Forest Green Rovers - Club History

Taken from “Something to Shout About, The History of Forest Green Rovers AFC” Tempus publishing Ltd ISBN 0-7524-4072-1, RRP £15-99.

The club were now established as a force in local football and won their first silverware in 1903, lifting the Dursley League Cup in front of a crowd in excess of 1000, beating Stonehouse 2-1 after extra time.

As well as W and T Brinkworth, Walter Brown features in the team photo. Walter is seen as a very young player in the 1899 photo, and was in Rovers’ first winning team in 1903. He continued to play throughout the decade and also featured in the second cup win for the renamed “Nailsworth and Forest Green United” (N&FGU) in 1912. Whilst not playing again after the First World War, Walter remained a committee man for the rest of his life and features in the club photograph in 1951.

Bob Ramsay was a farmer in Forest Green and was also an imposing goalkeeper for Rovers in the years immediately before the First World War. He is, as far as we know, the first Forest Green Rovers player to be chosen on a regular basis for the County team, and played for the very successful Rovers team after the Great War.

Nailsworth and Forest Green United, 1911-12,

The Second Forest Green Team to Win Silverware, helped by Bob Ramsay the County Goalkeeper and Walter Brown
Back Row:  E Dee (Hon Sec), W Robinson, Walter Brown, H Harrison, W Stephens, G Brown (Joint Hon Sec), E LockeMiddle Row: H Cox, E Blick, Bob Ramsay, P Rudge, W Beale Front Row: J Crease, G Cowley, J Brown

The early 1930s were not great on the pitch, until around 1935 when performances started to improve, coinciding with the arrival of goalkeeper Jack Brock, who also turned out for Bristol University. By 1936 Jack, along with Norman Vick, was trialling at Swindon Town and Jack went on to become first team goalkeeper at Swindon Town for the season (Swindon sent a cheque for 1 Guinea to cover his services!).

Jack returned to Rovers before the war for a time and then played on through the whole of the 1940s in a playing career that spanned 15 years and one world war.

Harold, Norman and Peter Vick all played for the first team in 1938, the year that Rovers finally secured the GNSL title. Three brothers in one team doesn’t happen often, but there were also three Peacheys who played at the same time and in the same team, cousins George, Ted and Bob.

Ronnie Clift and Tom Harris may well have gone on to make names for themselves but their lives were cut short in the Second World War.

Forest Green Rovers A.F.C. Season 1937 – 38

The Peacheys and the Vicks help secure Rovers’ first league title since 1922 in some style, unbeaten all season. Jack Brock had moved on for the time being.
Back Row:  F Porter, A Bathe, P Vick, E G SmithTop Middle: W J Webb, N Vick, L Dangerfield, G Peachey, B Ford, D Herbert (Vice Captain), H Weaving, L Bennett (Hon Sec), E FarmiloeBottom Middle: R Clift, S Harrison, R Peachey (Captain), D Marks, H WebbFront Row: H Vick, V Cowley, E Peachey

Winners Gloucestershire Northern Senior League
Winners Stroud and District Senior Hospital Cup Competition
Runners up Cirencester Senior Hospital Cup

After the Second World War, Rovers turned their attention back to winning trophies and were joined by youngster Marshall Woodward, who managed to score 7 goals in the record 18-1 win over Dursley

Town in 1946. Marshall was a key striker in the 1940s having trials at Wolves before moving to semi-professional Stonehouse who were playing in the Western League. (Bob Peachey scored 54 goals in the 1946 season).

John Pearson was the headmaster at Nailsworth Boys School and was the County centre half in a very strong Rovers team. He apparently didn’t have to jump to head the ball his head would come out on a stalk! Rovers didn’t lose many games when John played.

Basil Newport joined Rovers in 1938 and went straight into the first team at the age of 17 and played in the cup final immediately before the war. He then became a lynchpin of the first team during the 1940s being part of a very strong team. He continued to play until 1956 when his career finally ended. He was playing in a charity match for Bill Malpas who had broken his leg so badly the season before that it was plated, when his own leg was broken.

Forest Green Rovers 1947 – 1948,
3rd in The Northern Senior League
Back Row:  Wilf Riley, Doug Brown, John Pearson, Jack Brock, Ray Bingle, Scrubby CowleyFront Row: Basil Newport, Cliff Purser, John Pettit, Marshall Woodward, Cecil Hudd