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EspañolA.F.C. WIMBLEDON
(Redirected from AFC Wimbledon)
'AFC Wimbledon' is a semi-professional English football club, affiliated to both the London and Surrey Football Associations, which takes its name from, and traces its origins to, Wimbledon in the London Borough of Merton.
The club and its supporters regard AFC Wimbledon as the direct continuation of the former Wimbledon F.C., and consider that the new MK Dons are not representative of the legacy and tradition of the club.AFC Wimbledon Website, Honours
The club spent its first two seasons in the Premier Division of the Combined Counties League, but were promoted in only the second year of its existence to the Isthmian League First Division for the 2004-05 season, after winning the CCL championship with an unbeaten league season. They then proceeded to win the Isthmian League First Division at the first attempt, thereby earning automatic promotion to the Isthmian League Premier Division. The 2005-06 season saw the club finish fourth, thus entering the play-offs for promotion to the Conference South, however they were defeated 2-1 by Fisher Athletic.
The club currently hold the all-time English record for the most consecutive unbeaten league games by any senior football club, having achieved 78 league matches in a row without defeat over a period spanning three seasons.[1]
The club was founded by the supporters of Wimbledon F.C. in May 2002, when the Football Association agreed to allow the owners of their club to relocate over 60 miles north to the new town of Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire. Although Wimbledon F.C. was unable to physically move for more than a year, their traditional local support dried up almost immediately in a ground-swell of popular protest against the move.
Soon after moving, Wimbledon FC Ltd went into administration and the business was bought out by Pete Winkelman who, against the conditions of the club's move, cut all ties with the area of Wimbledon, launching a new club Milton Keynes Dons in 2004, with a new badge, name and colours, leaving AFC Wimbledon as the sole bearer of the ''"Wimbledon"'' name. By then, all organized supporters' groups that had followed the old club had long since pledged allegiance to AFC Wimbledon.
In order to assemble a competitive team at such short notice, AFC Wimbledon held player trials over three days on Wimbledon Common in June 2002, open to any unattached player who felt he was good enough to try out for the team. From these trials, the club's squad for its inaugural season was chosen.
The new team attracted an astonishingly large crowd, for a Non-league match, of 4,657 fans for its first ever game, a pre-season friendly against Sutton United on 10 July 2002.
Supporters of other clubs around the country initially boycotted matches against Milton Keynes Dons (mockingly referred to by many as "Franchise FC"[2]) in solidarity with Wimbledon's supporters, and as a protest against the principle of relocation and the continued recognition of the club in Milton Keynes by The Football League, which many fans perceive as completely alien to the traditions of the game in England.
AFC Wimbledon PLC was placed under the ownership of The Dons Trust, a supporters' group which has pledged to retain at least 75% control of that ownership, though in 2003 they sold a minority interest in a share issue, in order to finance the purchase of Kingsmeadow Stadium, the ground they shared with Kingstonian.
The Dons Trust is an Industrial and provident society registered with the Financial Services Authority as "Wimbledon Football Club Supporters' Society Limited". This is not to be confused with Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association (WISA) although this has, as one of its stated constitutional aims, "To purchase shares in AFCW's holding company".
Upon its foundation in 2002, Wimbledon entered into a ground-sharing arrangement with Kingstonian to play their home fixtures at The Cherry Red Records Fans' Stadium(at the time called the Kingsmedow), in neighbouring Kingston upon Thames.
Kingsmeadow had been the home of Kingstonian since the club moved to the ground in 1989 from its previous Richmond Road ground. However the club had hit major financial difficulties following relegation from the Conference and administrators had sold the club including the lease to the stadium to business men, Anup and Rajesh Khosla. The Khoslas subsequently transferred ownership of the stadium away from the club and into separate subsidiary companies privately owned by the Khosla family, in a move seen as an attempt at asset stripping.
It was felt that securing ownership of Kingsmeadow would safeguard the ground for the future of both clubs so in March 2003, the Dons Trust members voted to purchase part of the lease for the The Cherry Red Records Fans' Stadium and in June 2003 the contract for buying the lease to the stadium was agreed with Rajesh Khosla, meaning that £3 million needed to be raised.
Various innovative methods of fundraising, primarily a share issue to supporters which quickly realised £1.2m, and the Dons Trust Bond, meant that the debt to Mr Khosla was steadily reduced. On 30 March 2006, a Dons Trust meeting was held at which the majority vote was in favour of accepting a commercial loan from Barclays Bank in order to clear the outstanding debt to Mr Khosla, which was at a much higher rate of interest. On 24 November 2006 a statement on the AFC Wimbledon website finally confirmed that the club had taken up the option on the Barclays loan, and had repaid Mr Khosla in full.[3] Although the club has now settled its debt to Mr Khosla, around £300,000 is still owed in the form of the commercial loan, with a further £300,000 to Dons' Trust Bond-holders.
The club continues to work on new ways of fundraising to clear the debt once and for all. Meanwhile, the future of the ground is secured as a home ground both for AFC Wimbledon and, equally importantly, for Kingstonian FC who lease the ground at a nominal rate, paid for in part by the proceeds of an annual pre-season friendly between the two clubs. The long term ambition for AFC Wimbledon however remains to secure a ground in Merton. Soon after the club's purchase of Kingsmeadow, then Finance Director and current Chairman, Erik Samuelson was reported as saying:
In 2002-03, their first competitive season in the Combined Counties League (CCL), managed by Terry Eames, AFC Wimbledon started slowly but won their last 11 league games to finish the season in third place, narrowly missing promotion to the Ryman Isthmian League.
