Forest Green Rovers fill dressing room with houseplants to ease player stress and lift form

Forest Green Rovers have transformed their dressing room at The New Lawn in Nailsworth into a plant-filled sanctuary, placing hundreds of potted plants throughout the space during Stress Awareness Week as part of a collaboration with Plants & Flowers Foundation Holland.

The club, widely recognised as the world’s greenest football club, currently sit mid-table in the National League — England’s fifth tier — and are looking to reverse their fortunes following the recent departure of manager Robbie Savage, who left to take charge of League One side Peterborough United.

Midfielder Oliver Ewing was enthusiastic about the initiative. “I’ve never seen anything like it – it’s brilliant. I think everyone loves nature themselves, loves plants. It’s quite homey. The changing rooms can definitely be a very stressful environment, especially after a game if you’ve lost,” he said. “I know a lot of people use plants in their homes and daily lives to sort of release anxiety. Hopefully, it can get us a few wins but I think it already has a bit of a calming effect around the ground.”

The move is backed by scientific research. Studies have found that interaction with indoor plants lowers nervous system activity, reduces mental fatigue, and elevates positive moods — findings that first team coach Yan Klukowski says align with the club’s broader approach to player welfare.

“As human beings, we have that innate piece of our makeup that brings a lot of calmness and decreases stress when you’re in the outdoors,” Klukowski said. “Looking after mental health is incredibly important. The psychological and physical side of the game go hand in hand. We have to provide strategies to help our players cope with the high-stress environment that we’re in.”

Defender Gabe Kircough echoed the sentiment, pointing to a wider cultural shift around mental health in professional sport. “People are more aware of it and it’s becoming easier to speak about it because of that awareness. It’s a huge thing in any walk of life, but professional sport as well — the intensity and the scrutiny on us as players and staff is significant. You want to create an environment where people are happy to be open and honest.”

Forest Green have long set themselves apart from the rest of English football through their environmental commitments, including serving exclusively vegan food, using recycled materials for their kits, and powering their stadium entirely on green electricity. The houseplant initiative adds a mental health dimension to that identity.