're the only significant rival we've ever had.

I still dream of Gloucester City reaching the promised land (they're already getting more home fans than FGR) so we can have a genuine derby again, but FGR will have to do for now.

 

[Greenacres]

I don't have to have attended a FGR game to know what people are like. I've read and heard plenty of derogatory comments from our fans aimed at your club, seemingly based on nothing more than their perception of what your club stands for. What can I say, some people are just twats.

Which is the rationale that a lot of racists use to justify their offensive views (I would point out that I am not calling you a racist but using this comparison to make my point)...

I have never been to Ruritania to get to know what people from that country are really like. I've read plenty of derogatory comments in the Daily Mail aimed at people from there, based on little more than what they percieve they are like and what their country stands for.

What can I say, some people are indeed twats!

Come to a game at our place...and find out what we are really like, you might be pleasantly surprised (I have actually visited Hartlepool and it was OK!)

 

[FGR Stroud]

Which is the rationale that a lot of racists use to justify their offensive views (I would point out that I am not calling you a racist but using this comparison to make my point)...

I have never been to Ruritania to get to know what people from that country are really like. I've read plenty of derogatory comments in the Daily Mail aimed at people from there, based on little more than what they percieve they are like and what their country stands for.

What can I say, some people are indeed twats!

Come to a game at our place...and find out what we are really like, you might be pleasantly surprised (I have actually visited Hartlepool and it was OK!)

I dissociate myself from above post.

 

[Greenacres]

I've not been following Rovers long enough to remember the real rivalry, against Shortwood on the other side of town, or even Gloucester to an extent. Si is right about the rivalry between our teams being a recent thing, we barely had a game between us for over 20 years until they were relegated to the Conference, then again after we were promoted to the Football League. That said, the games between us have largely been entertaining on the pitch with a great atmosphere off it...all good, regardless of the result.

During our last few years in the conference we did develop mini rivalries but with teams located many miles away, I'm thinking of Tranmere, Grimsby and Lincoln...often they were more about figures associated with the club rather than the fans...or maybe because we were all chasing a similar dream. This year we have Swindon and Bristol Rovers in the same division once again and, despite their close-proximity, I wouldn't consider them rivals...to them we are probably considered pretty insignificant, they have far bigger rivals elsewhere to focus their ire on.

 

[Si Robin]

I do find long-distance rivalries fascinating.

Grimsby seem, or at least seemed, to hate us for some reason. Then there's Col-U and Wycombe, along with Swindon and Gillingham

 

[Big Bird]

Dislike Oxford and Bristol City in equal measures and want them to fail horribly.

Dont particularly want Bristol Rovers or Reading to do well but also pretty laid back about them as rivals.

Gillingham really don't like us but that's definitely one way.

Cheltenham and FGR seem well run and don't begrudge them success but also a bit annoying that Cheltenham are a division above us. However we never beat them so probably for the best.

 

[MadJohn]

Which is the rationale that a lot of racists use to justify their offensive views (I would point out that I am not calling you a racist but using this comparison to make my point)...

I have never been to Ruritania to get to know what people from that country are really like. I've read plenty of derogatory comments in the Daily Mail aimed at people from there, based on little more than what they percieve they are like and what their country stands for.

What can I say, some people are indeed twats!

Come to a game at our place...and find out what we are really like, you might be pleasantly surprised (I have actually visited Hartlepool and it was OK!)

Exactly. Ignorance is rife, and all too often that ignorance is willful. Some people WANT to be angry, want to be resentful, want to have a reason to find fault, and we live in a society in which people of influence have a vested interest in pointing out differences and stoking division. An angry and ignorant populace suits them just fine.

At worst, such ignorance and anger will manifest itself as racism, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, but you see milder examples all the time, and some of the bizarre vitriol I've seen aimed at FGR is one such example. The club does some things a little differently, and good for them, but that is unforgiveable in the eyes of those who enjoy being angry about something. "THEY'RE TELLING US WHAT WE SHOULD EAT!!!". Erm, no mate. They'll be offering a choice of food, just like every other football ground you've ever visited. Do you get similarly enraged when a club offers pies but no chips?

I intend to visit Nailsworth for our match. I've followed Pools all over this little island but we've yet to have the pleasure of a match against FGR. I don't anticipate being pleasantly surprised as I don't expect Forest Green fans to be any different to any other. You won't find me indulging in any ignorant stereotypes. People are just people.

 

[Conker]

I do find long-distance rivalries fascinating.

Grimsby seem, or at least seemed, to hate us for some reason. Then there's Col-U and Wycombe, along with Swindon and Gillingham

Grimsby hate everyone.