★ League (Combined Counties League, Premier Division): 3rd of 24
★ London Senior Cup: 3rd Round, lost to Barkingside 3-0
★ Supporters Direct Cup: Won beating Enfield Town 2-1
★ Combined Counties League Premier Challenge Cup: 2nd Round, lost to Southall 5-1
★ Cherry Red Books Trophy: 3rd Round, beat Frenford Senior 3-0; however Wimbledon could not agree a date to play Waltham Abbey in the Quarter Final and withdrew from the competition, giving Waltham Abbey a bye into the Semi Final
In 2003-04 they won their first 21 league games before a draw on 10 January 2004, giving them 32 consecutive wins in league games over two seasons. By this time, AFC Wimbledon was the only club in England at any level to maintain a perfect league record for the 2003-04 season. Despite the controversial sacking of manager, Terry Eames, The Dons success continued under caretaker manager Nicky English, whose first game in charge resulted in a club record 9-0 victory. The Dons went on win the championship with an unbeaten season (42 wins, 4 draws, with a goal difference of +148), easily earning promotion to the Ryman Isthmian League First Division. On April 30, 2004 they completed a "double" by winning the CCL's Premier Challenge Cup.
★ League (Combined Counties League, Premier Division): 'Champions', 1st of 24 ''(promoted)''
★ FA Vase: 4th round
★ London Senior Cup: 1st Round, lost to Ilford 6-2
★ Surrey Senior Cup: 3rd Round, lost to Banstead Athletic 2-1
★ Combined Counties League Premier Challenge Cup: 'Winners', beating North Greenford United 4-1 (at Woking's Kingfield Stadium)
The 2004-05 season saw a Wimbledon side back in the Isthmian League for the first time since 1964, under the leadership of newly appointed first team manager, Dave Anderson. They won 29 games, drew ten, and lost three, and led the division all season to earn promotion to the Isthmian League Premier Division. Also, the Dons - in their first appearance in the FA Cup since the creation of AFC Wimbledon - reached the Third Qualifying Round, bowing out to Thurrock from Conference South (two divisions above). A 1-0 home win over Metropolitan Police on April 9, 2005 guaranteed the First Division title. They won the Surrey Senior Cup final 2-1 over league runners-up Walton & Hersham on May 3, having defeated teams from higher leagues in earlier rounds, including a reserve side from Premiership club Crystal Palace in the quarter-finals. Dons manager Dave Anderson was named Manager of the Year in the Isthmian First Division following the season.
After scoring all three of the Dons' goals with a hat-trick against Dunstable Town in the Second Qualifying Round of the FA Cup, Rob Ursell was voted FA Cup Player of the Round. The 2004-05 season also saw the Dons sign their first full international in the AFC era, when they acquired New Zealand international Shane Smeltz in mid-season.
The Dons set a new all-time record for longest streak of unbeaten league games at any level of senior football in the United Kingdom. They remained unbeaten for 78 league matches between defeat by Withdean 2000 on 22 February 2003 and a 2-0 defeat on December 4 2004 at Cray Wanderers.
★ League (Isthmian League, Division One): 'Champions', 1st of 22 ''(promoted)''
★ FA Cup: 3rd Round Qualifying, lost to Thurrock 2-0
★ FA Trophy: 1st Round, lost to Hendon 3-0
★ Isthmian League Cup: Quarter Final, lost to Slough Town 4-2
★ London Senior Cup: 4th Round, lost to Fisher Athletic 4-0
★ Surrey Senior Cup: 'Winners', beating Walton and Hersham 2-1 aet (at Woking's Kingfield Stadium)
★ Supporters Direct Cup: Lost to Brentford 2-0
The 2005-06 season proved far more competitive than previous seasons, and after winning their first few games the Dons found themselves struggling to remain in the play-off places as injuries to key players kept them below full strength. However, after fluctuating form they eventually confirmed their place in the playoffs with a 1-0 win against manager Dave Anderson's former club, Hendon on April 22. However the playoffs proved a disappointment as defeat at Fisher Athletic meant there was to be no promotion this year. The Dons again reached the final of the Surrey Senior Cup, losing 1-0 to Kingstonian in a fiercely contested derby game.
★ League (Isthmian League, Premier Division): 4th of 22 - lost in playoff semi-final
★ FA Cup: 2nd Round Qualifying, lost to Walton and Hersham 3-0
★ FA Trophy: 1st Round, lost to St Albans City 3-2
★ Isthmian League Cup: 4th Round, lost to Hendon 1-0
★ London Senior Cup: 4th Round, lost to Wingate and Finchley 3-2 aet
★ Surrey Senior Cup: 'Finalists', lost to Kingstonian 1-0 (at Woking's Kingfield Stadium)
★ Supporters Direct Cup: 'Won', beating F.C. United of Manchester 1-0
The 2006-07 season was to be Dave Anderson's last in charge, as Wimbledon lost in the playoff semi-finals for the second year running. Much of the season was overshadowed by the proposed 18 point deduction for playing Jermaine Darlington without first having gained international clearance due to the player's previous club being Cardiff City. This punishment was eventually reduced to three points and a £400 fine by the FA, who accepted that the club had made an honest administrative error. In the FA Cup, the Dons reached the final qualifying round before bowing out in a 2-1 defeat at Exeter City. However, the Dons did emerge victorious against Conference opposition in the FA Trophy, managing away victories over Aldershot Town and Gravesend & Northfleet before being expelled from the competition due to the Jermaine Darlington saga.
★ League (Isthmian League, Premier Division): 5th of 22 (-3 points) - lost in playoff semi-final
★ FA Cup: 4th Round Qualifying, lost to Exeter City 2-1
★ FA Trophy: Expelled from competition.
★ Isthmian League Cup: 4th Round, lost to Tooting & Mitcham United 1-0
★ London Senior Cup: 4th Round, lost to Dulwich Hamlet 3-2
★ Surrey Senior Cup: Expelled from competition.
★ Supporters Direct Cup: Lost to F.C. United of Manchester 2-1
The club places great emphasis on its role as a social focus for the local community, and part of this role is to offer the chance to play football to all.
