Forest Green Rovers lost out on League One promotion last night after a 2-1 aggregate defeat to Tranmere Rovers in their playoff semi-final.
James Norwood’s twenty-seventh-minute equaliser sent Micky Mellon’s men to Wembley and left Rovers brave challenge to put another star on their shirts in disappointment.
Controversial Forest Green manager Mark Cooper was left to rue the officials once again as a soft looking second yellow card for Carl Winchester reduced his side to ten men with twenty-three minutes remaining. This decision followed a hotly disputed straight red for Gavin Gunning in the first leg at Prenton Park meaning Cooper’s side played over half the tie a man down, something not lost on Cooper in his post-match comments. He told Gloucester Live: ‘We’ve played half the tie with 10 men’
“I think it’s really unfair the way a little club has been treated.’
“It wasn’t our time and I don’t think they really wanted us to be in the final if I’m brutally honest. It feels really unfair and I have to be really careful what I say. For anyone who watched the two games, I don’t think anyone can say; we were given a fair crack at it.’
Obviously bitterly disappointed, it wasn’t Cooper’s sour post-match comments that attracted all the attention on social media but his choice of attire. Cooper donned a dark Stone Island Jumper in the dug-out, a selection of clothing often made by Man City manager and fashion icon Pep Guardiola.
The expensive Italian fashion label is iconic amongst football fans as proper ‘terrace clobber’ and is famously seen on actors portraying hooligans in such films as Green Street and The Football Factory.
Here is a selection of fans reaction to spotting the famous badge on the sleeve of Cooper’s pullover.
https://twitter.com/samdruiff/status/1128016008617320449
https://twitter.com/WillBradleyRFC/status/1128031723537752065
https://twitter.com/sim_182/status/1128032079562854403
https://twitter.com/JonSumjons/status/1128013426901622784
https://twitter.com/GreenArmy46/status/1128013732305674240
https://twitter.com/GreenArmy46/status/1128013732305674240
https://twitter.com/JackToulson12/status/1128009895767359489
https://twitter.com/pburke_CL1907/status/1128016269255557120
https://twitter.com/jord90a/status/1128015530978365441
https://twitter.com/TheSincilBanker/status/1128021317679230981
https://twitter.com/MJY_23/status/1128019187950084096
