Dale Vince and Darragh MacAnthony clash over Robbie Savage’s Forest Green Rovers exit

Forest Green Rovers owner Dale Vince has accused Peterborough United of making an illegal approach for manager Robbie Savage – an allegation Posh chairman Darragh MacAnthony has denied.

The spat between Vince and MacAnthony unfolded after the Forest Green chief told BBC Radio Gloucestershire that he initially refused Peterborough permission to speak to Savage before eventually agreeing to let the League One club interview their manager.

A statement from the National League outfit was released on September 29, confirming he was allowed to begin talks with the EFL side.

However, Vince alleges Posh contacted Savage before he had granted permission for the club to speak to his manager, prompting the dispute over the circumstances of the move, which was completed a few days later on October 2.

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Illegal or correct approach?

“He’s [Savage] a friend and it was very hard to say no, so I said ‘fine, go and talk to them’,” Vince said.

“Peterborough themselves have covered themselves in no glory here. They came to us and said ‘we would like to speak to your manager’.

“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.”

However, MacAnthony has disputed Vince’s account, insisting that Peterborough followed the rules throughout the appointment process as the pair traded blows on X.

He said: “The process to appoint a new manager was 100% correct and proper following all the rules.

“I have been an owner for 20 years in the EFL and have respect for the process.”

Vince hit back and wrote: “Darragh MacAnthony either is not telling the truth here or he doesn’t know what’s happening at his own club.

“Because absolutely, we refused permission to speak, and contact was made in any event, which caused this whole thing to come to a head.

“So the rules were broken. That’s a fact.”

Permission

In response, MacAnthony claimed that Peterborough director of football Barry Fry had contacted Forest Green counterpart Mark Bowen to request permission to interview Savage.

“Not sure why you are persisting with this narrative Dale,” MacAnthony replied.

“Barry Fry called Mark Bowen to ask permission to interview your manager.

“You guys sent three different emails I believe regarding compensation and gave us permission to interview him.

“Nobody at my club offered your manager an interview until official permission was granted for the interview regardless of the speculation or indeed the various statements you put out around it all.”

Forest Green have not confirmed whether they have contacted the Football Association over the alleged illegal approach.

READ MORE: Forest Green Rovers 2-4 Hartlepool United: Dale Vince insists Rovers have no vacancy after Robbie Savage exit