AFC Wimbledon
Full name	AFC Wimbledon
Nickname(s)	The Dons;[1] The Wombles
Founded	2002
Ground	Kingsmeadow, Kingston upon Thames, London (Capacity 4,500)
Chairman	Erik Samuelson
Manager	Terry Brown
League	Conference South
2007–08	Isthmian League Premier Division, 3rd (promoted via play-offs)
Home colours 　 Away colours

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 although their home ground is currently in the neighbouring Borough of Kingston. Football club names are a part of the sport 's culture reflecting century-old traditions This is a of lists of the use of Nicknames in football (soccer. The Wombles are characters created by Author Elisabeth Beresford originally appearing in a series of children's novels from 1968 Kingsmeadow, officially The Fans' Stadium (or The Cherry Red Records Fans' Stadium for sponsorship purposes is a football stadium in the Norbiton Kingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The following is a list of Association football stadia. They are ordered by their capacity, that is the maximum number of spectators that the Terry Brown, born 5th August 1952, in Hillingdon, is the current manager of football side AFC Wimbledon and former manager of both Conference South (currently billed as Blue Square South for sponsorship reasons is one of the second divisions of the Football Conference in England, taking Member clubs 2008&ndash09 Champions Here is a complete list of Isthmian League top division champions throughout the leagues history A semi-professional athlete is one who is paid to play and thus is not an Amateur, but for whom Sport is not a full-time occupation generally because the England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered The London Football Association is the regional Football Association for Greater London. The Surrey County Football Association was founded in 1877 and was affiliated to The Football Association in 1882 at the same time as a County Senior Cup competition the Wimbledon is a Suburb of London, part of the London Borough of Merton and located south west of Charing Cross. The London Borough of Merton ( is a London borough in south west London. The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames ( is a borough in south-west London, England. The club and its supporters specifically regard the club as a continuation of the former Wimbledon F.C., and consider that Milton Keynes Dons are not representative of the legacy and tradition of the club. This article refers to the original club from London which existed until 2004 ^[2]

The club spent its first two seasons in the Premier Division of the Combined Counties League, but was promoted in only the second year of its existence to the Isthmian League Division One for the 2004–05 season, after winning the Combined Counties League championship with an unbeaten league season. History The league's history can be traced back to 1978 when the Surrey Senior League underwent a metamorphosis in order to try to attract clubs from outside the county History The league was founded in 1905 and was strongly dedicated to Amateurism. They then proceeded to win the Isthmian League Division One at the first attempt, thereby earning automatic promotion to the Isthmian League Premier Division. Member clubs 2008&ndash09 Champions Here is a complete list of Isthmian League top division champions throughout the leagues history 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. Conference South (currently billed as Blue Square South for sponsorship reasons is one of the second divisions of the Football Conference in England, taking Fisher Athletic FC are a semi-professional football club from South East London, currently playing in the Conference South, which is one of the two leagues The club would finish fifth in 2006-2007, and once again fail in the play-offs.

The club finished the 2007-08 season in 3rd place in the Isthmian League Premier Division. They were subsequently promoted to the Conference South division following a 2-1 play-off final victory away to Staines Town on May 3, 2008. Conference South (currently billed as Blue Square South for sponsorship reasons is one of the second divisions of the Football Conference in England, taking Staines Town FC are a Non-League football team located in Staines, Middlesex, England. Events 1491 - Kongo monarch Nkuwu Nzinga is baptised by Portuguese missionaries adopting the baptismal name of João 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common

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. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland ^[3]

History

Ryan Gray preparing to take a corner during the 2003/04 season

The club was founded by dissident supporters, led by Kris Stewart^[4], of Wimbledon F.C. in May 2002, when the Football Association agreed to allow Wimbledon FC to relocate 56 miles north to the new town of Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire & in the view of these fans cutting all ties with the area of Wimbledon. Kris Stewart (born February 9, 1967 in Portsmouth) is the founding chairman of English football club AFC Wimbledon. This article refers to the original club from London which existed until 2004 The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey A new town, planned community or planned city is a City, Town, or Community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically Milton Keynes ( ˌmɪltənˈkiːnz often abbreviated to MK, is a large town Buckinghamshire (abbreviated Bucks) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. 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. This article refers to the original club from London which existed until 2004 ^[5] The name AFC does not actually stand for the usual "association football club", 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 alternative meaning "A Fan's Club" has been used by some.

