Result of the night

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 9:44 pm

Congratulations to Wimbledon on their 2-0 win tonight

DCWat · Post by **DCWat** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 9:47 pm

And now six points ahead of MK.

Isn't it great how football has a lovely habit of turning the tables and long may this one continue.

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 9:49 pm

They didn't name the opposition on the front of the programme tonight and their one remaining issue they have now is MK's use of DONS so they didn't put that on the scoreboard.

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Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 9:50 pm

Saw this and was delighted for them

mkmel · Post by **mkmel** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 10:01 pm

Listened to the commentary of the game on WimbledonPlayer and they certainly deserved to win and win they did

Thejkr · Post by **Thejkr** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 10:04 pm

Well done AFC Wimbledon

mkmel · Post by **mkmel** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 10:04 pm

I think I read that on the back of the programme they also didn't mention the names of the MK players

cricketfieldclarets · Post by **cricketfieldclarets** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 10:39 pm

All a bit childish really.

Buxtonclaret · Post by **Buxtonclaret** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 11:24 pm

cricketfieldclarets wrote:All a bit childish really.

Not if your a Wimbledon fan that had their club stolen and then franchised out to someone else, it's not.

cricketfieldclarets · Post by **cricketfieldclarets** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 11:26 pm

They had years to sort it out before it came to that.

Arsenal are from woolwich. Man utd from newton heath. Bolton are now in Horwich. West Ham have moved to Stratford. Grimsby play in cleethorpes.

Its no different to any of them other than it happened in our generation. West Ham is identical. Albeit a shorter move. So why no issue there? What they did was worse as its public money and a public stadium thats given them an unfair advantage. We may as well give wembley to barnet!

HatfieldClaret · Post by **HatfieldClaret** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 11:30 pm

Chelsea play in Fulham and Queens Park (Kilburn) Rangers play in Shepherds Bush, but Wimbledon to Milton Keynes is a bit far.

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 11:36 pm

cricketfieldclarets wrote:All a bit childish really.

What if Derby got bored of wasting millions trying to get promoted and just bought Burnley for £75m for our premier league place? I know there should be rules against it but after having a bid accepted they just dissolved Derby and moved us there changing our club colours etc to what Derbys were?

We might get a tad upset.

cricketfieldclarets · Post by **cricketfieldclarets** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 11:38 pm

Thats the point. Who decides what the limit should be?

Its modern football. These things happen. People might not like it but its nearly 15 years since. Youd think people would be over it by now. Its no big deal. Wimbledon are back and have beaten them at the same level. Live an let live.

cricketfieldclarets · Post by **cricketfieldclarets** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 11:39 pm

Quickenthetempo wrote:What if Derby got bored of wasting millions trying to get promoted and just bought Burnley for £75m for our premier league place? I know there should be rules against it but after having a bid accepted they just dissolved Derby and moved us there changing our club colours etc to what Derbys were?

We might get a tad upset.

We would have to be in a pretty **** sotuation for that to happen. Like wimbledon getting 3k gates in the premier league. They didn even want a club. Until they didnt have one.

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 11:47 pm

cricketfieldclarets wrote:We would have to be in a pretty **** sotuation for that to happen. Like wimbledon getting 3k gates in the premier league. They didn even want a club. Until they didnt have one.

The 3k obviously wanted it. We went down to less than 2k crowds in the 80s, it doesn't mean we deserved our club taken off us.

gogogadgetlegs · Post by **gogogadgetlegs** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 12:59 am

box_of_frogs · Post by **box_of_frogs** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 7:21 am

mkmel wrote:I think I read that on the back of the programme they also didn't mention the names of the MK players

That's the pathetic childish bit, if true.

Targetman · Post by **Targetman** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 8:05 am

"They didnt want a club"

Thats the most flippant post Ive ever read on this site.
Shows a complete lack of football knowledge.
What a load of rubbish!

Inchy · Post by **Inchy** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 8:11 am

I think this has turned into a win/win for both clubs

MK has gained a football club and Wimbledon managed to restart debt free and rebuild

Both areas now have football league clubs so its worked out well in the long run

Sidney1st · Post by **Sidney1st** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 8:18 am

Quickenthetempo wrote:What if Derby got bored of wasting millions trying to get promoted and just bought Burnley for £75m for our premier league place? I know there should be rules against it but after having a bid accepted they just dissolved Derby and moved us there changing our club colours etc to what Derbys were?

We might get a tad upset.

I might be imagining this, but didn't Burnley consider doing something similar with another club??

