Forest Green launch £2m lawsuit over Savage approach

Published30 October 2026

Forest Green Rovers owner Dale Vince says the club has launched a lawsuit worth £2m against Peterborough United over the approach for its former manager Robbie Savage.

The Welshman left earlier this month to join the League One side, despite Vince initially blocking the discussions. Vince later claimed he was forced to agree to the move when the 51-year-old was approached directly.

Vince revealed, external that Forest Green had "begun a legal process for the tapping up of our manager, now ex-manager, Robbie Savage", and confirmed the lawsuit was worth £2m., external

Peterborough United offered no comment on the legal action when contacted by BBC Sport, but have previously denied making an illegal approach for Savage.

Savage joined Forest Green Rovers after a successful stint at the then-seventh tier Macclesfield FC - the phoenix club formed after Macclesfield Town was wound up in 2020.

During his time with the Silkmen, the club sealed promotion to National League North, scoring 109 goals and winning 109 points.

When he arrived in Gloucestershire in July 2025, he went on to guide Forest Green to the play-offs with the campaign ending in defeat to Boreham Wood.

It would turn out to be his only full season in charge, with Savage leaving the club on 2 October, with them sitting 13th after 11 matches.

At the time, Vince told BBC Radio Gloucestershire that he initially refused Peterborough permission to speak to Savage but relented after he said the club approached him directly.

"Peterborough themselves have covered themselves in no glory here. They came to us and said, 'We would like to speak to your manager,'" he told BBC Radio Gloucestershire 10 days after the appointment.

"We said no, and so they spoke to him, and then he came to us and said, 'I hear Peterborough want to speak to me.' So, that's an illegal approach."

Posh chairman Darren MacAnthony hit back against the claims, writing on X that the process to appoint a new manager was "100% correct and proper, following all the rules".

Since joining Peterborough, Savage's record has been two wins, two draws and two losses in all competitions.

Related topics

Football

Forest Green Rovers

National League

Peterborough United

League One