It only took nine years !

In all truthfulness,as years have gone by I've become all the more convinced that the English football season should not start till the beginning of September. I might compromise on August Bank Holiday weekend but no earlier. The way that football has encroached upon the cricket season I find both galling and offensive.Nevertheless there was one game that I wouldn't miss. It has been building all summer since AFC Wimbledon defeat Luton in the play offs at Eastlands.

On Saturday 6th August the Dons returned to the Football League. OK when the FA endeavoured to murder Wimbledon FC, we were a championship club, but in 9 seasons we have been reborn and have progressed from the Combined Counties League through the football pyramid the right way until we again belong among the 92 ( in truth 91 clubs and a franchise).

It seems a long time ago that I was writing " A Unique Solution", my account of AFC Wimbledon's first season, but somehow there was this inner belief that the wrong would be righted, thatthe Dons would again ply their trade in the football league.

Wimbledon FC had started their football league life in 1977, not in the blue and white of my youth nor indeed the yellow and blue that had seen them win the FA Cup in 1988. In 1977 when they took the field in the historic 3-3 draw v Halifax Town, they wore a white kit with blue trim. So it seemed appropriate that the Club should seek the approval of the Football League to produce a commemorative white kit to wear at Kingsmeadow for the 1st home league game.

The game kicked off not at 3pm, but at 12.45pm as it had been selected by Sky Sports to be shown live, Tv camera gantries, CCTV control boxes, and stricter segregation showed the step up from last years Conference.

On the day the occasion mattered more than the result, and the 3-2 home defeat seemed secondary. I got the job of producing the match report for the South London Press, which I include below. However the important news was the Dons are back and it only took nine years.

No fairytale ending for the Dons

AFC Wimbledon 2 Bristol Rovers 3

npower league 2

by Paul Jeater

Just after 12.30pm on Saturday 6^th August all around Kingsmeadow you could hear fans singing : “nine years, it only took nine years”. As the players walked out onto the pitch, the dream became reality –Wimbledon were back in the Football League.

A capacity crowd, the game had sold out days before, witnessed the Dons take the field in an “all-white” kit, a close replica to that worn by Wimbledon on their debut in the football league in 1977 when they drew 3-3 with Halifax at Plough Lane.

In front of Sky and BBCTV cameras the Dons soon fashioned the game’s first chance, the visitors defence were troubled by the pace of Christian Jolley and he found himself one on one with the Rovers keeper. Unfortunately the Dons striker failed to lift the ball and the keeper deflected it for a corner.

Gradually however the Rovers side packed with players with considerable league experience settled and able to expose the Dons defensive frailties. In 17^th minute Dons keeper Seb Brown released the ball to Ricky Wellard in central midfield, Wellard learned suddenly that at this level you do not get much time to dwell on the ball and he was rapidly dispossessed by ex Norwich City player Matt Gill. The ball was fed to the journeyman striker Scott McGleish, who used all his experience to fire low across Brown into the side of the net.

Within three minutes the Dons found themselves two goals adrift, this time McGleish turned provider. After Seb Brown saved his initial effort, the marksman had the presence of mind to cross the ball for the towering figure of Matt Harrold to head low into the goal.

Nevertheless the Dons continued to create chances and after 30 minutes Jack Midson sent Luke Moore through on goal but again Bevan in the Rovers goal smothered the effort. Jolley continued to pose a threat down the left wing and after the Dons striker was fouled from the resulting free kick AFC Wimbledon clawed their way back into the game. The set piece was taken by Sam Hatton and his kick was met perfectly by skipper Jamie Stuart whose glancing header was planted firmly into the net. The goal raised the spirits of both Dons players and fans as half time arrived.

Stuart had achieved the distinction of being the first player to score a league goal for Wimbledon since David Connolly scored a 90^th minute penalty against Bradford City at Selhurst Park in April 2002.

The Dons attacked the Tempest End at the start of the second half and after 57 minutes had a penalty appeal turned down when a Stuart header appeared to hit Harrold on the arm. Soon after the hour mark manager Terry Brown made inspired substitutions with Max Porter and Christian Jolley being replaced by Lee Minshull and Charles Ademeno. Within three minutes these two players had combined to produce the Dons equaliser. The combative Minshull challenged for the ball and it was headed into the danger area where Ademeno was first to react, swivelling and firing low into the Rovers net.

As the game reached its closing stages the visitors appeared to be finishing the stronger and Brown was forced into a number of saves. However the points were finally decided in the 85^th minute, following a high ball played into the Dons penalty area defender Brett Johnson jumped between two Rovers players, the ball made contact with Johnson’s raised arm and the referee had no hesitation in giving the penalty.

This time however, Seb Brown the hero of play off penalty shoot out, had no chance and Virgo produced a firm spot kick to the keeper’s left. Any hope that the game might finish 3-3 in keeping with Wimbledon’s first league game in 1977 vanished when in time added on, late substitute Chris Bush fired over from an acute angle.

Saturday’s game was as much about the occasion as it was the result. Manager Terry Brown knows that his first priority is to eradicate the defensive lapses that are easily punished in football at this level. Once that is achieved, the Dons can start to accumulate the 50 points that Brown has set as a target for safety as the Dons bed themselves back into the Football League.

Dons: Brown 7 Hatton 8 Gwillim 6 (sub 81) Porter 6 (sub 62) Stuart 8 (yellow 4),Johnson 6,Yussuff 6,Wellard 6,Midson 6,L.Moore 6 Jolley 7 (sub 65)

Subs: Bush (81) Ademeno 6(65) Mishull 7 (62) Not Used : S. Moore, Turner

Rovers:Bevan 7 Smith 6,Stanley 6,Gill 8,Harrold 8,McGleish 7(sub 62) Brown 6,Anthony 6,Anyinsah6 (yellow13,sub76) Virgo 7 (yellow 39) Zebroski 6(yellow 9,sub 52)

Subs: Lines (52) Carayol(76) Kuffour(62) Not used: Bolger,Brown

Attendance :4629

Referee: K.Stroud 7

Match Rating 8

Man of Match: Jamie Stuart –captain’s performance at both ends of the pitch

Best Moment: The moment that the two teams walked onto the pitch, Wimbledon are back!

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