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.

“Scrubby” Cowley was the son of G Cowley who played in Rovers’ winning teams in 1912, 1921 and 1922. After finishing his playing career with Rovers he moved onto the committee and stayed there for the rest of his days.

Scrubby actually started his playing career in 1934 and played up until the war, winning league medals in 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938 and runners up in the NSAC in 1939. After the war Scrubby continued to play for the first team through the 1940s and was again a league winner in 1950.

He is probably the FGR player with the most medals for league and cup victories, ever, in the Club’s history.

He then continued to appear for the reserves and act as linesman for the team (in the days before neutral linesmen were introduced), making his final playing appearance in 1959. His playing career with Rovers stretched over 25 years.

He continued to be involved with the committee later in life following in his father’s footsteps.

A true FGR legend.

Forest Green Rovers AFC Season 1934 – 35

Vic “Scrubby” Cowley appears in the same photograph as his father
Winners of the Dursley and Wotton League Div 1 & Stroud and District Premier League Back Row:  F Porter T Donohue E Brinkworth (Chairman) A Dickinson L Bennet (Hon Secretary) R Peachey B Weager N Newport J Brock D Herbert W Brown S Lunberg T Wallace A Miles G CowleyMiddle Row: B Fletcher E Morse F Grant W Shipway V Cowley H Fletcher W Beard A Mills L Blick L BurgeFront Row: R Gannaway A Grant A Wykes H Webb T Newport D Marks (Captain) S Harrison R Humphries G Mills L Johnson

William and Thomas Binkworth were members of the first reported Forest Green Rovers team in 1892. Owen Davis would go on in later life to be one of the most significant members of the club enabling Forest Green to buy their own ground in 1936. Walter Brown was from one of two separate Brown families is from Forest Green whose members would have a connection with the club until the current day.