Soon after moving, Wimbledon FC Ltd went into administration^[6] and the business was bought out by Pete Winkelman^[7] who, re-branded the club as Milton Keynes Dons F. Administration is a procedure under the Insolvency laws of a number of Common law jurisdictions which functions as a rescue mechanism for insolvent companies Pete Winkelman is currently the chairman of football club Milton Keynes Dons F C. in 2004, leaving them as well as their fellow ladies and junior sides as the sole bearers of the "Wimbledon" name. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " AFC Wimbledon Ladies is the women's football team representing Wimbledon, London. By then, all organised 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, they 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. Wimbledon and Putney Commons are a large open space in south-west London, totalling 1140 acres (4 From these trials, the club's squad for its inaugural season was chosen.

The new team attracted a crowd of 4,657 fans for its first ever game,^[8] a pre-season friendly against Sutton United on 10 July 2002. Sutton United Football Club is an English football team currently playing in the Isthmian League Premier Division. Events 48 BC - Battle of Dyrrhachium, Julius Caesar barely avoids a catastrophic defeat to Pompey in Macedonia. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar.

In 2002–03, their first competitive season in the Combined Counties League, managed by Terry Eames they started slowly but won their last 11 league games to finish the season in third place, narrowly missing promotion to the Ryman Isthmian League. History The league was founded in 1905 and was strongly dedicated to Amateurism.

• League (Combined Counties League, Premier Division): 3rd of 24^[9]
• London Senior Cup: 3rd Round, lost to Barkingside 3–0^[10]
• Supporters Direct Cup: Won beating Enfield Town 2–1^[11]
• Combined Counties League Premier Challenge Cup: 2nd Round, lost to Southall 5–1^[12]
• Cherry Red Books Trophy: 3rd Round, beat Frenford Senior 3–0; however AFC 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^[13]

AFC Wimbledon fans on the pitch after the 2004 cup final win against North Greenford

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. History The league's history can be traced back to 1978 when the Surrey Senior League underwent a metamorphosis in order to try to attract clubs from outside the county The London Senior Cup is the County Senior Cup of the London FA. Barkingside Football Club, based in Barkingside in the London Borough of Redbridge, was formed by a small group of enthusiasts in 1889 playing in the Ilford The Supporters Direct Cup is an annual pre-season friendly football competition established by Supporters Direct, the British Government initiative to Enfield Town FC is a football club from Enfield Town in the London Borough of Enfield, England. History The league's history can be traced back to 1978 when the Surrey Senior League underwent a metamorphosis in order to try to attract clubs from outside the county Southall FC is a football club based in Southall in the London Borough of Ealing, England. North Greenford United Football Club is a football club based in Greenford in the London Borough of Ealing, Middlesex. Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signaling the start of civil war. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " 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 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 Isthmian League Division One. On 30 April 2004 they completed a "double" by winning the league's Premier Challenge Cup. Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "

• League (Combined Counties League Premier Division): Champions, 1st of 24 (promoted)^[14]
• FA Vase: 6th round, lost to Colne 2–1^[15]
• London Senior Cup: 1st Round, lost to Ilford 6–2^[16]
• Surrey Senior Cup: 3rd Round, lost to Banstead Athletic 2–1^[17]
• Combined Counties League Premier Challenge Cup: Winners, beating North Greenford United 4–1 (at Woking's Kingfield Stadium)^[18]