 

[FGR Stroud]

During our last few years in the conference we did develop mini rivalries but with teams located many miles away, I'm thinking of Tranmere, Grimsby and Lincoln...often they were more about figures associated with the club rather than the fans...or maybe because we were all chasing a similar dream.

Agree

 

[MadJohn]

Sunderland fans really don't like Coventry. All stems from an incident over 40 years ago involving a late kick off, a scoreboard, and a match against Bristol City. But mostly Jimmy Hill.

 

[GTFCfish]

Depends on what generation of fan you ask. Those who watched us in the 70s/80s would say Blackburn/Bolton. Those who watched us in the 00s would probably say Huddersfield or Tranmere. The yoof of today would probably say Rochdale.

There is a universal dislike of Man U and, to a lesser extent, Man City but it would clearly be a stretch to call that a rivalry given the majority of their fans won’t have even heard of Oldham.

Tranmere and Rochdale are the two I looked out for on the fixture list at the start of the season but I wouldn’t say we have a proper ‘rival’ as such.

Sorry but no way you can have Man U as your rivals as we all know who Man U’s real rivals are - Bolton Wanderers.

 

[Reremnart]

Exactly. Ignorance is rife, and all too often that ignorance is willful. Some people WANT to be angry, want to be resentful, want to have a reason to find fault, and we live in a society in which people of influence have a vested interest in pointing out differences and stoking division. An angry and ignorant populace suits them just fine.

At worst, such ignorance and anger will manifest itself as racism, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, but you see milder examples all the time, and some of the bizarre vitriol I've seen aimed at FGR is one such example. The club does some things a little differently, and good for them, but that is unforgiveable in the eyes of those who enjoy being angry about something. "THEY'RE TELLING US WHAT WE SHOULD EAT!!!". Erm, no mate. They'll be offering a choice of food, just like every other football ground you've ever visited. Do you get similarly enraged when a club offers pies but no chips?

I intend to visit Nailsworth for our match. I've followed Pools all over this little island but we've yet to have the pleasure of a match against FGR. I don't anticipate being pleasantly surprised as I don't expect Forest Green fans to be any different to any other. You won't find me indulging in any ignorant stereotypes. People are just people.

My problem with Forest Green is with the owner who has made more than one sarcastic comment on Social Media about my club especially after our demotion from League One and even more with the tactics they used on various occasions against us, especially at Wembley and their first ever visit to Prenton Park, during the reign of Mark Cooper which thankfully last season seemed to be a thing of the past as they definitely seemed to be cleaning their act up in that respect. The vegan thing doesn`t bother me in the slighest as I very, very rarely eat inside grounds. I go to the match for the football and the craic not for a culinary experience( however if you got a tea total chairman who banned beer etc from his stadium that would be a different kettle of fish). I do, however, think it`s a bit rich for an owner to inflict his dietary habits on his, and other clubs, fans and players but if you don`t like it, don`t moan about it, just don`t buy it.

 

[Si Robin]

I think the majority of people's issues with FGR stems from Vince. From the financial doping of 5-10 years ago, to the alleged "forcing you to eat a vegan diet", which is BS of course.

Fans, by and large, don't like outspoken chairmen/owners of other clubs. Look at the grief the Bradford bloke gets for being a loudmouth. Then when you consider what some of the shite Vince has come out with, even if it has been taken out of context, then you can see why he's so unlikeable.

 

[Deepcut Cobbler]

Only P@@hborough, despite what the media and some of the MkFranchise think.
None in this current Division, although our meetings with Swindon used to a bit feisty in the 70's...

 

[masi51]

Sorry but no way you can have Man U as your rivals as we all know who Man U’s real rivals are - Bolton Wanderers.

You really need to learn your football History....We have not always been shit like Grimsby
We have even played Man Utd in a FA Cup Final....Boltons Boundary at that time extended to within 6 miles of Old Trafford and the grounds were 11 miles apart
Man Utd, Blackburn and whatever guise Bury play in the future are Historically our Rivals
Salford is and always has had a Huge Man U following followed by Bolton
Wigan is a Rugby town and as such does not scratch the surface......the yoof from both teams are clueless
Tranmere have always been a bad itch but Rivals behave

 

[masi51]

I can understand you disliking them. Horrible club, arrogant knuckle dragging fans with delusions of grandour. Easy to dislike for all the obvious reasons.