Don't shoot me if I'm wrong, but I thought I'd read it somewhere.

Wexford_Claret · Post by **Wexford_Claret** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 8:24 am

Buxtonclaret wrote:Not if your a Wimbledon fan that had their club stolen and then franchised out to someone else, it's not.

Something you have to tell us, Buxton?

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 8:38 am

Sidney1st wrote:I might be imagining this, but didn't Burnley consider doing something similar with another club??

Don't shoot me if I'm wrong, but I thought I'd read it somewhere.

A director claimed we had plans to buy Cardiff, I don't know how far it had got beyond an idea.

IanMcL · Post by **IanMcL** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 8:39 am

An opportunity for MK Dons to actually rightfully become Milton Keynes. They get 10k supporters now, despite being poor. There is no connection with the former club whose place they nicked. Let Milton Keynes and Wimbledon flourish.

Sidney1st · Post by **Sidney1st** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 8:47 am

IanMcL wrote:An opportunity for MK Dons to actually rightfully become Milton Keynes. They get 10k supporters now, despite being poor. There is no connection with the former club whose place they nicked. Let Milton Keynes and Wimbledon flourish.

You're right there, but some people will always sit in a corner chewing on what happened with Wimbledon, they won't let it go for whatever reason

The fans stopped going, the club was on it's arse due to poor ownership and was about to fold.

Paul Waine · Post by **Paul Waine** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 9:07 am

cricketfieldclarets wrote:They had years to sort it out before it came to that.

Arsenal are from woolwich. Man utd from newton heath. Bolton are now in Horwich. West Ham have moved to Stratford. Grimsby play in cleethorpes.

Its no different to any of them other than it happened in our generation. West Ham is identical. Albeit a shorter move. So why no issue there? What they did was worse as its public money and a public stadium thats given them an unfair advantage. We may as well give wembley to barnet!

Hi cricketfield, all the clubs you mentioned moved a few miles. MK Dons moved 60 miles from Wimbledon (and 60 miles from Selhurst Park, their last London ground) - and, of course, changed their name. It would be like Burnley moving 60 miles away; Goole or Crewe, for example - and the new club taking Burnley's place in the league.

I've lived in S.West London for nearly 30 years. A few people I know continue to support Franchise and travel up to MK, but for most fans this was much too far. (It's north of Watford, for many Londoners that's near Scotland...).

BTW: Last night's fixture was a "bubble game" - MK fans treated like Burnley (or Blackburn), required to travel on coaches from MK (and one or two other pick ups), tickets handed out when coaches arrived at Kingsmeadow. I'm not sure what the MK fans who live near Kingsmeadow had to do.

I guess we all remember that Burnley played the last game the old Wimbledon played at Selhurst Park - before the club moved to MK.(Don't think they changed the name immediately).

Sutton-Claret · Post by **Sutton-Claret** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 9:12 am

Quickenthetempo wrote:What if Derby got bored of wasting millions trying to get promoted and just bought Burnley for £75m for our premier league place? I know there should be rules against it but after having a bid accepted they just dissolved Derby and moved us there changing our club colours etc to what Derbys were?

Source?

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 9:23 am

Paul Waine wrote:I guess we all remember that Burnley played the last game the old Wimbledon played at Selhurst Park - before the club moved to MK.(Don't think they changed the name immediately).

We didn't but we played the first in Milton Keynes. Our last game against them at Selhurst was on the last day of the 2002/03 season but they continued playing there at the start of 2003/04 because they hadn't found anywhere suitable for them to play in Milton Keynes. It was early in the following season when they finally moved for the 2-2 draw against us.

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 9:34 am

cricketfieldclarets wrote:Like wimbledon getting 3k gates in the premier league. They didn even want a club. Until they didnt have one.

In their last Premier League season, a relegation season too, their average attendance was around 17,150. There was only one attendance below 10,000 and that came after relegation had been confirmed.

Remember, the MK consortium had already approached several other clubs (Luton, Millwall, QPR for three) to try and get them to relocate. The whole thing was about getting an out of town shopping area which they couldn't get permission for without a stadium. The major players were of course Walmart/Asda.

When Charles Koppel tried to force the move by placing Wimbledon into admin, one of the MK consortium actually said that it didn't matter because they still had 18 months to find another club to move. When asked about Milton Keynes City FC, the consortium said it would take them too long to get them up the leagues.

The Football League opposed the move because it broke the rules and the FA also opposed it. With legal action coming in, backed by Walmart, the FA agreed to an independent commission. That commission voted 2-1 in favour of the move and so it went ahead based on the decision of two people.