The 2004–05 season saw A. History The league's history can be traced back to 1978 when the Surrey Senior League underwent a metamorphosis in order to try to attract clubs from outside the county The Football Association Challenge Vase is an annual football competition for teams playing in the lower regional leagues of England. Colne FC are a football club based at the Holt House Stadium in Colne, Lancashire, England. The London Senior Cup is the County Senior Cup of the London FA. Ilford FC are a London football club based in Ilford in the London Borough of Redbridge founded in 1987. The Surrey Senior Cup is the County Senior Cup of the Surrey FA. Banstead Athletic Football Club is a football club based in Tadworth, near Epsom in Surrey, England. History The league's history can be traced back to 1978 when the Surrey Senior League underwent a metamorphosis in order to try to attract clubs from outside the county North Greenford United Football Club is a football club based in Greenford in the London Borough of Ealing, Middlesex. Kingfield Stadium is the home of Woking FC. It lies in Kingfield near the centre of the town of Woking. F. C. Wimbledon playing in the Isthmian League, under the leadership of newly appointed first team manager, Dave Anderson. Dave Anderson (born Belfast, 11 March 1962) is a retired footballer and manager 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 – reached the Third Qualifying Round, bowing out to Thurrock from Conference South (two divisions above). The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after Thurrock FC are a football club based in Aveley, Essex, England. Conference South (currently billed as Blue Square South for sponsorship reasons is one of the second divisions of the Football Conference in England, taking A 1–0 home win over Metropolitan Police on April 9, 2005 guaranteed the First Division title. Metropolitan Police FC are the football club of the Metropolitan Police Service, although in recent years there has been a relaxation in the rule that players had to be serving Events 193 - Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans) Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 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. Walton & Hersham FC are an English football club who are currently members of the Isthmian League Division One South. The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs Crystal Palace FC is an English football club based in South Norwood, London. Dons manager Dave Anderson was named Manager of the Year in the Isthmian First Division following the season. Dave Anderson may refer to Dave Anderson (actor Dave Anderson (football David Anderson (UK politician

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. A hat-trick in Sports is associated with succeeding at anything three times in three consecutive attempts Dunstable Town FC is a football club based in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, currently playing in the Southern League. The 2004–05 season also saw AFC Wimbledon sign their first full international, when they acquired New Zealand international Shane Smeltz in mid-season. The New Zealand national football team, nicknamed the All Whites, is the national team of New Zealand and is controlled by New Zealand Football Shane Smeltz (born in Göppingen, Germany on 29 September 1981) is a New Zealand Football player

The Dons set a new all-time record for the longest streak of unbeaten league games at any level of senior football in the United Kingdom. They remained unbeaten for 78 league matches between a 2–0 defeat at home to Withdean 2000 on 22 February 2003 and a 2–0 defeat at Cray Wanderers on 4 December 2004. Withdean 2000 FC are an English football team based in Withdean, in Brighton, who have in recent seasons played in the Combined Counties Events 1495 - King Charles VIII of France enters Naples to claim the city's throne Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Cray Wanderers FC are an English Semi-professional Football (soccer club "December 4th" redirects here For the song by Jay-Z, see December 4th (song. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "

• League (Isthmian League, Division One): Champions, 1st of 22 (promoted)^[19]
• FA Cup: 3rd Round Qualifying, lost to Thurrock 2–0^[20]
• FA Trophy: 1st Round, lost to Hendon 3–0^[21]
• Isthmian League Cup: Quarter Final, lost to Slough Town 4–2
• London Senior Cup: 4th Round, lost to Fisher Athletic 4–0^[22]
• Surrey Senior Cup: Winners, beating Walton and Hersham 2–1 aet (at Woking's Kingfield Stadium)^[23]
• Supporters Direct Cup: Lost to Brentford 2–0^[24]

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. History The league was founded in 1905 and was strongly dedicated to Amateurism. The Isthmian League First Division (also known for sponsorship reasons as the Ryman League First Division) was part of the Isthmian League, an English association The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after Thurrock FC are a football club based in Aveley, Essex, England. History It was created by The Football Association in 1969 for Semi-professional teams to complement the existing FA Amateur Cup. Hendon Football Club are an English football club based in Hendon, in the London Borough of Barnet, London, England. 2007-08 Competition See also Isthmian League Cup 2007-08 In the 2007/08 competition the holders Ashford Town (Mx fought their way into the fourth round before Slough Town FC is an English Football (soccer club The club was officially founded in 1890 after the amalgamation of three local clubs Swifts The London Senior Cup is the County Senior Cup of the London FA. Fisher Athletic FC are a semi-professional football club from South East London, currently playing in the Conference South, which is one of the two leagues The Surrey Senior Cup is the County Senior Cup of the Surrey FA. Walton & Hersham FC are an English football club who are currently members of the Isthmian League Division One South. Aggregated Extra Time (AET, commonly known as extra time is an additional period played in some sports codes if the score is tied at the end of normal time Kingfield Stadium is the home of Woking FC. It lies in Kingfield near the centre of the town of Woking. The Supporters Direct Cup is an annual pre-season friendly football competition established by Supporters Direct, the British Government initiative to Brentford Football Club are an English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. A playoff or final in Sports is a game or series of games played after the regular season is over with the goal of determining a league champion or a similar accolade 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. Dave Anderson may refer to Dave Anderson (actor Dave Anderson (football David Anderson (UK politician Hendon Football Club are an English football club based in Hendon, in the London Borough of Barnet, London, England. However the playoffs proved a disappointment as defeat at Fisher Athletic meant there was to be no promotion this year. Fisher Athletic FC are a semi-professional football club from South East London, currently playing in the Conference South, which is one of the two leagues The Dons again reached the final of the Surrey Senior Cup, losing 1–0 to Kingstonian in a fiercely contested derby game. Kingstonian Football Club are an English, Semi-professional football club that are playing in the Isthmian League First Division South for the