The Dons' success in 2004-05 was not limited to their senior side; many of their youth sides also had strong seasons. Both of their under-13 and under-11 sides won league championships (in different leagues); one under-13 side and both under-11 sides added their league cup for a double. One of their two under-14 sides also won a league-cup double. The Dons placed two under-15 sides in the top two positions in their league, and also saw one under-11 side lift a County cup. Finally, one of their two under-12 sides, plus their only under-8 side, won league cups. Overall there are 19 male youth sides representing AFC Wimbledon from under 8's to under 19's, with some of the under 19's managing to play some games in the reserves, and even in the first team.
As well as the various youth teams, AFC Wimbledon also have a women's team, AFC Wimbledon Ladies who play in the FA Women's Premier League Southern Division, the second highest tier of national Women's football. The women's team was formerly affiliated with Wimbledon F.C., but switched affiliation to AFC Wimbledon in the 2003 close season.
Two new junior girls sides (at under 12's and under 14's age groups) have been set up for the 2005-06 season.
This means that there are now a total of 25 teams representing Wimbledon, in a mixture of men's, women's, boys' and girls' football.
In naming the club, the founders sought a name as close to "Wimbledon FC" as possible, but their first choice, "FC Wimbledon", was rejected by the London F.A. as being too similar for legal reasons. They then gained approval for "AFC Wimbledon", the initials A.F.C. being common in many official club names and standing for "Association Football Club".
Interestingly, in January 2005 Marc Jones - one of the founders of the club - suggested that in actual fact the initials 'AFC' meant nothing in particular... "we thought it sounded 'non-league' but it never really stood for anything." That said, an alternate meaning "A Fan's Club" has been used by some (and was first introduced by advertising agency TBWA when working on the sale of shares during the purchase of the stadium) to memorialize the intent of the Wimbledon supporters who formed the club.
In the summer of 2005, the club's founders offered their support and advice to the Manchester United fans proposal of setting up a club, in a similar manner to the Wimbledon fans, following Malcolm Glazer's purchase of the club. AFC Wimbledon and the new FC United of Manchester competed for the Supporters Direct Cup at The Cherry Red Records Fans' Stadium on 23 July 2005, finishing AFC Wimbledon 1-0 FC United of Manchester,
AFC Wimbledon have been sponsored by computer games developers Sports Interactive, creators of the Championship Manager series, since the club's inception in 2002, and the SI logo appears on the front of the team's shirts. SI managing director Miles Jacobson said of the deal: "We are huge supporters of grass roots football. Most of us play grass roots football at some level (or in my case, below grass roots!), and we know that that is where the stars from tomorrow are going to come from."[4]
The idea for Sports Interactive to sponsor AFC Wimbledon came from Nick Robinson, who was an employee at Eidos, Sports Interactive's then-publishers. However, Eidos were not willing to fund the deal, and so SI decided to stump up the cash themselves.
The sponsorship of AFC Wimbledon is not Sports Interactive's first foray into the world of lower-league football, the company having sponsored a "Save York City" charity football tournament in 2001.
''As of 14 July, 2007:''
The 'Wimbledon Old Players Association (WOPA)' was formed in 2005, as part of the Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association's (WISA) campaign to reclaim the history of Wimbledon Football Club for AFC Wimbledon and the community of Wimbledon. Membership of WOPA is open to all former Wimbledon FC and AFC Wimbledon players and managers. Among the sixty founder members were John Fashanu, Dave Beasant, Efan Ekoku, Neil Sullivan, Dave Bassett, Wally Downes, Marcus Gayle, Neal Ardley, Alan Kimble, Andy Thorn, Roger Joseph, Dickie Guy, Allen Batsford, Roger Connell, Ian Cooke, Roy Law and Steve Galliers.
WOPA fielded a team in the Masters Football Tournament on Sunday 16 July, at Wembley Arena, with AFC Wimbledon's backing.[5] The team included Carlton Fairweather, Scott Fitzgerald, Marcus Gayle and Dean Holdsworth.
Following the move of Wimbledon FC to Milton Keynes and the club's subsequent relaunch as Milton Keynes Dons FC, there was much debate over the home of the honours won by Wimbledon FC. Supporters of AFC Wimbledon argued that the honours and trophies won by Wimbledon FC rightfully belong to the community of Wimbledon and should be returned to the local area.
In October 2006, agreement[6] was reached between the club, the MK Dons Supporters Association, the Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association and the Football Supporters Federation (FSF). The replica of the FA Cup plus all club patrimony gathered under the name of Wimbledon F.C. would be returned to the London Borough of Merton. Ownership of trademarks and website domain names related to Wimbledon F.C. would also be transferred to the Borough. As part of the same deal it was agreed that any reference made to Milton Keynes Dons F.C. should refer only to events subsequent to August 7 2004 (the date of the first League game of Milton Keynes Dons F.C.), making it clear that Milton Keynes Dons F.C. are a new entity independent of Wimbledon FC. As a result of this deal, the FSF announced that the supporters of Milton Keynes Dons F.C. would be permitted to become members of the federation, and that it would no longer appeal to the supporters of other clubs to boycott MK Dons matches.[7]
On 2 August 2007, Milton Keynes Dons transferred the replica trophies and all Wimbledon FC memorabilia to the London Borough of Merton.[8]
AFC Wimbledon maintain that the honours of Wimbledon FC belong to AFC Wimbledon, as illustrated by the statement on the club's official website:
The above comment can still be questioned because AFC Wimbledon as a club was created while Wimbledon FC still existed and were playing their matches at Selhurst Park so there is still an argument that AFC Wimbledon is still a whole new club and is not a continuation of Wimbledon FC.
