‘Have to say, that's horrendous' – Fans horrified by club's new kit ‘designed by Year 11 on work experience'
The National League side - relegated from the English Football League after a seven-year stint - are known for their bold yet sustainable choices.
4
Forest Green Rovers have unveiled their vegan, recyclable, luminous football kits for 2025-26
Credit: FGR
4
The away kit is a pink colourway to complement the home yellow
Credit: FGR
From their
Having unveiled
in the past, this year the eco-friendly team have unleashed the world's first fully vegan outfit.
The luminous yellow and pink kits - which both feature a bold leopard print design - are also fully recyclable and feature three stars on the neck, representing the club's desire to reach the Championship.
However, the eye-melting strips haven't gone down well with fans.
READ MORE SPORT STORIES
Taking to X, one wrote: "Have to say, that is horrendous."
Another disgusted fan asked: "Did the Year 11 on work experience at FGR design this?"
A third commented: "Forest Green are that whacky uncle who tries too hard to be different."
One resigned supporter even apologised, posting: "I'm actually a little heart broken by this. Being a FGR fan is hard enough without this added humiliation. Sorry."
Most read in Football
CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS
Another bluntly poked: "This is possibly the worst kit ever released."
Forest Green chairman Dale Vince said: 'We like to push the boundaries on sustainability issues, including what our shirts are made from because the materials we use to make things really matters.
From vegan pies to bamboo kits, Forest Green Rovers are the greenest football club in the world
"In pursuit of the most sustainable football kit we've experimented in previous seasons with both bamboo and with coffee grounds.
"This season our new strip pushes the boundary again - we've created the world's first fully certified vegan football kit, by making sure the dyes we use, which are an often overlooked ingredient, are plant-based.
"Our new shirt is also fully recyclable and will be turned back into future items by Reflo.
"I'm really pleased to unveil our bold, bright new kit that's inspired by nature and helping nature - that's pretty fabulous.'
On the kit release, The Vegan Society's Alex Markland said: "This is another exciting development in The Vegan Society's relationship with Forest Green Rovers.
"We've been working with the team for eight years and have awarded our Vegan Trademark certification in a number of areas of the club's operations...
"But this kit is the first in the world to be certified vegan and is the most visible demonstration yet of Forest Green Rovers' pioneering approach to sustainability in football."
4
Forest Green went for a "bold and bright" colour scheme for 2025-26
Credit: instagram/fgrfc_official
4
One Forest Green fan even apologised for his side's latest endeavour
Credit: instagram/fgrfc_official
Rory MacFadyen, co-founder of Reflo, said: 'This is exactly what Reflo was built for — pushing what's possible for sustainable performancewear.
"Partnering with Forest Green Rovers to create the world's first fully vegan shirt, made from recycled materials with the ability to be recycled at end of life.
"It's a milestone moment for us. FGR have led the way in showing football can be a force for good, and we're proud to help them take another step forward with a shirt that looks amazing, performs at the highest level and helps keep kit out of landfill for good.'
Meanwhile, Forest Green Rovers have launched a pioneering scheme offering football tickets on prescription to help battle depression.
Vince, alongside MP Stroud - Dr Simon Opher - have put together a plan affording Gloucestershire patients the chance to attend the club's games.
The hope is to treat patients suffering from mild to moderate depression without the need for anti-depressants.
Dr Opher - who has previously prescribed comedy and gardening - said: "Football clubs are in the centre of our communities and it's a way of getting people who perhaps are a bit socially isolated back into the community and back chatting to people.
"It's a different way of treating mental illness that doesn't involve tablets.
"When you play football you often go out and socialise after. I think one of the problems in our society is we've lost that ability and a lot of people get quite isolated - which leads to depression."