• League (Isthmian League, Premier Division): 4th of 22 – lost in playoff semi-final^[25]
• FA Cup: 2nd Round Qualifying, lost to Walton and Hersham 3–0^[26]
• FA Trophy: 1st Round, lost to St Albans City 3–2^[27]
• Isthmian League Cup: 4th Round, lost to Hendon 1–0^[28]
• London Senior Cup: 4th Round, lost to Wingate and Finchley 3–2 aet^[29]
• Surrey Senior Cup: Finalists, lost to Kingstonian 1–0 (at Woking's Kingfield Stadium)^[30]
• Supporters Direct Cup: Won, beating F.C. United of Manchester 1–0^[31]

AFC Wimbledon (white shirts) playing Ramsgate in December 2007

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. History The league was founded in 1905 and was strongly dedicated to Amateurism. Member clubs 2008&ndash09 Champions Here is a complete list of Isthmian League top division champions throughout the leagues history The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after Walton & Hersham FC are an English football club who are currently members of the Isthmian League Division One South. History It was created by The Football Association in 1969 for Semi-professional teams to complement the existing FA Amateur Cup. St Albans City FC (nicknamed The Saints) is a football club based in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. 2007-08 Competition See also Isthmian League Cup 2007-08 In the 2007/08 competition the holders Ashford Town (Mx fought their way into the fourth round before Hendon Football Club are an English football club based in Hendon, in the London Borough of Barnet, London, England. The London Senior Cup is the County Senior Cup of the London FA. Wingate & Finchley FC is a football club from Finchley in the London Borough of Barnet, London. The Surrey Senior Cup is the County Senior Cup of the Surrey FA. Kingstonian Football Club are an English, Semi-professional football club that are playing in the Isthmian League First Division South for the Kingfield Stadium is the home of Woking FC. It lies in Kingfield near the centre of the town of Woking. The Supporters Direct Cup is an annual pre-season friendly football competition established by Supporters Direct, the British Government initiative to Football Club United of Manchester ( FC United of Manchester, FC United, FCUoM or FCUM for short is a semi-professional English Ramsgate Football Club are a football team based in Ramsgate, Kent. 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. Jermaine Darlington (born 11 April 1974 in Hackney London) is a former English football player who played as a left-sided Midfielder Cardiff City Football Club (Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd is a football team based in Cardiff, Wales. This punishment was eventually reduced to three points and a £400 fine by the FA, who accepted that the club had made an administrative error. The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey In the FA Cup, the Dons reached the final qualifying round before bowing out in a 2–1 defeat at Exeter City. The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after 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. Organisation The Football Conference stands at the top of the National League System (NLS a comprehensive structure linking together over 50 different leagues under the History It was created by The Football Association in 1969 for Semi-professional teams to complement the existing FA Amateur Cup.

