Latest news with #DaleVince
The Irish Sun
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
‘Have to say, that's horrendous' – Fans horrified by club's new kit ‘designed by Year 11 on work experience'
FOREST GREEN ROVERS have unveiled their new kits for the 2025-26 season - and it's fair to say it's not gone down well with fans. 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.
The Sun
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
‘Have to say, that's horrendous' – Fans horrified by club's new kit ‘designed by Year 11 on work experience'
FOREST GREEN ROVERS have unveiled their new kits for the 2025-26 season - and it's fair to say it's not gone down well with fans. The National League side - relegated from the English Football League after a seven-year stint - are known for their bold yet sustainable choices. From their proposed stadium to their kits, Forest Green - managed by Robbie Savage - have always pushed boundaries. Having unveiled strips made out of bamboo and even 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. 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." 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 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."
New York Times
14 hours ago
- Health
- New York Times
English soccer club part of initiative to ‘prescribe football' to treat mental health conditions
An English soccer club and a member of parliament (MP) have collaborated with a dozen doctors' surgeries to introduce football as a treatment for mental health in part of the United Kingdom. The initiative, which is called Football on Prescription, offers opportunities to play five-a-side or walking football for people over 50 with loneliness and mental illness issues, with the aim of reducing the need for medication. Walking football is a less competitive form of football that bans running and slide-tackling to make the sport more accessible. Advertisement Forest Green Rovers, who compete in the fifth tier of English football, are the club linked to the initiative and have also offered free match tickets to participants. The pilot scheme is available to people who see their doctor about mental health in around 12 surgeries in the south west of England, where Forest Green are based. Doctors and nurses will have the ability to 'prescribe football if the patient and doctor feel it could help mental illness or feelings of isolation', according to a release on Forest Green's website. The scheme will collect data as it goes to assess its impact and could be expanded if results are positive. 'Research shows that physical activity improves mental and physical health,' said Dr Simon Opher, the local MP for Stroud who co-launched the initiative alongside Forest Green chairman Dale Vince. 'We also know that social isolation plays a major role in poor mental health — and that community, connection, and shared experiences can help people feel less alone. 'This initiative brings those two ideas together. It's a form of social prescription — with football as the medicine.' In the most recent statistics from the National Health Service (NHS) in England, 2.1 million people were in contact with mental health services at the end of May, 1.39m of them with adult mental health services. From the same report, the number of adults with severe mental health conditions accessing community mental health services were at the highest since the start of 2022, the start of the reporting period, with 671,098 recorded. 'It's aimed at everyone struggling with their mental health, but especially men, who are statistically the hardest to reach,' Vince added. 'The leading cause of death in men under 50 is now suicide — and loneliness is often a key factor. Advertisement 'If a Saturday afternoon at a football match can help someone feel more connected and less alone, then that's a powerful first step.' (Photo of Forest Green players:) If you would like to talk to someone having read this article, please try Samaritans in the UK or US. You can call 116 123 for free from any phone
BBC News
a day ago
- Health
- BBC News
Forest Green football tickets on prescription under new scheme
Football tickets will be made available on prescription to help treat symptoms of depression, under a pilot MP for Stroud, Dr Simon Opher, and Ecotricity founder and owner of Forest Green Rovers, Dale Vince, have drawn up plans which will see patients in Gloucestershire offered the chance to attend the National League side's initiative is part of a move by Dr Opher to offer social prescribing to patients with mild or moderate depression, instead of antidepressants."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," said Dr Opher. He added: "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." Dr Opher has previously prescribed other activities such as comedy and who are part of the pilot scheme will be asked to provide feedback on the impact it has had on their mental health. The MP has previously spoken about his concerns around the over-prescription of antidepressants to people who exhibit mild symptoms but believes they offer a solution to those experiencing more serious signs."Some people do have very severe mental health issues and do need medication and specialist care," he said."What we're aiming for here is people with moderate depression." The pilot is being trialled at 12 surgeries near Forest Green's New Lawn stadium in will be supplied by the club for free and the pilot will run all season - starting with the first home game against Yeovil on 16 Vince, who has owned the club since 2010, said: "I think it'd be a great thing if football clubs up and down the country could reach out to people and do this."Men typically don't really talk about their issues, that's the thing, and you get loneliness and things like that as well."I've had periods of my life where I've been a bit fed up, and excluded... a bit down from time to time, it's easy to spiral downwards when you're not in contact with people and I just wanted to do something with that."Forest Green reached League One for the first time in their history in 2022 before suffering two back-to-back relegations to end their seven-year spell in the English Football Wales midfielder Robbie Savage was appointed as their new manager on 1 July.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
GP clinics to start prescribing live football matches
A pioneering scheme will prescribe live football matches to patients experiencing mild to moderate depression in Gloucestershire. The initiative was developed by Labour MP Dr Simon Opher and Ecotricity owner Dale Vince, offering patients the chance to attend games at Forest Green Rovers. Dr Opher, a former GP, advocates social prescribing as an alternative to antidepressants, aiming to combat social isolation and loneliness. He expresses concern about the over-prescription of antidepressants for mild or moderate symptoms, noting the high number of people currently on them. The scheme will involve a dozen local surgeries, with Forest Green Rovers donating free tickets for the entire season, starting on August 16.
