FOREST Green chairman Dale Vince insists vice-chairman Trevor Horsley will regret his decision to quit the New Lawn.

Yorkshireman Horsley leaves the club following 20 years of service, guiding Rovers to two promotions and a Wembley appearance.

His departure follows Colin Peake’s exit last month.

Vince - owner of green energy company Ecotricity - launched a takeover of Forest Green in 2010 and rescued the Blue Square Bet Premier club from the brink of administration after Horsley appealed for investors to safe the club.

Horsley remained the second largest shareholder and stayed on the Rovers board to become joint vice-chairman alongside David Drew.

However, a war of words has since broken out between the two men at the top with Leeds fan Horsley telling BBC Radio Gloucestershire: “I’ve supported him [Vince] but I don’t feel I have a part to play anymore,” said Horsley.

“I don’t even know if players are signed-I have to find out through the secretary or press officer -and it’s very disappointing.

“I’ve thought long and hard about it. I put some questions to Dale and he came back with some answers but I don’t think it will work the way I want it to work.

“Dale runs it his way. He’s made some good decisions and invested a lot of money and I would never knock him for that, but it’s not the way I’m used to working.

“It’s a very difficult time for me at the moment, with the fruition on the football side coming good, and to walk away now for reasons that are not related to football is very difficult.”

Horsley added: “I don’t know what Dale’s long-term ambitions are but he’s put a tremendous amount of money in to the club but we’ve seen it so many other times where people come in and invest but then get fed up with it.”Hopefully Dale isn’t that sort of guy.”

But Vince responded to Horsley’s accusations, and said: “I don’t acknowledge the description Trevor gave.

“I haven’t treated Trevor badly at all.Any suggestion that I have is just plain wrong. I can’t regret something I haven’t done badly.

“He complains about not being informed but he kept himself out of the loop.”

Vince added: “I like to involve the whole team - we have a good discussion and make decisions between us.

“Trevor hasn’t been to a board meeting all year so he’s not close to the decisions that are being made.

“He’s drifted away from the club and the board and that’s a shame.”

“Trevor could have come to me and spoken to me. But it seems like he’s been stewing on it and he’s just chosen to quit and go on the radio to vent about it. I don’t really understand what his grievances are.

“I think it’s a real shame he’s leaving. It’s a mistake and I’ll think he regret it later.

“Forest Green have turned a corner and I hope we’ll find ourselves in the Football League before long. I wanted him to be a part of that and to stay on the board, so he can benefit from all the years he’s put in, but he’s opted not to.”

Vince was grateful for the support Horsley had given him since taking over the club.

“Trevor’s decision to step down came as a bit of a surprise, though not a complete one.

“He’s had a difficult transition to make, from basically being in charge of the club, to not being so - and I think he’s handled that really well - better than I could were I in his shoes.

“The last season has really been about the transformation of FGR from being volunteer run to being a fully professional football club, as we seek to join the world of league football.

“That does mean the club is run on a different basis and that’s not everyone’s cup of tea,” he added