The three man commission was

Alan Turvey (Ryman League chairman) - opposed the move
Steve Stride (Aston Villa operations director) - supported the move
Raj Parker (Commercial Lawyer) - supported the move

Once that had been agreed, the WImbledon fans revealed that, having lost their club, they wanted to set up a new one.

They were told by the FA: "The FA is very much against it. We are looking into it because we don't believe it's a good thing for the game."

Turvey said: ""I don't agree with the commission's statement. How can it be wrong for a club to re-form? What the fans are doing is marvellous and I do wish them well."

What a good result last night - I'm delighted for those Wimbledon fans who fought so hard and have continued to do so to get their club back to where it is today.

DCWat · Post by **DCWat** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 9:36 am

"Where were you?
Where were you
Where were you when you were us?"

cricketfieldclarets · Post by **cricketfieldclarets** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 9:54 am

Paul Waine wrote:Hi cricketfield, all the clubs you mentioned moved a few miles. MK Dons moved 60 miles from Wimbledon (and 60 miles from Selhurst Park, their last London ground) - and, of course, changed their name. It would be like Burnley moving 60 miles away; Goole or Crewe, for example - and the new club taking Burnley's place in the league.

I've lived in S.West London for nearly 30 years. A few people I know continue to support Franchise and travel up to MK, but for most fans this was much too far. (It's north of Watford, for many Londoners that's near Scotland...).

BTW: Last night's fixture was a "bubble game" - MK fans treated like Burnley (or Blackburn), required to travel on coaches from MK (and one or two other pick ups), tickets handed out when coaches arrived at Kingsmeadow. I'm not sure what the MK fans who live near Kingsmeadow had to do.

I guess we all remember that Burnley played the last game the old Wimbledon played at Selhurst Park - before the club moved to MK.(Don't think they changed the name immediately).

This is the point. How fars acceptable. 1 mile. 10 miles. 100 miles?

They were homeless for years. At least MK wanted them.

Buxtonclaret · Post by **Buxtonclaret** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 9:54 am

Wexford_Claret wrote:Something you have to tell us, Buxton?

Not at all, Wexford! I've been a Claret over 50 years!!
But i did used to know a Wimbledon fan whilst living in London. And despite the odd dig about their cup win against us, she was a great girl.

I just happen to think what happened to them, from the ordinary grass roots footy fans perspective, was disgraceful and, should never have been allowed.

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 10:06 am

Sutton-Claret wrote:Source?

What you on about Source? It's a made up scenario that could happen.

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 10:09 am

Sidney1st wrote:You're right there, but some people will always sit in a corner chewing on what happened with Wimbledon, they won't let it go for whatever reason

The fans stopped going, the club was on it's arse due to poor ownership and was about to fold.

Fancy football fans having morals. Who would of believed it.

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 11:51 am

cricketfieldclarets wrote:This is the point. How fars acceptable. 1 mile. 10 miles. 100 miles?

They were homeless for years. At least MK wanted them.

You really don't have a clue do you? MK wanted an out of town retail park and the only way they could get permission from Government was to have a stadium in there. They needed a team to play in that stadium or the retail park wouldn't happen. That's it, nothing to do with MK wanting a team, and as it happened they already had one which was forced into closure.

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 11:52 am

Sidney1st wrote:You're right there, but some people will always sit in a corner chewing on what happened with Wimbledon, they won't let it go for whatever reason

The fans stopped going, the club was on it's arse due to poor ownership and was about to fold.

You don't seem to know too much either. I've already posted the average attendance in their last Premier League season. They only dropped down to the low figures during the protest when supporters were boycotting games.

Inchy · Post by **Inchy** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 11:56 am

So the only reason MK wanted Wimbledon is because they wanted a retail park?

I am not saying this is untrue but surely there are easier ways to get a retail park than create a football club?

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 12:00 pm

Inchy wrote:So the only reason MK wanted Wimbledon is because they wanted a retail park?

I am not saying this is untrue but surely there are easier ways to get a retail park than create a football club?

Tesco wanted to do the same with Everton in Kirby. Obviously not too far to travel but same principal.

Inchy · Post by **Inchy** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 12:04 pm

I would only be interested if Lidl come in. Some real bargains

Sidney1st · Post by **Sidney1st** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 12:05 pm

ClaretTony wrote:You don't seem to know too much either. I've already posted the average attendance in their last Premier League season. They only dropped down to the low figures during the protest when supporters were boycotting games.

