Today I'm going back 16 years to 2006 and York City's visit to Nailsworth near Stroud in Gloucestershire to play Forest Green Rovers in the Conference National (now National League) in front of a crowd of 1,125.
Forest Green are relative new boys in the Football League having achieved promotion via the National League Play-Offs in 2017. These days, the self-styled "Little Club on the Hill" are to be found at their highest ever level in League One of the Football League. That hill in Nailsworth is certainly something to be aware of if you happen to visit because it's pretty long and steep and isn't recommended if you're an older fan or suffer from breathing difficulties! Forest Green's other claim to fame emanates from their Chairman, green entrepreneur Dale Vince, who has made the club's New Lawn home a meat-free zone. It's certainly entertaining to see the faces of away fans when considering the food options at the food kiosk after they've asked for a pie or a burger. A vegetarian menu is certainly different but not necessarily a bad thing just once a season in my opinion. Perhaps more significantly, Forest Green are also the world's first United Nations certified carbon-neutral football club.
At the time of the featured game, back in pre-Vince days, Forest Green were members of non-league's Football Conference (the fifth tier of the English football pyramid) and had struggled to remain at that level since having been promoted into non-league's top tier in 1998. Former Football League visitors York City were expected to take care of their small club opponents and did so, courtesy of a goal by striker Clayton Donaldson after just nine minutes. Jim Harvey's Forest Green side that day included one future Minsterman in substitute Alex Lawless whilst Billy McEwan's City side included luminaries such as Neal Bishop, David McGurk, Martyn Woolford, Manny Panther, Craig Farrell and the aforementioned Donaldson.
By York's standards over the last 20 years or so, season 2006/07 probably goes down as a relatively good one with the club finishing fourth and in the Play-Off places before losing to Morecambe in their Play-Off Semi-Final. Morecambe ended up getting promoted by beating Exeter City in the Play-Off Final to accompany automatically promoted (as Champions) Dagenham & Redbridge into the Football League. Forest Green finished modestly in 14th place with Tamworth, Southport and St Albans City all being relegated and Altrincham only being saved from the same fate thanks to the double relegation of Boston United.
CRB Match No. 1533
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