Dale Vince issues response to criticism on scrapping Forest Green’s women’s team

Dale Vince issues response to receiving criticism on the decision behind scrapping Forest Green’s women’s team.

Earlier this week, the club say that they will no longer have a Forest Green Rovers Women’s side for the 2026/27 season, with their focus instead on the Men’s bid for an EFL return.

FGR Women finished the 2025/26 season sitting 2nd and a point behind leader Torquay, missing out on winning promotion from the South West Regional Womens Football League Premier Division.

🗣️ @DaleVince sets the record straight on FGR’s women’s team.

Read here: https://t.co/F4aJ2h3VTD pic.twitter.com/vTSuMWArP4

— Forest Green Rovers (@FGRFC_Official) July 3, 2026

Three days ago, a spokesman for the club said:

“We had been in discussions with Hartpury Uni about a partnership, but the Uni made a decision that ruled out the possibility of a joint team.

“This means we’ll also be stepping back from our joint involvement with Hartpury’s Elite Training Centre for girls aged 9 to 16.

“Our partnership with Hartpury has been worthwhile and valued, we’ll continue to support them as they explore ways to take the programme forward through Hartpury Women FC.

“Forest Green Rovers is committed to returning to the EFL as quickly as possible, and that means concentrating our resources and efforts on strengthening the Club and achieving that goal.

“This isn’t goodbye to women’s football at Forest Green.

“We’d like to return to it in the future, when the time is right and when we can build a programme that is sustainable and successful for the long term.

“We’d like to thank the players, staff, volunteers and supporters who have been part of the women’s programme and wish them every success for the future.”

Chairman of Forest Green Rovers, Dale Vince OBE, has since said: “This will be our third season in the National League and as a result we face the full £1.5million loss of income, it having been mitigated until now by reducing parachute payments.

“Seeing this coming for some weeks, we’ve reviewed all spending and our focus has had to be on regaining our place in the EFL – it’s the logical thing to do.

“As a result, we already had to cut the boys’ football program – but faced no criticism for that, worth noting.

“We believed we had found a way to continue with the women’s team and the girls’ system, by partnering with Hartpury – but they changed their position very late in the day, leaving us facing the six-figure cost of running the women’s team alone – and so we’ve needed to make this decision.

“FGR have been supporting women’s football for over a decade; the criticism we’ve faced in the last few days for this is entirely misplaced – it’s unfair, in fact.

“Economic realities have forced us to cut spending in many areas; we already cut funding to the system for boys as part of that.

“The women’s team cuts have come at the very end and only due to a last-minute let-down – that’s hardly indicative of a club that does not care about women’s football.

“Our focus on getting back to the EFL is the most logical thing for us to do, once we have achieved that we can restore all of the programs we’ve not been able to afford this year – the boys, girls and the women’s team.

“That’s our plan, to get back to where we were in all respects, in the EFL and with the wherewithal to fund the things we believe in, which – yes, does include football for women and girls. And boys.”

Here’s how fans are reacting after Dale Vince issues a response to criticism on scrapping Forest Green’s women’s team…

@Jack_fgr: What about the 40 odd players we’ve signed in the last 12 months? What about the hiring and firing of managers over the last few seasons? Have a day off

Catherine Reilly: I don’t think it’s because people aren’t concerned that the boys’ team has also been cancelled. The difference is that boys’ and men’s football has benefited from decades of investment, meaning there are generally far more teams and opportunities available, so finding an alternative is often easier. Girls’ and women’s football is still playing catch-up after years of underinvestment, with far fewer teams and pathways available. That may be why the cancellation of the girls and women’s ‘ team has prompted such a strong response.

Alan Brough: Look at the size and cost of your first team playing and coaching squads. You could easily operate competitively with a significant cut in your numbers but your Manager doesn’t have the knowledge or confidence to operate any other way than a kid in a sweet shop who has to buy everything regardless of value.

Lee Mulvihill: Ok, so why in April/May at the player reviews, where they told funding had been secured for the next 3yrs?? And to go through trials and be selected/retained, only to be told by email that its all over and thankyou but goodbye 🤷‍♂️ And you say ‘the criticism is unfair….’….Aye. Cracking way to conduct business 👏🏻😔