Forest Green Rovers have disbanded their women’s team for the 2026-27 season, a decision the club said would allow them to “concentrate their resources” on returning the men’s side to the English Football League. The women’s side, managed by Louise Fensom, finished second in their regional division of the fifth tier last term, losing just one league match and missing promotion by a single point behind champions Torquay. In a statement on Tuesday, the club said they had been in discussions with Hartpury University about a partnership, but “the uni made a decision that ruled out the possibility of a joint team”. That also meant stepping back from their joint involvement with Hartpury’s elite training centre for girls aged nine to 16. “This isn’t goodbye to women’s football at Forest Green,” the statement added. “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.” The men’s team, managed by Robbie Savage, was relegated to the National League in 2024 and finished seventh last season, losing to Boreham Wood in the playoffs. The news came nearly four weeks after the Football Association confirmed Forest Green’s status.
On the final day of the Premier League season, West Ham were relegated after 14 years in the top flight despite beating Leeds, a win rendered meaningless by results elsewhere. Tottenham survived after narrowly beating Everton, while Aston Villa finished fourth after spoiling Pep Guardiola’s farewell at Manchester City. Sunderland qualified for the Europa League, and Bournemouth and Brighton also secured European football. Jacob Steinberg, discussing West Ham’s decline on the Football Weekly podcast, examined the failures behind the club’s fall, the future of the London Stadium, and what lies ahead in the Championship. Elsewhere, Liverpool said goodbye to Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson, and Chelsea prepared for life under Xabi Alonso.
“Forest Green Rovers have disbanded their women's team to focus resources on returning the men's side to the EFL.”