Listed below are the honours of Wimbledon FC up to 2002 and the honours of AFC Wimbledon since 2002:
''(Honours as Wimbledon FC)''
★ 'FA Cup'
★
★ Winners: 1987-88
★ 'F.A. Premier League'
★
★ Best season 6th: 1993-94
★ 'Football League'
★
★ First Division best season 6th: 1986-87
★
★ Third Division Runners-up: 1983-84
★
★ Fourth Division Champions: 1982-83
★ 'Football League Cup'
★
★ Semi-finals: 1996-97, 1998-99
★ 'Anglo-Italian Cup'
★
★ Winners: 1976
★ 'F.A. Amateur Cup'
★
★ Winners: 1962-63
★
★ Runners-up: 1934-35, 1946-47
★ 'Southern League'
★
★ Premier Division Champions: 1974-75, 1975-76, 1976-77
★
★ Premier Division Runners-up: 1967-68
★
★ First Division Runners-up: 1964-65
★ 'Southern League Cup'
★
★ Winners: 1969-70, 1975-76
★ 'Isthmian League'
★
★ Champions: 1930-31, 1931-32, 1934-35, 1935-36, 1958-59, 1961-62, 1962-63, 1963-64
★ 'Athenian League'
★
★ Runners-up: 1920-21
★ 'London Senior Cup'
★
★ Winners: 1930-31, 1933-34, 1961-62, 1974-75, 1976-77
★ 'Football League Group Trophy'
★
★ Runners-up: 1980-81
★ 'Clapham League'
★
★ Champions (2): ''1896-97 ''(unbeaten)''; 1900-01;''
★ 'South Western Cup'
★
★ Winners (1): ''1900-01;''
★ 'Surrey Senior Cup'
★
★ Winners (4): ''1935-36; 1939-40; 1948-49; 1954-55;''
★ 'Surrey Charity Shield'
★
★ Winners (5): ''1924-25; 1925-26; 1926-27; 1930-31; 1934-35;''
★ 'Surrey Combination Cup'
★
★ Winners (2): ''1928-29; 1930-31;''
★ 'London Charity Cup'
★
★ Winners (3): ''1935-36; 1949-50; 1951-52;''
★ 'South London Charity Cup'
★
★ Winners (2): ''1905-06; 1930-31;''
★ 'South Western Charity Cup'
★
★ Winners: ''1930-31;''
★ 'South of the Thames Cup'
★
★ Winners (4): ''1953-54; 1960-61; 1961-62; 1962-63;''
★ 'Herald League'
★
★ Champions (1): ''1896-97;''
★ 'Herald Cup'
★
★ Winners (1): ''1900-01;''
''(Honours as AFC Wimbledon)''
★ 'Isthmian League'
★
★ First Division Champions (1):'' 2004-05;''
★ 'Combined Counties League'
★
★ Champions (1):'' 2003-04 (unbeaten);''
★ 'CCL Premier Challenge Cup'
★
★ Winners (1):'' 2003-04;''
★ 'Surrey Senior Cup'
★
★ Winners (1):'' 2004-05;''
★
★ Runners-up (1):'' 2005-06;''
★ 'Supporters Direct Cup'
★
★ Winners (2): ''2002-03; 2005-06;''
★
★ Runners-up (2): ''2004-05; 2006-07;''
★ Biggest Home Victory: '9-0' against Slough Town on 31 March 2007.
★ Biggest Away Victory: '9-0' against Chessington United on 14 February 2004
★ Biggest Home Defeat: '4-0' vs. Hampton & Richmond Borough on 1 April 2006.
★ Biggest Away Defeat: '4-0' vs. Walton & Hersham on 2 April 2005
★ Longest unbeaten run: '78 games' from 26 February 2003 to 27 November 2004 ''(This is the longest unbeaten sequence of league matches of any team at senior level in the UK)''
★ Record Attendance: '4,560' at The Cherry Red Records Fans' Stadium, 5 May 2003 versus Raynes Park Vale.
★ Most Appearances: Anthony Howard '148' between July '04 and May '07.
★ Most Goals: Kevin Cooper '107' goals in 105 appearances, between August '02 and May '04.
★ Most League Goals in a Season: '53' ''(66 in all competitive games)'' - Kevin Cooper 2003-04.
★ AFC Wimbledon official site
★ AFC Wimbledon matchday commentary
★ The Dons Trust
★ The Wimbledon Old Players Association
★ The Fans' Stadium
★ AFC Wimbledon Ladies official site
★ Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association
★ An unofficial AFCW fan site, "SW19's Army"
★ The Big Tissue (fan site hosted by Rivals.net)
★ Dons Online - video footage of every match
★ An unofficial AFCW fan site, "It Must Be Dons"
★ A statistic and history site
★ AFC Wimbledon Supporters Groups
★ AFCDons.net - Comprehensive Stats & Quick access to all the latest team information
★ Unofficial Yorkshire Wombles AFC Wimbledon site
★ Football Club History Database ''- history as AFC Wimbledon''
1. BBC Sport website match report
2. As evidenced by Lord Faulkner of Worcester's speech to the Lords of 3 July 2002 Hansard, 3 July 2002
3. Official Statement on the club debt
4. Sports Interactive sponsors AFC Wimbledon
5. Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association news item re Wimbledon Old Players Association (WOPA)
6. "Accord on history and honours of Wimbledon FC" - WISA website
7. "MK Dons agree to return Wimbledon trophies to Merton - and sanction amendments to football statistics" - FSF website
8. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/wimbledon/6927439.stm
'AFC Wimbledon' is a semi-professional English football club, affiliated to both the London and Surrey Football Associations, which takes its name from, and traces its origins to, Wimbledon in the London Borough of Merton.
The club and its supporters regard AFC Wimbledon as the direct continuation of the former Wimbledon F.C., and consider that the new MK Dons are not representative of the legacy and tradition of the club.AFC Wimbledon Website, Honours
The club spent its first two seasons in the Premier Division of the Combined Counties League, but were promoted in only the second year of its existence to the Isthmian League First Division for the 2004-05 season, after winning the CCL championship with an unbeaten league season. They then proceeded to win the Isthmian League First Division at the first attempt, thereby earning automatic promotion to the Isthmian League Premier Division. The 2005-06 season saw the club finish fourth, thus entering the play-offs for promotion to the Conference South, however they were defeated 2-1 by Fisher Athletic.
