Dave Norton will be more interested than most when Forest Green Rovers and Cheltenham Town lock horns for the first time in the Football League at the end of November.

The 52-year-old played for both clubs either side of the millennium and also had a spell as joint manager of Forest Green with Nigel Spink in the early noughties.

Norton was one of those wholehearted players who earned the respect of managers, players and fans alike for his honesty, work ethic and team play, not to mention the skill factor which he brought to the right side of midfield for any club he played for.

It’s probably fair to say that both clubs would welcome somebody like him with open arms at the moment although Norton doesn’t under-estimate what either club have achieved in his post-Gloucestershire years.

“Yes, it is a massive achievement for both clubs to be playing in the Football League,” he said. “It’s very hard to stay in any division no matter what level you are playing at. You’ve got to believe you can stay up. The goals of everyone involved at the club must be the same.”

Norton, who numbers Aston Villa, Hull City and Northampton Town among his past clubs, made more than 300 appearances in the full-time game before moving down into the Conference with Cheltenham at the start of the 1998/99 season.

But while he may have dropped a level, Norton was certain the only way was back up from the first day he arrived at Cheltenham. And he wasn’t wrong as Steve Cotterill and his men saw off the challenge of money-bags Rushden and Diamonds to clinch a place in the Football League for the first time in their history.

“I knew straight away that we’d win the league,” said Norton. “We had this shared mentality. Everybody at the club – the manager, players and the board had that belief.

“Steve was incredible. His attention to detail; we knew every set-piece, we knew about every player and he created a fantastic team spirit.

“That year was my best ever in football, it was my most enjoyable time.

“I played 37 league games that season. I missed a couple through injury and Bob Bloomer came in for me and I remember wanting him to do really well even though he was playing in my place.

“Everybody felt like that and that hardly ever happens in football.”

Norton, of course, had suffered the agony of dropping out of the Football League the season before when he was at Hereford and although an injury insurance payout meant he couldn’t play in the top four divisions again, that didn’t diminish his enjoyment one jot as Cheltenham led the table almost from the start to the finish.

“Steve Cotterill had this fire burning inside him just like me,” said Norton. “He was a born winner and I will always be grateful for what he gave me that season.

“It was the only championship I won in my career. I saw Richard Walker the other day and we were saying what great days they were at Cheltenham. We were a team of one-offs.”

Norton played a handful of games for Yeovil Town before linking up with Forest Green, for whom he played more than 40 games.

“Frank Gregan was the manager at the time and he was good for me,” said Norton. “It was a great little club and we had a group of players who were good to be around.

“We had some good players too – Tony Daley and Nigel Spink. The chairman Trevor Horsley spent some money.

“But in those days they were happy just to be in the Conference and I wanted more than that. I didn’t just want to aim for mid-table.”

Gregan’s departure saw Norton and Spink installed as joint managers and as with many job shares it didn’t always run smoothly.”

“We were good friends,” said Norton, “but we found ourselves disagreeing on a couple of things. We valued our friendship and told the club that they had to choose between us at the end of the season.

“They went for Nigel which didn’t surprise me because he was more of a figurehead than me. I had a great time there – we reached the FA Trophy final in 2001 – and there was never any bitterness.”

Norton then had short spells in charge at Gainsborough Trinity and Grantham Town as well as coaching roles at Stafford Rangers and Tamworth before setting up his own soccer school.

These days he runs the Draper Norton Football Academy in Nottingham with former Notts County and Aston Villa midfielder Mark Draper.

“It’s the best job in the world,” he enthused. “It’s tremendous having all these kids who just want to learn. And it’s not just about ability, it’s about attitude as well and education is a big part of what we do. We’d rather develop people first.

“We want to see a commitment and discipline in their education.”

Norton says he’s not surprised to see Forest Green in League Two “after the money they’ve spent” but it’s Cheltenham who are closest to his heart.

Ask him who he wants to win when Cheltenham go to The New Lawn on Saturday 25th November and he answers without hesitation.

“Cheltenham without a doubt,” he said, “one million per cent. When I was there I had a sense of belonging. People respected me, not just the players but everyone at the club.

“The club were a family and I still look out for their results today.”