Welcome Home
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Welcome Home
AFC Wimbledon play their first game at their new Plough Lane stadium this evening. It's a great story of a football club that "would not die" - despite being shipped off to Milton Keynes in 2003 (check date).
Burnley played the last game against Wimbledon at Selhurst Park before they moved to MK - becoming MK Dons some time later. This was the last game of the "ITV Digital" season and was the last game many of the Clarets team that day played for us.
I think we all know the story of the fans setting up AFC Wimbledon and starting the club again in the minor leagues, playing at Kingsmeadow in Kingston.
They've now got a new 9,000 seat stadium - with planning permission to extend to 20,000.
TUE 03 NOV 2020LEAGUE ONE
AFC Wimbledon 19:45 Doncaster Rovers
Venue: Plough Lane, England
Congratulations and welcome home to Plough Lane.
UTC
Burnley played the last game against Wimbledon at Selhurst Park before they moved to MK - becoming MK Dons some time later. This was the last game of the "ITV Digital" season and was the last game many of the Clarets team that day played for us.
I think we all know the story of the fans setting up AFC Wimbledon and starting the club again in the minor leagues, playing at Kingsmeadow in Kingston.
They've now got a new 9,000 seat stadium - with planning permission to extend to 20,000.
TUE 03 NOV 2020LEAGUE ONE
AFC Wimbledon 19:45 Doncaster Rovers
Venue: Plough Lane, England
Congratulations and welcome home to Plough Lane.
UTC
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Re: Welcome Home
Great news for the genuine Wimbledon fans. They so deserve this.
Re: Welcome Home
I worked in Wimbledon for 4-5 years and lived around the corner from where the stadium now is, replacing the dilapidated dog track. It’s been a helluva journey.
But spare a thought for Kingstonian. Chelsea and Wimbledon pretty much carved up Kingsmeadow between them, and Kingstonian ended up ground sharing with Leatherhead. To get back to where they are now, Wimbledon dislodged another club from theirs.
But spare a thought for Kingstonian. Chelsea and Wimbledon pretty much carved up Kingsmeadow between them, and Kingstonian ended up ground sharing with Leatherhead. To get back to where they are now, Wimbledon dislodged another club from theirs.
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Re: Welcome Home
from the MMT thread this morning
Chester Perry wrote: ↑Tue Nov 03, 2020 9:30 amIt finally happens tonight - AFC Wimbledon will play a match at Plough Lane - the real sorrow is there will be no fans there to see it - from the Telegraph
AFC Wimbledon gear up for bittersweet return to Plough Lane after 29-year absence
JIM WHITE NOVEMBER 03, 2020
When AFC Wimbledon play their first match at their new Plough Lane stadium, against Doncaster Rovers on Tuesday, it will be an evening of mixed emotion for the club's commercial director Ivor Heller.
“It’s amazing, incredible, but horrendous all at the same time,” says Heller, who was one of the founder members of the club when it was formed from the ashes when the old Wimbledon was franchised into MK Dons. “Our whole story is about the fans. We’ve been in wilderness for nearly 30 years and when we finally get to reach the promised land, everyone is locked out. None of our fans, the people who built us, can be there. You could say it is typical Wimbledon. We’ve never done anything the easy way. Nobody ever handed us anything on a platter.”
It is 29 years ago since Wimbledon FC played their last fixture in their home borough, against Crystal Palace at the old Plough Lane ground which has since been modernised into a housing development. At the heart of their story - as the club first squatted at Selhurst Park, then was forcibly relocated 30 miles north to Buckinghamshire before being reborn as a fan-owned phoenix operation in Kingston - has been an insistence on one day returning home.
“Being in Plough Lane was 100 per cent critical to everything we stood for,” says Heller. “To me we wouldn’t properly be Wimbledon unless we got back to the borough of Merton. We never made a secret of that ambition right from the start.” And now they are back, in a £36 million, 9,300 capacity new stadium, built where the old dog track used to be. Funded in part by a bond scheme which raised more than £5million from the club’s supporters, the opening of the place has only been held back six weeks by the pandemic.
“Construction carried on throughout the first lockdown, though it had to slow a bit to follow social distancing rules,” explains Heller. “But actually we were blessed by the sunshine. This spring and summer has been perfect building weather.”