The club currently hold the all-time English record for the most consecutive unbeaten league games by any senior football club, having achieved 78 league matches in a row without defeat over a period spanning three seasons.[1]
Foundation
The club was founded by the supporters of Wimbledon F.C. in May 2002, when the Football Association agreed to allow the owners of their club to relocate over 60 miles north to the new town of Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire. Although Wimbledon F.C. was unable to physically move for more than a year, their traditional local support dried up almost immediately in a ground-swell of popular protest against the move.
Soon after moving, Wimbledon FC Ltd went into administration and the business was bought out by Pete Winkelman who, against the conditions of the club's move, cut all ties with the area of Wimbledon, launching a new club Milton Keynes Dons in 2004, with a new badge, name and colours, leaving AFC Wimbledon as the sole bearer of the ''"Wimbledon"'' name. By then, all organized supporters' groups that had followed the old club had long since pledged allegiance to AFC Wimbledon.
In order to assemble a competitive team at such short notice, AFC Wimbledon held player trials over three days on Wimbledon Common in June 2002, open to any unattached player who felt he was good enough to try out for the team. From these trials, the club's squad for its inaugural season was chosen.
The new team attracted an astonishingly large crowd, for a Non-league match, of 4,657 fans for its first ever game, a pre-season friendly against Sutton United on 10 July 2002.
Supporters of other clubs around the country initially boycotted matches against Milton Keynes Dons (mockingly referred to by many as "Franchise FC"[2]) in solidarity with Wimbledon's supporters, and as a protest against the principle of relocation and the continued recognition of the club in Milton Keynes by The Football League, which many fans perceive as completely alien to the traditions of the game in England.
Ownership and legal status
AFC Wimbledon PLC was placed under the ownership of The Dons Trust, a supporters' group which has pledged to retain at least 75% control of that ownership, though in 2003 they sold a minority interest in a share issue, in order to finance the purchase of Kingsmeadow Stadium, the ground they shared with Kingstonian.
The Dons Trust is an Industrial and provident society registered with the Financial Services Authority as "Wimbledon Football Club Supporters' Society Limited". This is not to be confused with Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association (WISA) although this has, as one of its stated constitutional aims, "To purchase shares in AFCW's holding company".
Ground purchase and the debt
Upon its foundation in 2002, Wimbledon entered into a ground-sharing arrangement with Kingstonian to play their home fixtures at The Cherry Red Records Fans' Stadium(at the time called the Kingsmedow), in neighbouring Kingston upon Thames.
Kingsmeadow had been the home of Kingstonian since the club moved to the ground in 1989 from its previous Richmond Road ground. However the club had hit major financial difficulties following relegation from the Conference and administrators had sold the club including the lease to the stadium to business men, Anup and Rajesh Khosla. The Khoslas subsequently transferred ownership of the stadium away from the club and into separate subsidiary companies privately owned by the Khosla family, in a move seen as an attempt at asset stripping.
It was felt that securing ownership of Kingsmeadow would safeguard the ground for the future of both clubs so in March 2003, the Dons Trust members voted to purchase part of the lease for the The Cherry Red Records Fans' Stadium and in June 2003 the contract for buying the lease to the stadium was agreed with Rajesh Khosla, meaning that £3 million needed to be raised.
Various innovative methods of fundraising, primarily a share issue to supporters which quickly realised £1.2m, and the Dons Trust Bond, meant that the debt to Mr Khosla was steadily reduced. On 30 March 2006, a Dons Trust meeting was held at which the majority vote was in favour of accepting a commercial loan from Barclays Bank in order to clear the outstanding debt to Mr Khosla, which was at a much higher rate of interest. On 24 November 2006 a statement on the AFC Wimbledon website finally confirmed that the club had taken up the option on the Barclays loan, and had repaid Mr Khosla in full.[3] Although the club has now settled its debt to Mr Khosla, around £300,000 is still owed in the form of the commercial loan, with a further £300,000 to Dons' Trust Bond-holders.
The club continues to work on new ways of fundraising to clear the debt once and for all. Meanwhile, the future of the ground is secured as a home ground both for AFC Wimbledon and, equally importantly, for Kingstonian FC who lease the ground at a nominal rate, paid for in part by the proceeds of an annual pre-season friendly between the two clubs. The long term ambition for AFC Wimbledon however remains to secure a ground in Merton. Soon after the club's purchase of Kingsmeadow, then Finance Director and current Chairman, Erik Samuelson was reported as saying:
On-the-pitch performance
2002-03
In 2002-03, their first competitive season in the Combined Counties League (CCL), managed by Terry Eames, AFC Wimbledon started slowly but won their last 11 league games to finish the season in third place, narrowly missing promotion to the Ryman Isthmian League.
★ League (Combined Counties League, Premier Division): 3rd of 24
★ London Senior Cup: 3rd Round, lost to Barkingside 3-0
★ Supporters Direct Cup: Won beating Enfield Town 2-1
★ Combined Counties League Premier Challenge Cup: 2nd Round, lost to Southall 5-1
★ Cherry Red Books Trophy: 3rd Round, beat Frenford Senior 3-0; however Wimbledon could not agree a date to play Waltham Abbey in the Quarter Final and withdrew from the competition, giving Waltham Abbey a bye into the Semi Final
2003-04
In 2003-04 they won their first 21 league games before a draw on 10 January 2004, giving them 32 consecutive wins in league games over two seasons. By this time, AFC Wimbledon was the only club in England at any level to maintain a perfect league record for the 2003-04 season. Despite the controversial sacking of manager, Terry Eames, The Dons success continued under caretaker manager Nicky English, whose first game in charge resulted in a club record 9-0 victory. The Dons went on win the championship with an unbeaten season (42 wins, 4 draws, with a goal difference of +148), easily earning promotion to the Ryman Isthmian League First Division. On April 30, 2004 they completed a "double" by winning the CCL's Premier Challenge Cup.
