Aucklander Marcus Reynolds has been chosen from more than 600 applicants to be the new Chief Executive of English League One club Forest Green Rovers.
Reynolds (43) has a background in New Zealand sport, having been a regional CEO with NZ Rugby League, CEO of the ASB Classic and Tennis Auckland, and a senior advisor at Sport New Zealand.
He starts his job on June 1, 2023, at the Gloucestershire club, who are managed by former Scottish international striker and Everton legend Duncan Ferguson.
Main photo: Marcus Reynolds. Photo: Forest Green Rovers FC.
Club chairman Dale Vince said:
“It was a long process, and a lot of CVs to sift through but we think we’ve found an ideal combination of experience and character, Marcus has a great background and focus in all the key areas that we’re looking for and I’m really looking forward to him getting started.”
Reynolds said:
“I am humbled to be appointed as the next CEO of Forest Green Rovers. This is a unique club that makes a genuine difference on and off the pitch, I’m excited about the opportunities ahead and can’t wait to get involved.
“Most of all, I’m looking forward to meeting the staff, fans, partners and wider community, as well as providing the support our team need to perform at their highest level.”
Rovers: ‘The greenest team in the world’
Forest Green Rovers won promotion to the Football League in 2017 after more than a hundred years playing non-league football. This made Nailsworth (population 5,700) the smallest town ever to host a Football League club.
Since then, they have become the first football club in the world to be certified carbon neutral by the United Nations, and have been described by FIFA as the “greenest team in the world.”
In 2021, Rovers announced a partnership with Fully Charged, a clean energy and electric vehicle YouTube channel.
Majority-owned by Ecotricity founder Vince, the club’s efforts to be eco-friendly have included removing red meat from players’ diets, stopping selling meat products at their New Lawn ground, and treating the pitch with organic fertiliser.
The second-largest shareholder in the club is former Arsenal full back Héctor Bellerin.
Since 2021, the team kit has been made from a composite material consisting of recycled plastic and coffee grounds.
Rovers are currently bottom of League One, 12 points adrift of the relegation safety zone, with only 10 games remaining.
About Marcus Reynolds
Past roles include:
- Head of Host Responsibility, SkyCity Entertainment (2020—2023)
- CEO, ASB Classic & Tennis Auckland (2018—2020)
- Head of Partnerships, Lion Foundation (2014—2018)
- Senior Advisor (National Sport Development), Sport New Zealand (2012—2014)
- CEO (Upper Central Zone), NZ Rugby League (2010—2012)
- Commercial Manager, Sport Bay of Plenty (2007—2010)
More football stories
