“We’ve certainly had our share of away supporters chanting you can stick your vegan sausages up your\u2026”, says Newark & Sherwood United chairman Steff Wright, before trailing off with a chuckle.<\/span><\/p>\n The ninth-tier club, who play in the non-league United Counties League Premier Division North, have experienced plenty of banter since becoming “plant-powered” following Wright’s takeover of the club in 2022.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Newark & Sherwood only serve vegan food at matches, both to fans and players, with many of the squad adopting plant-based diets.<\/span><\/p>\n The club will also mark 2024’s Green Football Weekend by announcing plans for a new zero-carbon stadium based in Newark, pending local authority permission.<\/span><\/p>\n Wright says they aim for it to be “the most sustainable stadium in the country”. He also describes Forest Green Rovers and their owner Dale Vince as “trailblazers in business and football”.<\/span><\/p>\n Forest Green<\/span><\/a>, currently in League Two, became the world’s first vegan football club in 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n Turning a non-league club vegan has presented numerous challenges says Wright, both from outside the club and their own playing squad.<\/span><\/p>\n “When we beat opponents they are not as receptive, but that is a general reaction to the result of the game,” he tells BBC Sport. “Our own players, half are quite enthusiastic, half are resistant, but they are resistant to eating anything other than chicken nuggets. It’s like having children you have to re-educate about what a healthy diet looks like.<\/span><\/p>\n “The diet of players at this level has been terrible – to educate at this level is really important. At our level there is no education.”<\/span><\/p>\n While clubs higher up the English football pyramid are able to offer greater nutrition advice and education to players, doing so at this level is much trickier according to Jedd Smith, the club’s operations manager and Wright’s son.<\/span><\/p>\n “We’ve got quite a young squad, a lot of who don’t cook for themselves and don’t eat the healthiest food in general,” he said.<\/span><\/p>\n “We emphasised the athletic benefits, rather than animal welfare or sustainability. It combatted a few of the key things you come up against when it comes to plant-based food in football. Toxic masculinity, you can call it.”<\/span><\/p>\n Under Wright’s ownership, the club have tried to do many things differently – from <\/span>inviting drag queens to MC a match<\/span>‘If you step off the straight line, people criticise’<\/h3>\n
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