★ League (Combined Counties League, Premier Division): 'Champions', 1st of 24 ''(promoted)''
★ FA Vase: 4th round
★ London Senior Cup: 1st Round, lost to Ilford 6-2
★ Surrey Senior Cup: 3rd Round, lost to Banstead Athletic 2-1
★ Combined Counties League Premier Challenge Cup: 'Winners', beating North Greenford United 4-1 (at Woking's Kingfield Stadium)
2004-05
The 2004-05 season saw a Wimbledon side back in the Isthmian League for the first time since 1964, under the leadership of newly appointed first team manager, Dave Anderson. They won 29 games, drew ten, and lost three, and led the division all season to earn promotion to the Isthmian League Premier Division. Also, the Dons - in their first appearance in the FA Cup since the creation of AFC Wimbledon - reached the Third Qualifying Round, bowing out to Thurrock from Conference South (two divisions above). A 1-0 home win over Metropolitan Police on April 9, 2005 guaranteed the First Division title. They won the Surrey Senior Cup final 2-1 over league runners-up Walton & Hersham on May 3, having defeated teams from higher leagues in earlier rounds, including a reserve side from Premiership club Crystal Palace in the quarter-finals. Dons manager Dave Anderson was named Manager of the Year in the Isthmian First Division following the season.
After scoring all three of the Dons' goals with a hat-trick against Dunstable Town in the Second Qualifying Round of the FA Cup, Rob Ursell was voted FA Cup Player of the Round. The 2004-05 season also saw the Dons sign their first full international in the AFC era, when they acquired New Zealand international Shane Smeltz in mid-season.
The Dons set a new all-time record for longest streak of unbeaten league games at any level of senior football in the United Kingdom. They remained unbeaten for 78 league matches between defeat by Withdean 2000 on 22 February 2003 and a 2-0 defeat on December 4 2004 at Cray Wanderers.
★ League (Isthmian League, Division One): 'Champions', 1st of 22 ''(promoted)''
★ FA Cup: 3rd Round Qualifying, lost to Thurrock 2-0
★ FA Trophy: 1st Round, lost to Hendon 3-0
★ Isthmian League Cup: Quarter Final, lost to Slough Town 4-2
★ London Senior Cup: 4th Round, lost to Fisher Athletic 4-0
★ Surrey Senior Cup: 'Winners', beating Walton and Hersham 2-1 aet (at Woking's Kingfield Stadium)
★ Supporters Direct Cup: Lost to Brentford 2-0
2005-06
The 2005-06 season proved far more competitive than previous seasons, and after winning their first few games the Dons found themselves struggling to remain in the play-off places as injuries to key players kept them below full strength. However, after fluctuating form they eventually confirmed their place in the playoffs with a 1-0 win against manager Dave Anderson's former club, Hendon on April 22. However the playoffs proved a disappointment as defeat at Fisher Athletic meant there was to be no promotion this year. The Dons again reached the final of the Surrey Senior Cup, losing 1-0 to Kingstonian in a fiercely contested derby game.
★ League (Isthmian League, Premier Division): 4th of 22 - lost in playoff semi-final
★ FA Cup: 2nd Round Qualifying, lost to Walton and Hersham 3-0
★ FA Trophy: 1st Round, lost to St Albans City 3-2
★ Isthmian League Cup: 4th Round, lost to Hendon 1-0
★ London Senior Cup: 4th Round, lost to Wingate and Finchley 3-2 aet
★ Surrey Senior Cup: 'Finalists', lost to Kingstonian 1-0 (at Woking's Kingfield Stadium)
★ Supporters Direct Cup: 'Won', beating F.C. United of Manchester 1-0
2006-07
The 2006-07 season was to be Dave Anderson's last in charge, as Wimbledon lost in the playoff semi-finals for the second year running. Much of the season was overshadowed by the proposed 18 point deduction for playing Jermaine Darlington without first having gained international clearance due to the player's previous club being Cardiff City. This punishment was eventually reduced to three points and a £400 fine by the FA, who accepted that the club had made an honest administrative error. In the FA Cup, the Dons reached the final qualifying round before bowing out in a 2-1 defeat at Exeter City. However, the Dons did emerge victorious against Conference opposition in the FA Trophy, managing away victories over Aldershot Town and Gravesend & Northfleet before being expelled from the competition due to the Jermaine Darlington saga.
★ League (Isthmian League, Premier Division): 5th of 22 (-3 points) - lost in playoff semi-final
★ FA Cup: 4th Round Qualifying, lost to Exeter City 2-1
★ FA Trophy: Expelled from competition.
★ Isthmian League Cup: 4th Round, lost to Tooting & Mitcham United 1-0
★ London Senior Cup: 4th Round, lost to Dulwich Hamlet 3-2
★ Surrey Senior Cup: Expelled from competition.
★ Supporters Direct Cup: Lost to F.C. United of Manchester 2-1
League history
| Season | League contested | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Points | Final league position | Average Home Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-03 | Combined Counties League | 46 | 36 | 3 | 7 | 125 | 46 | 111 | 3rd of 24 | 3,003 |
| 2003-04 | Combined Counties League Premier Division | 46 | 42 | 4 | 0 | 180 | 32 | 130 | 1st of 24 Promoted | 2,606 |
| 2004-05 | Isthmian League Division One | 42 | 29 | 10 | 3 | 91 | 33 | 97 | 1st of 22 Promoted | 2,907 |
| 2005-06 | Isthmian League Premier Division | 42 | 22 | 11 | 9 | 67 | 36 | 77 | 4th of 22 Lost in play-off semi-final | 2,705 |
| 2006-07 | Isthmian League Premier Division | 42 | 21 | 15 | 6 | 76 | 37 | 75 (-3) | 5th of 22 Lost in play-off semi-final | 2,512 |
Youth and Women's Football
The club places great emphasis on its role as a social focus for the local community, and part of this role is to offer the chance to play football to all.
