The New Lawn

The New Lawn stands in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, as the home of Forest Green Rovers football club since 2006. Built on former school playing fields, the stadium replaced the old Lawn Ground and has hosted league and cup matches for over a decade. It holds 5,147 spectators, with 2,000 seats in two stands and space for coaches and cars nearby. The ground has also served as a temporary home for Gloucester City during flooding at their stadium. In 2011 the pitch became the first organic football surface in the world under chairman Dale Vince’s leadership. The stadium is recognised for its environmental innovations, including solar panels that power part of the ground and a robotic lawn mower guided by GPS. Rainwater is collected and recycled, while waste cooking oil is turned into biofuel for club use. The club’s menu is entirely meat-free, making it Britain’s first vegan football stadium. In 2012 it won the Institute of Groundsmanship award for sustainability, and in 2014 it hosted the world’s first vegan football match, supported by Paul and Stella McCartney. Visitors find a modern stadium with a main seated stand and a second stand, a leisure club with gym and sauna, and a pub on site. The pitch is surrounded by wildflower meadows and native trees that support local wildlife. Stroud railway station is the closest public transport link, and the ground hosts events beyond matches, including conferences and community activities. The atmosphere during big games, such as the record 4,836 crowd for an FA Cup tie, reflects the club’s growing reputation.