• League (Isthmian League, Premier Division): 5th of 22 (−3 points) – lost in playoff semi-final^[32]
• FA Cup: 4th Round Qualifying, lost to Exeter City 2–1^[33]
• FA Trophy: Expelled from competition. History The league was founded in 1905 and was strongly dedicated to Amateurism. Member clubs 2008&ndash09 Champions Here is a complete list of Isthmian League top division champions throughout the leagues history The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after Exeter City Football Club are an English football club based in Exeter, who were members of the Football League from 1920 to 2003 and rejoined History It was created by The Football Association in 1969 for Semi-professional teams to complement the existing FA Amateur Cup.
• Isthmian League Cup: 4th Round, lost to Tooting & Mitcham United 1–0^[34]
• London Senior Cup: 4th Round, lost to Dulwich Hamlet 3–2^[35]
• Surrey Senior Cup: Expelled from competition. 2007-08 Competition See also Isthmian League Cup 2007-08 In the 2007/08 competition the holders Ashford Town (Mx fought their way into the fourth round before Tooting & Mitcham United Football Club are a Semi-professional association football club representing the south-west London areas of Tooting The London Senior Cup is the County Senior Cup of the London FA. Dulwich Hamlet Football Club is an English football club who play at Champion Hill stadium in Dulwich, in the London Borough of Southwark. The Surrey Senior Cup is the County Senior Cup of the Surrey FA.
• Supporters Direct Cup: Lost to F.C. United of Manchester 2–1^[36]

Ownership and legal status

AFCW 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. The Supporters Direct Cup is an annual pre-season friendly football competition established by Supporters Direct, the British Government initiative to Football Club United of Manchester ( FC United of Manchester, FC United, FCUoM or FCUM for short is a semi-professional English A Public Limited Company ( PLC, plc or plc or p l c is a type of Limited company in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland which is The Dons Trust, or Wimbledon Football Club Supporters' Society Limited, is an Industrial and Provident Society (IPS, registered with the Financial Services Authority In 2003, however, a minority interest was sold in a share issue in order to finance the purchase of Kingsmeadow, the ground that AFCW part owned with Kingstonian, a decision which raised some concerns given the circumstances of the clubs formation. Kingsmeadow, officially The Fans' Stadium (or The Cherry Red Records Fans' Stadium for sponsorship purposes is a football stadium in the Norbiton Kingstonian Football Club are an English, Semi-professional football club that are playing in the Isthmian League First Division South for the

The Dons Trust is an Industrial and Provident Society registered with the Financial Services Authority as "Wimbledon Football Club Supporters' Society Limited". An Industrial and Provident Society (IPS is a legal entity for a trading business or voluntary organisation in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland. The Financial Services Authority ( "FSA") is an independent non-governmental body Quasi-judicial body and a company limited by guarantee that regulates 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 AFC Wimbledon's holding company".

Ground purchase and the debt

Upon its foundation in 2002, AFC Wimbledon entered into a ground–sharing arrangement with Kingstonian to play their home fixtures at Kingsmeadow, in neighbouring Kingston upon Thames. Kingstonian Football Club are an English, Semi-professional football club that are playing in the Isthmian League First Division South for the Kingsmeadow, officially The Fans' Stadium (or The Cherry Red Records Fans' Stadium for sponsorship purposes is a football stadium in the Norbiton Kingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough

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 businessmen, 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 widely seen as asset stripping. Asset stripping involves selling the Assets of a business individually at a profit

After an SGM, it was felt by the board of directors, that securing ownership of Kingsmeadow would safeguard the ground for the future of both clubs so in March 2003,^[37] the Dons Trust members voted to purchase part of the lease for Kingsmeadow 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. An Extraordinary General Meeting, commonly abbreviated as EGM, is a meeting of members of an organisation shareholders of a company or employees of an official body which Kingsmeadow, officially The Fans' Stadium (or The Cherry Red Records Fans' Stadium for sponsorship purposes is a football stadium in the Norbiton This purchase took place a few weeks before the proposed formation of the Kingstonian Supporters Trust which AFC Wimbledon's supporters trust had been advising. This trust itself would have considered purchasing the lease to the ground were it able to raise the funds. Many Kingstonian fans saw this action as a betrayal and consider the ground to have been stolen and the relationship between the two sets of fans can be said to be ill-tempered.

