The Beast to meet his match in AFC Wimbledon FA Cup clash with Forest Green Rovers

Akinfenwa may have met a beastly match in Parkin

WHAT a contest. Britain's only vegan football club against the team who, myth has it, used to feed their players raw meat before games.

 

That may have been the old, Crazy Gang Wimbledon of Vinnie Jones, John Fashanu and Dave Bassett, not the modern League Two AFC version, who face Forest Green Rovers in the first round of the FA Cup.

Rovers are the real vegan deal, though. No dodgy burgers, pies and hot dogs down at their New Lawn ground.

The National League table toppers, owned by millionaire businessman and former New Age traveller Dale Vince, are not only vegan, they are eco-friendly in other ways too. Floodlights powered by solar panels, an organic pitch watered by collected rainwater, a solar-powered 'mobot' lawnmower - green as you can get.

 

Vince plans to have Rovers in the Championship eventually, and they are already planning a £100million, 100-acre ground and training complex - green, of course - just off the M5 in Gloucestershire close to their current Nailsworth home.

But as well as their green credentials, Rovers to go Kingsmeadow today with every hope of pulling off a shock. Manager Adrian Pennock has them a point clear at the top of the National League (the old Conference) and in good form.

Vince can't be at Kingsmeadow on Saturday so will have to suffer the agony of listening on the radio, but he said: "We are going to Wimbledon to win. There are only about 16 places between us in the rankings so we have every chance. We want to cause an upset."

 

And Rovers have their own 'Beast' to lead them to victory. Wimbledon have Adebayo Akenfenwe, the 16st striker known for his bench-pressing feats. But Rovers have former Hull, Preston and Stoke forward Jon Parkin - now 33, but at a hefty 6ft 4ins a sizeable lump who has six goals from nine starts this season.

"Yes, we have our own Beast," said Vince. "Jon is a big lad but he's also very experienced and a very good player. It is the Beast versus the Beast."

Rovers started the season with nine straight wins, and though they have slowed lately they have still won four of their last six.

The locals in Nailsworth have bought into the vegan food philosophy, reckons Vince, as well as the players.

 

"When we took over in 2010 we made it vegetarian, we didn't serve any meat to fans, players or staff," said Vince. "But the food was good, and the fans got into it. Now we have taken dairy products off the menu as well, so there is no cow's milk in the tea."

Fans on the terraces at the New Lawn are offered a 'Q-Pie', supplied by club partners Quorn, as well as veggie burgers, Mexican fajitas, sweet potato burgers, and pizza. Even the beer and cider is vegan.

Vince, founder of wind turbine company Ecotricity and himself a vegan, added: "The players will basically do anything that improves their performance on the pitch. They want to look after their bodies, so they know their diet is crucial.

"They are all now full time here, and they are fine with the food, they love it now."

Vince, 54, is anything but conventional. He still does not own a tie, and a big worry is getting into the boardrooms of some of the stuffier National League clubs.

"We have to check," he admitted. "Some clubs get a bit funny about it and won't let you in the boardroom. But when they come down to us we tell them they have to dress like we do!"