When the ground opens, there will be none of the old school, Crazy Gang Plough Lane in evidence. The pitch is a carpet, there is ample hot water in the visitors' dressing room, everywhere is sleek comfort rather than tumbledown squalor. More to the point, the new construction has several innovations which will enable it to deliver sustainable income. There are conferencing facilities, a 500-seat lounge, a club museum including Vinnie Jones’s 1988 FA Cup winner’s medal. Plus a pub which, once lockdown has abated, will be open seven days a week. That, though, is not the end of the story: there is planning permission to extend the capacity to 20,000.
“I think there is a market for that sort of scale,” Heller reckons. “I think people will come here and really enjoy themselves in a safe and modern environment. I feel now we have this facility, we’ll be on to something. This is not just a massive prospect for us, but for the whole of the borough.”
Though to Heller’s evident dismay, initially there will be no one able to experience at first hand the club’s new spiritual home.
“Telling fans and sponsors that sorry, there’s nothing I can do to get you in has been heart breaking,” he says. “But being involved with this club has taught me to be a glass half full type of guy. I’m hopeful by the end of this season we’ll be getting crowds back in. And the start of next season, it will be back to capacity attendances.”
And for him that is when things will finally have come home.
“The first time we can have a full house here, that will be our party. Until then we’re marking time.”
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Re: Welcome Home
This isn’t quite correct. The game you refer to was the final game of the 2002/03 season but the ITV Digital season was 2001/02. It was also not the last game before the move to MK. They started the following season at Selhurst Park. We were the first team to play them though in MK at the hockey stadium.Paul Waine wrote: ↑Tue Nov 03, 2020 7:46 pmBurnley played the last game against Wimbledon at Selhurst Park before they moved to MK - becoming MK Dons some time later. This was the last game of the "ITV Digital" season and was the last game many of the Clarets team that day played for us.
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Re: Welcome Home
I was in MK on Thursday and trying to the significance of the Asda store to the next for stadium to my son. Our one and only visit there was for the 5-0 win in the run of 23 23 undefeated. Really pleased to see Wimbledon back in their home borough. I remember a poster called Wisa Si on the old board when the whole move was going through.
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Re: Welcome Home
Yes, I'm "painting pictures" and creating links with the Clarets. I believe 14 Clarets were released before the game at Selhurst Park, including some of the emerging developments squad. Every contract that could be terminated was terminated. That was all down to ITV Digital. I agree their default was earlier. (Covid-19 may also cast a long shadow).ClaretTony wrote: ↑Tue Nov 03, 2020 8:06 pmThis isn’t quite correct. The game you refer to was the final game of the 2002/03 season but the ITV Digital season was 2001/02. It was also not the last game before the move to MK. They started the following season at Selhurst Park. We were the first team to play them though in MK at the hockey stadium.
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Re: Welcome Home
Apologies, CP. I saw that you'd posted on MMT when I started my daily catch up on the MMT some time after I'd posted. I came back to this thread with the intention of copy/pasting your post.
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Re: Welcome Home
I played 5-a-side at Kingsmeadow for several years - a couple of pitches alongside the football stadium and the athletics track. I'm not certain of details. I thought AFC, who'd been hosted by Kingstonian for a number of seasons bought them out for needed ground improvements, then later Chelsea Women's team came along and have now bought out AFC, who needed the money to help fund Plough Lane.TsarBomba wrote: ↑Tue Nov 03, 2020 8:00 pmI worked in Wimbledon for 4-5 years and lived around the corner from where the stadium now is, replacing the dilapidated dog track. It’s been a helluva journey.
But spare a thought for Kingstonian. Chelsea and Wimbledon pretty much carved up Kingsmeadow between them, and Kingstonian ended up ground sharing with Leatherhead. To get back to where they are now, Wimbledon dislodged another club from theirs.
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Re: Welcome Home
Beresford, Davis, Armstrong & Taylor played their last games for us that day as did Waine & Papadopoulos who came on as subs. With all the money I the world I can’t imagine any of those would have been kept other than Taylor.Paul Waine wrote: ↑Tue Nov 03, 2020 9:16 pmYes, I'm "painting pictures" and creating links with the Clarets. I believe 14 Clarets were released before the game at Selhurst Park, including some of the emerging developments squad. Every contract that could be terminated was terminated. That was all down to ITV Digital. I agree their default was earlier. (Covid-19 may also cast a long shadow).
