MK No Way !

In May 2002 the FA agreed to the franchising of a football club; while the public attention was focused on whether David Beckham's foot would heal in time for the world cup, my football club, Wimbledon FC, was uprooted from South London and allowed to relocate some 60 miles to the north in the soulless new town of Milton Keynes.

To say this hit me and other Wimbledon fans hard is a huge understatement. The FA said it wasn't in the wider interests of football for a new club "Wimbledon Town" to be formed. Within days the fans had formed AFC Wimbledon, they were heady days, creating something new yet visibly born from the wreckage of Wimbledon FC. It was and is as if the spirit of Wimbledon FC had been transported into the "new club".

When AFC Wimbledon kicked off in the CCL in August 2002, we naturally kept one eye on how "Franchise FC" were doing, their scores were announced, and defeats were wildly cheered. When we were playing several levels below them in the football pyramid the chances of us meeting on ta football pitch were minimal. However the odds shortened dramatically once AFC Wimbledon won promotion to the football league in May 2011.

It only took 9 years, but now there was a real chance that AFC Wimbledon would face the MK Dons. In this season's FA Cup the real Dons were drawn away to York City and it seemed that we were heading out of the competition until substitute Charlie Strutton equalised, and forced a replay. The next day the draw was made on live TV and as the balls were pulled out of the container the chances of a tie between AFC Wimbledon and Milton Keynes became ever more likely. And then it happened Cambridge City or Milton Keynes v York City or AFC Wimbledon.

The replay between York City and AFC Wimbledon was played out in front of the ESPN TV cameras, bringing in welcome revenue. York were certainly on top until they were reduced to ten men and eventually the Dons held on to win 4-3.

There was very little chance that non league Cambridge City would spring a major surprise and win at Stadium MK, and in fact they went down by a five goal margin.

The nightmare became reality. MK Dons v AFC Wimbledon. Almost immediately the game was moved to Sunday lunchtime so it can be televised. Nearly everyone with passing interest in football assumed that this was a game that we were all waiting for, but in fact nothing could be further from the truth.

Most AFC Wimbledon fans suffered the hurt in 2002, and asked fans of other clubs to boycott their away fixtures at MK Dons. In the early years it was not uncommon to find pockets of fans at Kingsmeadow wearing replica shirts of League 1 teams who were scheduled to play at Milton Keynes that day.

Obviously the tie has given AFC Wimbledon fans a real dilemma, to go and support our team, or to uphold the principle that we would never go to Milton Keynes. The Club itself has not called for a boycott of the game, the team have to play as a condition of entering the competition, yet at the same time the bars are being opened at Kingsmeadow to allow those fans not travelling the opportunity to watch the game in the company of fellow AFC Wimbledon supporters.

While many fans estimated currently at 2000 are making their way to the game, I still feel that set foot in Stadium MK is validating their existence, so today I've ordered a ticket to watch the game in the back bar Kingsmeadow, and will donate the cost of my match ticket to AFC Wimbledon.

The result of the game only has meaning in as far as its a passport to the 3rd Round and the possibility of drawing one of the top clubs in the country with all the possibilities for financial gain that that would ensure. On December 2nd AFC Wimbledon will take the field against Milton Keynes, the players will act in a professional manner, some fans will be happy to boo and hurl abuse at Milton Keynes owners and fans , but for me that would bring little satisfaction.

In 2002 I felt the move to Milton Keynes was morally wrong and I vowed never to attend a match there, ten years later nothing has changed, as the saying goes "Never Forgive, Never Forget".