The Dons' success in 2004-05 was not limited to their senior side; many of their youth sides also had strong seasons. Both of their under-13 and under-11 sides won league championships (in different leagues); one under-13 side and both under-11 sides added their league cup for a double. One of their two under-14 sides also won a league-cup double. The Dons placed two under-15 sides in the top two positions in their league, and also saw one under-11 side lift a County cup. Finally, one of their two under-12 sides, plus their only under-8 side, won league cups. Overall there are 19 male youth sides representing AFC Wimbledon from under 8's to under 19's, with some of the under 19's managing to play some games in the reserves, and even in the first team.
As well as the various youth teams, AFC Wimbledon also have a women's team, AFC Wimbledon Ladies who play in the FA Women's Premier League Southern Division, the second highest tier of national Women's football. The women's team was formerly affiliated with Wimbledon F.C., but switched affiliation to AFC Wimbledon in the 2003 close season.
Two new junior girls sides (at under 12's and under 14's age groups) have been set up for the 2005-06 season.
This means that there are now a total of 25 teams representing Wimbledon, in a mixture of men's, women's, boys' and girls' football.
Why "AFC"?
In naming the club, the founders sought a name as close to "Wimbledon FC" as possible, but their first choice, "FC Wimbledon", was rejected by the London F.A. as being too similar for legal reasons. They then gained approval for "AFC Wimbledon", the initials A.F.C. being common in many official club names and standing for "Association Football Club".
Interestingly, in January 2005 Marc Jones - one of the founders of the club - suggested that in actual fact the initials 'AFC' meant nothing in particular... "we thought it sounded 'non-league' but it never really stood for anything." That said, an alternate meaning "A Fan's Club" has been used by some (and was first introduced by advertising agency TBWA when working on the sale of shares during the purchase of the stadium) to memorialize the intent of the Wimbledon supporters who formed the club.
In the summer of 2005, the club's founders offered their support and advice to the Manchester United fans proposal of setting up a club, in a similar manner to the Wimbledon fans, following Malcolm Glazer's purchase of the club. AFC Wimbledon and the new FC United of Manchester competed for the Supporters Direct Cup at The Cherry Red Records Fans' Stadium on 23 July 2005, finishing AFC Wimbledon 1-0 FC United of Manchester,
Sponsorship
AFC Wimbledon have been sponsored by computer games developers Sports Interactive, creators of the Championship Manager series, since the club's inception in 2002, and the SI logo appears on the front of the team's shirts. SI managing director Miles Jacobson said of the deal: "We are huge supporters of grass roots football. Most of us play grass roots football at some level (or in my case, below grass roots!), and we know that that is where the stars from tomorrow are going to come from."[4]
The idea for Sports Interactive to sponsor AFC Wimbledon came from Nick Robinson, who was an employee at Eidos, Sports Interactive's then-publishers. However, Eidos were not willing to fund the deal, and so SI decided to stump up the cash themselves.
The sponsorship of AFC Wimbledon is not Sports Interactive's first foray into the world of lower-league football, the company having sponsored a "Save York City" charity football tournament in 2001.
Players
Current Squad
''As of 14 July, 2007:''
First Team
Former Players
The 'Wimbledon Old Players Association (WOPA)' was formed in 2005, as part of the Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association's (WISA) campaign to reclaim the history of Wimbledon Football Club for AFC Wimbledon and the community of Wimbledon. Membership of WOPA is open to all former Wimbledon FC and AFC Wimbledon players and managers. Among the sixty founder members were John Fashanu, Dave Beasant, Efan Ekoku, Neil Sullivan, Dave Bassett, Wally Downes, Marcus Gayle, Neal Ardley, Alan Kimble, Andy Thorn, Roger Joseph, Dickie Guy, Allen Batsford, Roger Connell, Ian Cooke, Roy Law and Steve Galliers.
WOPA fielded a team in the Masters Football Tournament on Sunday 16 July, at Wembley Arena, with AFC Wimbledon's backing.[5] The team included Carlton Fairweather, Scott Fitzgerald, Marcus Gayle and Dean Holdsworth.
Honours
Following the move of Wimbledon FC to Milton Keynes and the club's subsequent relaunch as Milton Keynes Dons FC, there was much debate over the home of the honours won by Wimbledon FC. Supporters of AFC Wimbledon argued that the honours and trophies won by Wimbledon FC rightfully belong to the community of Wimbledon and should be returned to the local area.
In October 2006, agreement[6] was reached between the club, the MK Dons Supporters Association, the Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association and the Football Supporters Federation (FSF). The replica of the FA Cup plus all club patrimony gathered under the name of Wimbledon F.C. would be returned to the London Borough of Merton. Ownership of trademarks and website domain names related to Wimbledon F.C. would also be transferred to the Borough. As part of the same deal it was agreed that any reference made to Milton Keynes Dons F.C. should refer only to events subsequent to August 7 2004 (the date of the first League game of Milton Keynes Dons F.C.), making it clear that Milton Keynes Dons F.C. are a new entity independent of Wimbledon FC. As a result of this deal, the FSF announced that the supporters of Milton Keynes Dons F.C. would be permitted to become members of the federation, and that it would no longer appeal to the supporters of other clubs to boycott MK Dons matches.[7]
On 2 August 2007, Milton Keynes Dons transferred the replica trophies and all Wimbledon FC memorabilia to the London Borough of Merton.[8]
AFC Wimbledon maintain that the honours of Wimbledon FC belong to AFC Wimbledon, as illustrated by the statement on the club's official website:
The above comment can still be questioned because AFC Wimbledon as a club was created while Wimbledon FC still existed and were playing their matches at Selhurst Park so there is still an argument that AFC Wimbledon is still a whole new club and is not a continuation of Wimbledon FC.