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Re: Welcome Home
I dunno. Papadopoulos had a better time of it for the next five years than we did up until the point we went up.ClaretTony wrote: ↑Tue Nov 03, 2020 10:28 pmBeresford, Davis, Armstrong & Taylor played their last games for us that day as did Waine & Papadopoulos who came on as subs. With all the money I the world I can’t imagine any of those would have been kept other than Taylor.
He was player of the year (which he won several times in his career) top scorer and title winner for panathanaikos as well as playing at the olympics and winning a euros.
I suspect he would have been easily good enough for us at that level. The others Taylor aside I agree were well past it.
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Re: Welcome Home
But he didn’t want to be here so we were looking to move him on.cricketfieldclarets wrote: ↑Tue Nov 03, 2020 10:44 pmI dunno. Papadopoulos had a better time of it for the next five years than we did up until the point we went up.
He was player of the year (which he won several times in his career) top scorer and title winner for panathanaikos as well as playing at the olympics and winning a euros.
I suspect he would have been easily good enough for us at that level. The others Taylor aside I agree were well past it.
Re: Welcome Home
We also played there in the FA Cup, a certain Mr Coyle's final game as managerHerts Clarets wrote: ↑Tue Nov 03, 2020 8:39 pmI was in MK on Thursday and trying to the significance of the Asda store to the next for stadium to my son. Our one and only visit there was for the 5-0 win in the run of 23 23 undefeated. Really pleased to see Wimbledon back in their home borough. I remember a poster called Wisa Si on the old board when the whole move was going through.
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Re: Welcome Home
Has anyone got any pictures of it?
Sounds very nice, and I bet the fans csnt wait to get in once normality resumes, its certainly something to look forward to for them.
Sounds very nice, and I bet the fans csnt wait to get in once normality resumes, its certainly something to look forward to for them.
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Re: Home at last for the Dons!
Man that was a windy terrace at their old gaff
Re: Home at last for the Dons!
Had a great Youngs Pub outside on the corner though. And a Nightclub underneath the main stand called Nelsons I think. Went to a few soul dos there. Bet they haven't got those in their new build.
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Re: Home at last for the Dons!
Fantastic story and good luck to them. An often forgotten/overlooked PL mainstay of the 90's.
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Re: Home at last for the Dons!
Yes they managed 14 straight seasons in the top flight as well as their famous FA Cup win of 1988, and they definitely upset the big boys with their antics, I love it when somebody does that, it's hard to imagine for younger readers, but Luton, Oxford and Wimbledon were powerhouse teams in the mid to late 1980's.Dark Cloud wrote: ↑Thu Nov 05, 2020 7:45 amFantastic story and good luck to them. An often forgotten/overlooked PL mainstay of the 90's.
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Re: Home at last for the Dons!
So pleased for them.
I watched them at Bedfont Sports, right near one of the London airports, on the day Burnley played the other club at the national hockey stadium (last minute May o.g. for a 2-2- draw?)
They were delighted to see several Clarets there.
I sold about 80 copies of the fanzine, and ended up being interviewed by the Financial Times on the Tube of the way home,
I watched them at Bedfont Sports, right near one of the London airports, on the day Burnley played the other club at the national hockey stadium (last minute May o.g. for a 2-2- draw?)
They were delighted to see several Clarets there.
I sold about 80 copies of the fanzine, and ended up being interviewed by the Financial Times on the Tube of the way home,
Re: Home at last for the Dons!
And I was at that MK vs Burnley game and was interviewed before the start by a Sunday Times sports reporter
I think David May got sent off
I think David May got sent off
Last edited by mkmel on Thu Nov 05, 2020 12:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Home at last for the Dons!
Very happy for them. A great little / big club.
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Re: Home at last for the Dons!
They should have been liquidated the way the league allowed Franchise FC to relocate was a complete farce
Re: Home at last for the Dons!
I would change your word farce and replace it with disgrace
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Re: Home at last for the Dons!
Strangely a question came up on a quiz I took part in during the first lockdown. "Which one of these teams has never played Premier league football. Oxford Utd, Swindon, Barnsley and Wimbledon?" A tough one to answer for anyone under 40!! (I got it, but someone did try to split hairs by claiming it wasn't AFC Wimbledon! )tiger76 wrote: ↑Thu Nov 05, 2020 10:31 amYes they managed 14 straight seasons in the top flight as well as their famous FA Cup win of 1988, and they definitely upset the big boys with their antics, I love it when somebody does that, it's hard to imagine for younger readers, but Luton, Oxford and Wimbledon were powerhouse teams in the mid to late 1980's.
