A viral video has claimed that a football supporter was removed over a bacon sandwich on Saturday, but Forest Green Rovers have moved to dismissed the claim
National League outfit Forest Green Rovers have dismissed social media claims that a supporter was thrown out of their stadium for bringing in a bacon sandwich. Video footage surfaced on online platforms appearing to show a fan being escorted from The New Lawn Stadium during their match against Morecambe, with suggestions he had smuggled in his own grub.
Forest Green, who spent seven years in the Football League before dropping into non-league football last season, became the globe’s first vegan football club in 2015. The move was spearheaded by chairman and green campaigner Dale Vince as they ditched meat and fish in favour of plant-based alternatives.
It’s unknown if sneaking in a bacon butty would have gone against the club’s decision to replace meat with a plant-based menu. Nevertheless, the Green Devils have released a statement rubbishing the allegation as they claimed the person was ejected for ignoring repeated warnings from stewards following continued alerts over some “over-exuberance”.
In a message on X, they posted: “We are aware of a video circulating online following our game against Morecambe yesterday.
“Contrary to social media opinion and wisdom, the ejection was nothing to do with bacon sarnies (sic) more a little ‘over exuberance’ on the last day of the season.
“After repeated warnings, the stewards were left with no choice and the gentleman was ejected from the stadium. #neverletthetruthgetinthewayofagoodstory #slownewsday.”
A video has surfaced on TikTok, with the caption, displayed for approximately 18 seconds, reading: “Solicitor/Morecambe fan removed for sneaking Bacon butty into Forest Green Rovers.
The clip shows three stewards escorting the man out before X users re-shared the video on another platform. It remains unclear how much of the match the alleged Morecambe supporter missed, but his team concluded their eventful season with a 5-0 loss to Robbie Savage’s squad.
This means the Shrimps have suffered relegation in three of their last four seasons, dropping from League One to compete in National League North, regional football, next term.
As for Forest Green, they wrapped up Savage’s debut season at the helm on a high note, adding a final flourish to their playoff-securing campaign. They’re set to face Boreham Wood on Wednesday in the National League playoff eliminator for a spot in the semi-final, where they’ll head to Carlisle United.
In a 2015 interview, Vince discussed the decision to transition to an entirely plant-based menu. He stated: “As a football club, we stopped serving meat to our players, fans and staff about four seasons ago.
“We’ve been on a mission since then to introduce our fans to this new world. When you drop the meat and two veg approach, a whole new world of food options opens up.
“The gap between vegetarian and vegan food is actually quite small; it’s a step rather than a leap to take. A lot of our food has been vegan for some time now, and this season we’ve taken the last small step.”
Writing on his website dalevince.com, the Forest Green owner revealed that the switch has proved financially successful, even surpassing meat-based catering nationwide to secure Menu of the Year from Sport and Leisure Catering Magazine.