If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Tipperary renaissance man John McGrath on how he bounced back in 2025
Tipperary's renaissance man John McGrath has admitted that his struggles prior to this season weren't all down to injury. McGrath's 2022 Championship campaign was brought to a premature close by a ruptured Achilles tendon and, even after his return, the injury continued to nag at him. With his form well short of the levels of 2016 and '19, when he was a key forward on Tipperary's All-Ireland winning sides, he was no longer an automatic selection. But that was turned on its head this year as the management 'took a chance', as McGrath says, with him for the Championship opener against Limerick. He hit 2-1 that day as Tipp salvaged a draw and he never looked back. In Sunday's All-Ireland final win over Cork, he scored 2-2 and was fouled for a further 1-2 which Darragh McCarthy converted from placed balls. He finished the Championship as joint top scorer from play with 7-16, alongside Dublin's Cian O'Sullivan (5-22). McGrath was outstanding for Loughmore-Castleiney locally last year and feels that Tipperary's early elimination may have helped him to rediscover his best form. 'It's been a great year,' said McGrath. 'I couldn't put the last few years all down to bad injury, I suppose. The form wasn't great for a while before that as well. "I think maybe even just the break that time, the break from playing, just got the body kind of recovered a bit again. And it took a while, maybe after, to really get going. 'But no, some year, just thrilled to be back stuck in the middle of it. It's unreal to be just toughing it out there with lads and testing yourself. And that's what everyone wants to do.' With his inter-county career effectively written off by many, McGrath admitted that he was fuelled by a desire to prove his critics wrong. 'You probably do have them thoughts. Like yeah, you probably don't bring it out too much. There has to be some part of it probably that hurts you a little bit maybe or you find frustrating or hard, I suppose, when you're used to playing and competing and being relatively successful. 'And then to maybe not being in the team at times, like, it's tough. Any good sportsman, I suppose, that you have a bit about yourself, I suppose, you do. You want to prove people wrong. You want to get back and show people what you're able to do.' With manager Liam Cahill introducing a raft of younger players, the 30-year-old said that they infused him with fresh energy. 'I think a lot of lads have remarked on it. It is infectious. And they're coming on there. We've probably had a few middling years and they know no different to winning and competing at underage at the end of championships. And sometimes you just need something like that maybe to give an extra little bit of impetus to lads.'
The Irish Sun
6 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Jim McGuinness haunted by 2014 pain as he bids to finish what he started with Donegal
THE feeling after losing the 2014 All-Ireland final has never left Jim McGuinness. Advertisement 2 Donegal manager Jim McGuinness consoles Darach OConnor after the 2014 All-Ireland final 2 Donegal manager Jim McGuinness admits that the defeat to Kerry still hurts They had just produced a blistering surprise win over reigning champions That seismic result was Jim Gavin's sole Championship defeat in charge of the Sky Blues as the greatest team the game has seen went on to win the next six on the bounce. But that year's title was not won by McGuinness' Donegal either — they were all set to finish the job against McGuinness went to the banquet that night at the CityWest Hotel with no idea what happened and would quit as boss. Advertisement READ MORE ON GAA They meet Kerry again in Sunday's showpiece, with McGuinness admitting he thought about the ghosts of 2014 every day until he took the reins again almost two years ago. He said: 'I would say until I got back involved, there wasn't a day I didn't think about it. 'I can remember walking about the hotel after we lost, in a daze. 'I didn't know what happened, didn't know where I was, didn't know what actually had gone wrong there, and taking a step back from that and trying to work that out . . . it's very, very painful. Advertisement Most read in GAA Football "You're in a banquet and there's 1,200 people and you don't want to see anybody. That's not a nice place to be. 'All of that factors into it but I think when you get back on the horse, then you're not thinking about the past, you're thinking about what you need to do. RTE GAA pundit embrace Tipperary captain Ronan Maher after his epic display toppled Cork in All-Ireland final 'You're thinking about moving forward and we have moved forward and we've created this opportunity. 'If everything works well and everything goes to plan, the only thing that it guarantees you is to be competitive. That's the only thing that it guarantees you. Advertisement 'But if we're competitive in this All-Ireland, I'll be happy. I'll be really, really happy. That's all we're looking for, is to go in, show our true colours and be competitive. The focus has to be there.' But losing can fuel victory too. Donegal were nowhere near the Sam Maguire conversation until McGuinness took the reins in 2011 and delivered their first Ulster title in 19 years. They won Sam for just the second time in the county's history a year later, beating Mayo in the decider. But they could not repeat the trick in 2014 and the years in which McGuinness was away did not yield many signs that they would land a third too soon. Advertisement But they have won back-to-back Ulster titles in his second coming and Sam is in their sights once more. McGuinness was 19 when he was part of the Donegal panel that conquered in 1992 with Anthony Molloy as skipper. The Ardara man warned the youngster that it all goes by in a flash. Three Ulster final defeats later, he retired from inter-county football in 2003 with no more Championship silverware until he changed all that as a manager. Advertisement BITTER SWEET He said: 'Losing always sharpens the pencil. There's nothing better than winning an All-Ireland and there's nothing worse than losing it. 