Re: Home at last for the Dons!
Ironic that the thread was started by someone from Milton Keynes?
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Re: Welcome Home
Always had a soft spot for the Dons punching above their weight in the Premier League - had some great players as well like Robbie Earl,
then I went to several matches when they restarted as ~AFC Wimbledon and it was at first 'park football' and it was great to see how they worked their way up back into the football league. I also was at the game above that 'whentheballmoves' mentioned above.
The only time I didn't like the Dons was when they were non league and beat Burnley at Turf Moor in the FA Cup in the 70's 1-0
It took me years to live down that defeat.
UTC
then I went to several matches when they restarted as ~AFC Wimbledon and it was at first 'park football' and it was great to see how they worked their way up back into the football league. I also was at the game above that 'whentheballmoves' mentioned above.
The only time I didn't like the Dons was when they were non league and beat Burnley at Turf Moor in the FA Cup in the 70's 1-0
It took me years to live down that defeat.
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Re: Welcome Home
I met a bloke in an east London pub about 16 years ago who was introduced to me because I was known as a Burnley fan. He quickly got on to the Wimbledon Turf Moor triumph. I asked him if he went. 'Did I go, did I go?' he said. 'I played.'
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Re: Home at last for the Dons!
Being up here in the NW I went to a local non-league game that day when we drew 2-2 at the hockey stadium. I've been since but only once they had formally admitted they were a franchise and handed back the history of the club to its rightful place.whentheballmoves wrote: ↑Thu Nov 05, 2020 10:45 amSo pleased for them.
I watched them at Bedfont Sports, right near one of the London airports, on the day Burnley played the other club at the national hockey stadium (last minute May o.g. for a 2-2- draw?)
They were delighted to see several Clarets there.
I sold about 80 copies of the fanzine, and ended up being interviewed by the Financial Times on the Tube of the way home,
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Re: Home at last for the Dons!
What about Asda, have you been back inside one of their stores yet?ClaretTony wrote: ↑Thu Nov 05, 2020 3:15 pmBeing up here in the NW I went to a local non-league game that day when we drew 2-2 at the hockey stadium. I've been since but only once they had formally admitted they were a franchise and handed back the history of the club to its rightful place.
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Re: Home at last for the Dons!
I don't shop at AsdaDevils_Advocate wrote: ↑Thu Nov 05, 2020 3:22 pmWhat about Asda, have you been back inside one of their stores yet?
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Re: Home at last for the Dons!
It was in the days of really cheap return tickets to London from Sheffield, say around £20,so i didn't mind.ClaretTony wrote: ↑Thu Nov 05, 2020 3:15 pmBeing up here in the NW I went to a local non-league game that day when we drew 2-2 at the hockey stadium. I've been since but only once they had formally admitted they were a franchise and handed back the history of the club to its rightful place.
I've still never been to MK, and don't intend to, unless I can get a free ticket, thus giving them £0!!!
Didn't supporters groups go to Camelot, Alton Towers and the like instead that day?!
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Re: Welcome Home
They had some good players too many to mention, Carlton fairweather was my favourite, everything that was there also helped Samsung to be 1 of the leading forces in electronics at a time where aiwa,(although Sony revived) matsui, akai, tiny also fell to be bought by OEM.SussexDon1inIreland wrote: ↑Thu Nov 05, 2020 2:49 pmAlways had a soft spot for the Dons punching above their weight in the Premier League - had some great players as well like Robbie Earl,
then I went to several matches when they restarted as ~AFC Wimbledon and it was at first 'park football' and it was great to see how they worked their way up back into the football league. I also was at the game above that 'whentheballmoves' mentioned above.
The only time I didn't like the Dons was when they were non league and beat Burnley at Turf Moor in the FA Cup in the 70's 1-0
It took me years to live down that defeat.
UTC
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Re: Home at last for the Dons!
Some didwhentheballmoves wrote: ↑Thu Nov 05, 2020 3:31 pmIt was in the days of really cheap return tickets to London from Sheffield, say around £20,so i didn't mind.
I've still never been to MK, and don't intend to, unless I can get a free ticket, thus giving them £0!!!
Didn't supporters groups go to Camelot, Alton Towers and the like instead that day?!
Re: Home at last for the Dons!
Yes I live a short distance walk away from their ground and what Winkelman was allowed to do was an utter disgrace
Where I live doesn't come into it as what MK were allowed to do was and still is wrong wrong wrong!