Listed below are the honours of Wimbledon FC up to 2002 and the honours of AFC Wimbledon since 2002:
Pre- 2002
''(Honours as Wimbledon FC)''
★ 'FA Cup'
★
★ Winners: 1987-88
★ 'F.A. Premier League'
★
★ Best season 6th: 1993-94
★ 'Football League'
★
★ First Division best season 6th: 1986-87
★
★ Third Division Runners-up: 1983-84
★
★ Fourth Division Champions: 1982-83
★ 'Football League Cup'
★
★ Semi-finals: 1996-97, 1998-99
★ 'Anglo-Italian Cup'
★
★ Winners: 1976
★ 'F.A. Amateur Cup'
★
★ Winners: 1962-63
★
★ Runners-up: 1934-35, 1946-47
★ 'Southern League'
★
★ Premier Division Champions: 1974-75, 1975-76, 1976-77
★
★ Premier Division Runners-up: 1967-68
★
★ First Division Runners-up: 1964-65
★ 'Southern League Cup'
★
★ Winners: 1969-70, 1975-76
★ 'Isthmian League'
★
★ Champions: 1930-31, 1931-32, 1934-35, 1935-36, 1958-59, 1961-62, 1962-63, 1963-64
★ 'Athenian League'
★
★ Runners-up: 1920-21
★ 'London Senior Cup'
★
★ Winners: 1930-31, 1933-34, 1961-62, 1974-75, 1976-77
★ 'Football League Group Trophy'
★
★ Runners-up: 1980-81
★ 'Clapham League'
★
★ Champions (2): ''1896-97 ''(unbeaten)''; 1900-01;''
★ 'South Western Cup'
★
★ Winners (1): ''1900-01;''
★ 'Surrey Senior Cup'
★
★ Winners (4): ''1935-36; 1939-40; 1948-49; 1954-55;''
★ 'Surrey Charity Shield'
★
★ Winners (5): ''1924-25; 1925-26; 1926-27; 1930-31; 1934-35;''
★ 'Surrey Combination Cup'
★
★ Winners (2): ''1928-29; 1930-31;''
★ 'London Charity Cup'
★
★ Winners (3): ''1935-36; 1949-50; 1951-52;''
★ 'South London Charity Cup'
★
★ Winners (2): ''1905-06; 1930-31;''
★ 'South Western Charity Cup'
★
★ Winners: ''1930-31;''
★ 'South of the Thames Cup'
★
★ Winners (4): ''1953-54; 1960-61; 1961-62; 1962-63;''
★ 'Herald League'
★
★ Champions (1): ''1896-97;''
★ 'Herald Cup'
★
★ Winners (1): ''1900-01;''
Post 2002
''(Honours as AFC Wimbledon)''
★ 'Isthmian League'
★
★ First Division Champions (1):'' 2004-05;''
★ 'Combined Counties League'
★
★ Champions (1):'' 2003-04 (unbeaten);''
★ 'CCL Premier Challenge Cup'
★
★ Winners (1):'' 2003-04;''
★ 'Surrey Senior Cup'
★
★ Winners (1):'' 2004-05;''
★
★ Runners-up (1):'' 2005-06;''
★ 'Supporters Direct Cup'
★
★ Winners (2): ''2002-03; 2005-06;''
★
★ Runners-up (2): ''2004-05; 2006-07;''
Records
Club records
★ Biggest Home Victory: '9-0' against Slough Town on 31 March 2007.
★ Biggest Away Victory: '9-0' against Chessington United on 14 February 2004
★ Biggest Home Defeat: '4-0' vs. Hampton & Richmond Borough on 1 April 2006.
★ Biggest Away Defeat: '4-0' vs. Walton & Hersham on 2 April 2005
★ Longest unbeaten run: '78 games' from 26 February 2003 to 27 November 2004 ''(This is the longest unbeaten sequence of league matches of any team at senior level in the UK)''
★ Record Attendance: '4,560' at The Cherry Red Records Fans' Stadium, 5 May 2003 versus Raynes Park Vale.
Player records
★ Most Appearances: Anthony Howard '148' between July '04 and May '07.
★ Most Goals: Kevin Cooper '107' goals in 105 appearances, between August '02 and May '04.
★ Most League Goals in a Season: '53' ''(66 in all competitive games)'' - Kevin Cooper 2003-04.
External links
Official sites
★ AFC Wimbledon official site
★ AFC Wimbledon matchday commentary
★ The Dons Trust
★ The Wimbledon Old Players Association
★ The Fans' Stadium
★ AFC Wimbledon Ladies official site
Unofficial sites
★ Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association
★ An unofficial AFCW fan site, "SW19's Army"
★ The Big Tissue (fan site hosted by Rivals.net)
★ Dons Online - video footage of every match
★ An unofficial AFCW fan site, "It Must Be Dons"
★ A statistic and history site
★ AFC Wimbledon Supporters Groups
★ AFCDons.net - Comprehensive Stats & Quick access to all the latest team information
★ Unofficial Yorkshire Wombles AFC Wimbledon site
Other Sites
★ Football Club History Database ''- history as AFC Wimbledon''
Notes
1. BBC Sport website match report
2. As evidenced by Lord Faulkner of Worcester's speech to the Lords of 3 July 2002 Hansard, 3 July 2002
3. Official Statement on the club debt
4. Sports Interactive sponsors AFC Wimbledon
5. Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association news item re Wimbledon Old Players Association (WOPA)
6. "Accord on history and honours of Wimbledon FC" - WISA website
7. "MK Dons agree to return Wimbledon trophies to Merton - and sanction amendments to football statistics" - FSF website
8. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/wimbledon/6927439.stm
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