'It's probably the best day of your life and the worst day of your life and that's the reality. "I've been on both sides of the fence and I suppose trying to get that message across to the players is very, very important. 'But you have to live those moments as well and it's difficult. Advertisement "When you're 18 or 19 years of age and Anthony Molloy is telling you to make the most of this because it'll fly in, you're thinking, 'It won't really fly in, I'm in a good place here'. 'And all of a sudden you're retired and you haven't got the sense to take the information and use it maximally, if you like. "So we'll be imparting that to the players, that it's a brilliant day but also there's a football game to be played. And if you don't win that game, it's tough. 'And nobody has the right to win any game, but I do think that if you go out and you give it everything you've got and you fall short, at least you've done that.' Advertisement And regrets — he's had a few. That final in 2014 is one of the big ones but another was 12 months ago when they ran out of gas in the All-Ireland semi-final against Galway. Coming back this year, McGuinness needed heroes, young and old. Michael Murphy, now 35, was coaxed out of retirement after a two-year absence and is in the form of his life all over again. Finnbarr Roarty, 19, has had a dream debut season in defence and was man of the match in the 3-26 to 0-15 semi-final demolition of Meath. The players in between have all flourished and all the Glenties man wants now is a display to be proud of when they face Jack O'Connor's Kingdom on Sunday. Advertisement MURPHY RETURN McGuinness added: 'When Michael came back, I knew he wouldn't come back unless he believed in his heart that he would be able to really contribute. He's not that kind of fella. We're delighted to have him back. 'Other players that came back in as well have massively helped the depth in the squad. "We left Croke Park last year and we were very disappointed we didn't make it to the All-Ireland final, but we also ran out of steam in the last quarter and we didn't have the depth we thought we had. Advertisement 'We knew we wanted to bring people in that could genuinely push other fellas for game time and that has been the case. 'I think where regret falls sometimes is if you're coming down the road in the bus and you feel there was a bit left in the tank. That's when it becomes really hard. 'We know what we're going in against in Kerry and we know they're just brilliant in these situations and they expect to win in these situations. 'Challenging that and battling that will be very, very difficult but we have to give it our best shot to be fair to the work that they've put in all year. If we get that, I think I'll be happy.' Advertisement
The Irish Sun
15 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
‘I can't call the police to drag him here' – Daniel Farke fumes as £10million-rated Mateo Joseph asks to leave Leeds
LEEDS manager Daniel Farke joked he "can't drag" Mateo Joseph to the training pitch as he confirmed the forward wants to leave the club. Last week, Sun Sport exclusively revealed Rodrigo Muniz. Advertisement 3 Joseph is absent from pre-season Credit: Reuters 3 He's being linked to the clubs in his home country Spain Credit: Getty 3 Farke has now explained his absence Credit: Getty Now, former England international Emile Heskey 's cousin Joseph has chosen not to join Leeds ' pre-season training camp in Germany . Farke has revealed he accepts the decision, but he had wanted him to be part of the training camp. Speaking after Tuesday's 4-1 win over SC Verl, the Leeds boss said: 'I've spoken openly and honestly with him about the situation and have strongly recommended, until the situation is sorted, he should do the job and be professional. "He said he's not in the mental state to do this. What should I do? I can't call the police to drag him here on the training pitch. Advertisement read more "It was his decision. For that, he trains at the moment in England , individually, and will then also train with under-21s at Thorp Arch.' LaLiga sides Celta Vigo and Real Betis are in the mix for Joseph's signature. The latter had a £10million bid rejected in January. Farke touched on this on Tuesday, adding: "He came to me, and to us, and said he wants a new challenge and would like to have a move. Advertisement Most read in Football "He has also hinted he prefers a move to Spain due to his Spanish roots and, yes, that was more or less his call. 'We just want players who are excited about the project to play with 'If this is your wish, I, as a manager, won't stand in the way and [I] accept this because I just want players who want to be here and are buzzing. I've said, 'Okay, Mateo, I accept this, I won't stand in the way'. 'On the other hand, it's also clear we, as a club, have invested a lot in him. Advertisement "Time, money , backing and he is on the long-term contract and we value him. One thing is also for sure, we will just make a move possible once there is a club who meets the expectations of the club.' The 21-year-old Spain Under-21 striker made 39 league appearances last season, scoring three Championship goals and earning 11 starts. Leeds have been strongly linked with Fulham's Brazilian hitman, Muniz, and even though the player is open to a move, they must meet Fulham's £50million asking price. Meanwhile, fellow Leeds attacker Patrick Bamford has been Advertisement