So there's a chance Rovers could be sold and moved?

I don't fret to much about Wimbledon because it happened for a variety of reasons.

I've seen clubs move in US sports, happened to the Minnesota All stars NHL team, they went off to Dallas, I think it was after a dispute about who was building their new arena but I'd need to check.
They've now got the Minnesota Wild, but there were a good number of years with no Hockey team.

People seem to have an issue with it because it's not the norm in football for a club to move/migrate.

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 12:06 pm

Inchy wrote:So the only reason MK wanted Wimbledon is because they wanted a retail park?

I am not saying this is untrue but surely there are easier ways to get a retail park than create a football club?

Yes, the only reason and, as posted, it was Walmart/Asda pulling the strings. They paid for the stadium for them. It was all down to where they wanted to place the retail park, it's called Denbigh. Without the stadium they knew they wouldn't get Government approval. The MK chairman Peter Winkelman was very much part of the retail development plans.

When we played there in the cup in 2010, it was a mud heap all around the ground. Now it is quite simply a retail park with the stadium stuck in the middle of it.

https://www.retail-week.com/topics/prop ... 86.article

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 12:06 pm

Sidney1st wrote:I don't fret to much about Wimbledon because it happened for a variety of reasons.

Can I suggest you do some research, then you'd stop making things up.

cricketfieldclarets · Post by **cricketfieldclarets** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 12:10 pm

Tony knows everything!

cricketfieldclarets · Post by **cricketfieldclarets** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 12:12 pm

As for the stadium - the retail park is great. Stayed at the stadium hotel many times. Great facilities. Great hotel on site and good connections in and out of London. Just what the area needed.

Wimbledon didnt even play in Wimbledon before they moved to MK. They played an hour away in Croydon!

Bordeauxclaret · Post by **Bordeauxclaret** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 12:13 pm

Shouldn't have been allowed to happen but not printing their name on the programme is weird and petty.
Probably get more sympathy by showing a little dignity.

Diesel · Post by **Diesel** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 12:24 pm

Don Tonioni:

Has quite a ring to it

NRC · Post by **NRC** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 12:25 pm

the one post in this thread that has clarity for me relates to the independent commission. As stated there neither the FA, nor the FL wanted it as it went against the community-based provisions in the rules of the game (not sure if it's in the AoA). The reason they took a neutral position to leave it to a commission was in effect that in all practicalities there no longer existed a viable football club. It allowed a commission to save face all round.

I'm happy for the fans that they won this game, and they sit above the club that moved to MK, but with that watershed it really is time to move on....

RocketLawnChair · Post by **RocketLawnChair** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 12:28 pm

I maybe wrong and you clearly get told off if you are wrong on this subject.

I always thought Wimbledon FC became an easy target for the Milton Keynes project because for a couple of years before that and whilst they were still a Premier League club the owners were keen to move the club to Dublin. So it seems if it wasn't Milton Keynes it would have been somewhere else because despite the fans protestations the owners were moving that club regardless.

Diesel · Post by **Diesel** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 12:33 pm

Which one won that FA Cup then?

Paul Waine · Post by **Paul Waine** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 12:33 pm

cricketfieldclarets wrote:As for the stadium - the retail park is great. Stayed at the stadium hotel many times. Great facilities. Great hotel on site and good connections in and out of London. Just what the area needed.

Wimbledon didnt even play in Wimbledon before they moved to MK. They played an hour away in Croydon!

Hi cricketfield,

Croydon is only "an hour away from Wimbledon" because London transport is always "choker block." Actually, can be quick tram ride between Wimbledon and Croydon (so long as the tram takes the corners carefully).

Selhurst Park was not too far for most Wimbledon fans - about the same distance many of them will commute to work.

Re your question: how far is too far? It's got to depend where you are. 10 miles in many areas, not to bad. London perfectly acceptable. North East Lancs, not a chance, I would have thought.

UTC

Sausage · Post by **Sausage** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 12:45 pm

At last, a post on which I can write with a degree of authority.

Claret Tony is 100% correct in post #28. And for those who want to know my source, well it was Pete Winkelman himself. I interviewed him twice in late 2001 and early 2002 for a piece I was writing on his struggles with the planners at Milton Keynes Council. He gave me chapter and verse on the attempts to persuade other teams to relocate and why it was so important to have a ready made tenant for the stadium he planned to build.

For the record, he came across as a thoroughly affable chap, though I deplore what he did to the old Wimbledon. I guess that's the very definition of feeling conflicted.