!0 years after

The past and future of AFC Wimbledon

This week has marked the 10th anniversary of the birth of AFC Wimbledon. On 28th May 2002, the FA killed Wimbledon FC and sanctioned the franchising of football. The decision to allow Milton Keynes Dons defied the concept of clubs having roots in a local community. Wimbledon was to be uprooted and thrown 60 miles away up the M1. Not surprisingly Dons fans adopted the mantra " never forgive,never forget".

The three man commission who presided over the execution of Wimbledon FC declared that the formation of a club such as Wimbledon Town would "not be in the wider interests of football."

Two days later hundreds of us, angry and frustrated, crowded into the Community Centre in St Georges Road SW19 determined to fight the move to Milton Keynes and also to build an alternative. Within days trials were being arranged and a place in a football league was being secured. It's ten years ago and now I'm so pleased that I wrote a book to remind myself of that first year. My book, "A unique solution," is I hope a fans book, the story of a Wimbledon fan who threw himself into AFC Wimbledon.
In the those months I travelled around the counties to the south and west of London to clubs barely known in their own localities. I watched as journeymen non league footballers became our heroes, playing in front of gates of around 300.

Naturally as the club secured promotion after promotion we have grown and evolved. Arguably we've become more professional. Nevertheless I still feel there's something of the village store as opposed to the supermarket about AFC Wimbledon.

How appropriate therefore that just days before the 10th anniversary about 70 of us gathered at the same community centre to discuss how we could raise up to £2 million to help develop the ground to ensure our survival in the football league. At that moment I'm reminded that as well as negtiating several promotions in the last ten years we have also bought a football ground, extended the main stand and roofed and extended the home terrace.

In many ways it's been an amazing journey that I wouldn't have missed being a small part of, and one that has of course not ended. In fact possibly the most difficult parts still lay ahead.