Eco-focused football club Forest Green Rovers is collaborating with rock band the Grateful Dead to roll out environmentally-friendly co-branded travel wear for the 2023/24 season.
The Gloucestershire football club has introduced many sustainability measures over the years including solar panels, electric car charging points, water recycling, an electric lawnmower, an organic pitch and an entirely vegan menu for both players and fans.
A number of Premier League clubs recently came under fire for the number of short-haul flights they use – with BBC Sport research finding evidence of 81 short-haul flights being used by teams to and from matches.
By contrast, League 2’s Forest Green Rovers has been named the EFL’s most environmentally-friendly club.
The club’s chairman Dale Vince described the collaboration as an “exciting partnership” – because we both share a common goal to make the planet a cleaner, greener place and take fans around the world with us on this journey”.
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Grateful Dead spokesperson David Lemieux said: “The partnership between the Grateful Dead and Forest Green Rovers brings together nearly 200 years of history; these are clearly two dynamic, conscientious entities her for both a long time and a good time.”
“The relationship began and focused upon a shared caring for the impact our actions make on the world around us,” he added.
He also said that was proud of the “incredibly cool and symbiotic aesthetic designs” and emphasised the importance of being environmentally conscious to protect the planet for the future.
The new apparel line will be made by I Dress Myself, a vegan, carbon-negative business which specialises in sustainable printing.
I Dress Myself co-founder Peter Conway said: “As environmentally and socially conscious embroiders and printers, I Dress Myself are proud to partner with Forest Green Rovers. We share the same values of sustainability and pioneering spirit to make positive change happen in our fields.”
“We are excited to be working on a collab with FGR and the Grateful Dead. An awesome band meets an awesome football club.”
