Forest Green Rovers have disbanded their women's team for the 2026-27 season so that they can concentrate their resources on trying to return their men's team to the English Football League. The Gloucestershire club's women's side finished second in their regional division of the fifth tier of the English pyramid last term, narrowly missing out on promotion to the fourth tier by one point behind the champions, Torquay. They lost just one league match across the season.
Club statement and reasoning
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Forest Green insisted women's football would eventually resume at the club and they would like it to return in the future, but they added that their primary goal was to ensure their men's team returned to League Two as soon as possible. Their men were relegated to the National League in 2024. Managed by Robbie Savage, the former Wales and Leicester midfielder, Forest Green's men finished seventh in the National League last term but were beaten by Boreham Wood in the playoffs.
In a statement entitled "Forest Green Rovers will not have a women's team for the 2026-27 season" a club spokesman said: "We had been in discussions with Hartpury University about a partnership, but the uni made a decision that ruled out the possibility of a joint [women's] team. This means we'll also be stepping back from our joint involvement with Hartpury's elite training centre for girls aged nine to 16."
Partnership with Hartpury University
"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."
The news comes nearly four weeks after the Football Association confirmed Forest Green Women's allocation into tier five of the pyramid for the upcoming season. A Hartpury spokesperson said: "We've been proud to work alongside Forest Green Rovers to deliver the Emerging Talent Centre and support the development of girls' football in the region. Following Forest Green Rovers' decision not to operate a women's first team for the 2026-27 season, our priority is to explore how the Emerging Talent Centre can continue through our own successful Hartpury Women FC. As a university and college, we have a strong track record of supporting women's sport, creating outstanding opportunities for aspiring athletes and providing clear pathways for female footballers."