I suppose now that Notlob have spent money they haven`t got again to get out of this divison our nearest rivals are Oldham but I honestly don`t mind them. Decent loyal fans going through a bad time due to a crappy owner and deserving of better so I find it hard to dislike them. Forest Green and that scruff of an owner of theirs on the other hand.......... And by the way the reason FGR have a better sponsorship deal than anybody else in this division is because the Sponsor is owned by Vince "Swampy" Dale and it`s a sneaky way of getting around FFP.

Your getting almost as Bitter as the other clown

 

[Big Bird]

Only P@@hborough, despite what the media and some of the MkFranchise think.
None in this current Division, although our meetings with Swindon used to a bit feisty in the 70's...

Did they? Not doubting just not heard it before!

 

[masi51]

Bolton.

Behave your more tinpot than Bury!

 

[Son of Cod]

I do find long-distance rivalries fascinating.

Grimsby seem, or at least seemed, to hate us for some reason. Then there's Col-U and Wycombe, along with Swindon and Gillingham

Hate is a tad OTT. The seed was planted 05/06 when we were in the top 3 all season until the last match and you ghosted into the playoffs and beat us at Wembley. That was a fair, but bitter pill to swallow. The Danny Wright stamp is what did it though, at least a few of you on here and the man himself not only defended that but revelled in it. Harry Pell thrown into the mix didn't help things either.

 

[Reremnart]

You really need to learn your football History....We have not always been shit like Grimsby
We have even played Man Utd in a FA Cup Final....Boltons Boundary at that time extended to within 6 miles of Old Trafford and the grounds were 11 miles apart
Man Utd, Blackburn and whatever guise Bury play in the future are Historically our Rivals
Salford is and always has had a Huge Man U following followed by Bolton
Wigan is a Rugby town and as such does not scratch the surface......the yoof from both teams are clueless
Tranmere have always been a bad itch but Rivals behave

I don`t consider Bolton as a rival in the real meaning of the term. Just a team I don`t like very much because of things that have happened in the past same as FGR. Our local rivals are, of course, Everton and that other club over the River but they are far too big to bother with us. Not that that stops the telly clappers "fans" of the Red lot belittling us at every possible opportunity. That`s why beating Everton 3-0 at Goodison in the FA Cup 20 years ago is still celebrated every Jan 27th. We waited our entire lives to get one over on one of them so thats understandable I guess. Just a pity it was the wrong one as I find most Everton fans far more knownledge and willing to talk sensibly about football than the other mob who can`t go more than 5 minutes without going on about winning this, that and bloody Istanbul. Our historical rivals are now both non-league that being Chester and Deadpool`s play thing and considering we didn`t play Chester for over 25 years and Wrexham for nearly 15 prior to our 3 year absence from the League those rivalries have become somewhat diminished as many of our younger fans have never experienced it before. However if, as I expect, Deadpool uses his Hollywood millions to buy Wrexham a place in the EFL our rivalry with Wrexham may raise it`s head again which to be honest I`d quite welcome. I quite enjoyed the hostile atmosphere of the Racecourse if not the moronic behavior of some of its Burburry clad inhabitants , most of whom still think it`s the 1970s.

 

[Indian Dan]

Swindon is probably our 2nd biggest rivalry although the games in recent years have been pretty tame.

If we’re both pushing for promotion this season then it should be a lot fiercer

That’s put the mockers on it, Gassy!

Hope it keeps dry!

 

[valefan16]

Walsall are the only ones in this league but that isn’t even really a rivalry these days, years ago they were second to Stoke in the hatred stakes but no one really cares now from either club although the DC move seems to have blown a few cobwebs up.

No one else in this league really is that close, Mansfield is relatively I guess but no issues with them, hadn’t played them much until this spell in recent decades.

Our standard ones with some beef such as Crewe, Shrewsbury and Wrexham aren’t in the same division although all three are potentials for next season if we don’t change league in May with their starts so far I guess!

No rivalry really matters except the Lardies though.

 

[Scunny Pacifist]

Behave your more tinpot than Bury!

Stop with these inflammatory statements please. Barrow and Bury don’t deserve your besmirching.

 

[Indian Dan]

Dislike Oxford and Bristol City in equal measures and want them to fail horribly.

Dont particularly want Bristol Rovers or Reading to do well but also pretty laid back about them as rivals.

Gillingham really don't like us but that's definitely one way.

Cheltenham and FGR seem well run and don't begrudge them success but also a bit annoying that Cheltenham are a division above us. However we never beat them so probably for the best.

We haven’t played Reading for ages. I’d like that one again, tbh. In order, Oxford, Reading, Bristol City, Bristol Rovers.

Personal dislikes, for reasons I’ve probably forgotten, Watford, Shrewsbury, Posh. Equally, I’ve got a lot of time for Vale, Bradford and Ipswich.