The Lawn Ground
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The Lawn Ground was, until 2006, home to Nationwide Conference football club, Forest Green Rovers F.C. in the county of Gloucestershire. It also hosted local cup finals as well as being home to the Forest Green Ladies and youth sides. The ground was at the top of the hill in Nailsworth.
The ground had a capacity of 5,141 spaces and on matchdays usually filled up to just over 1,000 spectators. For local derbies the ground could expect 2,000 to 3,000 people.
The main stand was the Trevor Horsley Stand, named after the chairman of the club Trevor Horsley. It seated 500 and included hospitality boxes, underground changing rooms, board room, function room, bar, a health suite and offices. It also featured a quirky watermill behind the stand.
The ground had floodlights with the rest of the ground terraced. About 60% of the ground was covered, however 80% was terraced. The biggest terrace stand was the covered Barnfield Terrace. The terrace was built around 2001 and 2002 to make the ground bigger, and fans paid to have their names engraved onto bricks inside the stand. The terrace was sponsored by Rockwool. When Rovers left the ground at the end of the 2005-2006 season the stand was due to be transferred brick by brick to the new ground. Other sections of The Lawn ground included the Nympsfield Road Terrace.
The Lawn was due to be demolished and turned into housing as the football club looked to expand as it moves up the road into their new bigger and more modern stadium. The Forest Green New Stadium now hosts all their matches and offers much more for the community and the football club. Rovers began playing at the new stadium from the start of the 2006-2007 season.
The club had previously only played at The Lawn since 1890 when the club was formed, and moving to a new ground was a huge step forward.