Forest Green Rovers football club installs solar panels

Workmen have begun installing solar panels at the New Lawn stadium

A non-league football club in Gloucestershire is fitting solar panels to its stadium roof.

The initiative by Forest Green Rovers is part of the Sustainability in Sport scheme set up by chairman Dale Vince.

Mr Vince, who also runs energy firm Ecotricity, said it was former Manchester United player Gary Neville's idea to launch the project.

The club said the 180 panels would generate about 10% of electricity used by the stadium.

The Blue Square Bet Premier club, based in Nailsworth, already spreads cow manure on its grass to create an organic pitch, and red meat was banned from the menu earlier this year.

Mr Vince said it was now looking at installing low energy LED floodlights, an electric robotic lawn mower and possibly an electric minibus for the team.

He said: "On the whole the fans have been very supportive. The fans are up for this eco adventure that we're on and it's good fun."

Sustainability in Sport, which was launched by Mr Vince and Gary Neville in May, is a not-for-profit foundation which aims to help sporting clubs and organisations in the UK to lower their carbon footprints.