He signed for Forest Green Rovers in March 1996 and was part of their successful double league winning side that won back-to-back promotions into the Football Conference in 1998 under Frank Gregan.
In 1999, Sykes reached the final of the FA Trophy with Forest Green at Wembley Stadium but the club lost 1–0 against Kingstonian.
He finished as top goal scorer in the competition that season and scored in the semi-final second leg against St Albans City.
[5] He helped the club to an FA Cup giant killing against Stoke City however he returned to Forest Green on loan in March 2001 until the end of the season.
[6] He missed the club's 2001 FA Trophy final defeat against Canvey Island at Villa Park because he had been cup tied from playing for Nuneaton in a previous round.
Sykes returned to Nuneaton for the 2001–02 campaign but re-joined Forest Green permanently under the management of former England international Nigel Spink in January 2002.
[8] In November 2002, he featured in Forest Green's 0-0 FA Cup first round draw with Exeter City which was broadcast live on Match of the Day.
[12] Sykes suffered from injury problems at Twerton Park and was loaned out to Gloucester City to play under his former manager at Forest Green, Tim Harris.
He spent a few months of the 2009–10 season with Gloucester City in the Conference North as well as a short loan spell at Shortwood United, before departing in December 2009 for Bishop's Cleeve to take on the role of player/assistant manager at Kayte Lane.
[17] Just a month later however, and it was announced that Sykes had become joint-manager at fellow Southern League club Shortwood United alongside John Evans.