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. Events 240 BC - 1st recorded Perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Barclays PLC is a major global financial services provider operating in Europe, North America, the Middle East, Latin America, Australia On 24 November 2006 a statement on their website finally confirmed that the club had taken up the option on the Barclays loan, and had repaid Mr Khosla in full. Events 380 - Theodosius I makes his adventus, or formal Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. 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 them and, equally importantly, for Kingstonian F. C. 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. An exhibition game (also known as an exhibition match or simply exhibition, or a demonstration or demo event is a sporting event The long term ambition for the breakaway club however remains to secure a ground in Merton. The London Borough of Merton ( is a London borough in south west London. Soon after the club's purchase of Kingsmeadow, then Finance Director and current Chairman, Erik Samuelson was reported as saying:

League history

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. History The league's history can be traced back to 1978 when the Surrey Senior League underwent a metamorphosis in order to try to attract clubs from outside the county In many Sports leagues around the world (with North American and Australian professional leagues being the most notable exceptions promotion and relegation In many Sports leagues around the world (with North American and Australian professional leagues being the most notable exceptions promotion and relegation History The league was founded in 1905 and was strongly dedicated to Amateurism. In many Sports leagues around the world (with North American and Australian professional leagues being the most notable exceptions promotion and relegation A playoff or final in Sports is a game or series of games played after the regular season is over with the goal of determining a league champion or a similar accolade A playoff or final in Sports is a game or series of games played after the regular season is over with the goal of determining a league champion or a similar accolade A playoff or final in Sports is a game or series of games played after the regular season is over with the goal of determining a league champion or a similar accolade In many Sports leagues around the world (with North American and Australian professional leagues being the most notable exceptions promotion and relegation

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. County Cups in football are knockout cup competitions held at a sub-regional level intended to encourage competitive football at all levels 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 them 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. first team appearances include 16 years old centre backs Godfrey Asare and Aaron Snelling, right back Stevie Gilbert, midfielders Luke Pigden and Mark Wardell and goalkeeper Elliott Ransom

As well as the various youth teams, they 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. AFC Wimbledon Ladies is the women's football team representing Wimbledon, London. The FA Women's Premier League Southern Division is a league in the second level in the women's football pyramid in England along with the Northern division 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.

Sponsorship

AFC Wimbledon have been sponsored by computer games developers Sports Interactive, creators of the hugely popular original Championship Manager series and subsequently since their split from publishers Eidos, the continuation of that series, known as Football Manager, since the club's inception in 2002, and the SI logo appears on the front of the team's shirts. Sports Interactive is a computer games development company currently based in Old Street, Central London and owned by the Japanese software and Championship Manager (sometimes abbreviated to CM, Champ or Champ Man) was the very first game in the popular Championship Manager Football Manager is a series of football management simulation games designed by Sports Interactive. 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. "^[39]

The idea for Sports Interactive to sponsor them came from Nick Robinson, who was an employee at Eidos, Sports Interactive's then-publishers. Eidos Interactive is a publisher of video and Computer games with its parent company based in England. However, Eidos were not willing to fund the deal, and so SI decided to stump up the cash themselves. ^[39]

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. ^[39]

Players

Current first team squad

As of 30th May, 2008:^[40]

No. Events 1416 - The Council of Constance, called by the Emperor Sigismund a supporter of Antipope John XXIII burns Jerome of Prague following 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Position Player - GK Andy Little - GK James Pullen - DF Michael Haswell - DF Jason Goodliffe (captain) - DF Luke Garrard - DF Ben Judge - DF Chris Hussey - DF Michael Peacock - DF Steve Gilbert

No. In many team Sports a goalkeeper (termed goaltender netminder, goalie, or keeper in some sports In many team Sports a goalkeeper (termed goaltender netminder, goalie, or keeper in some sports In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Luke Garrard (born September 22, 1985) is a semi-professional footballer currently playing for AFC Wimbledon. In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Position Player - MF Tom Davis - MF Jake Leberl - MF Chris Sullivan - MF Sam Hatton - MF Tony Finn - MF Luke Pigden - MF Robin Shroot - MF Lewis Taylor - FW Jon Main

Player of the Year

The WISA player of the year award is voted for by fans in time for the final home game of the season. For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, are the players on a team in Association football (soccer in the row nearest to the opposing Previous winners have been:

Year Winner 2003 Lee Sidwell 2004 Matt Everard 2005 Richard Butler 2006 Andy Little 2007 Anthony Howard 2008 Jason Goodliffe

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 them and the community of Wimbledon. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 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. John "Fash" Fashanu (born 18 September 1962 in Kensington, London) is a British Television presenter and David John "Dave" Beasant, (born 20 March 1959 in Willesden, London) is a former English football Goalkeeper Efangwu Goziem "Efan" Ekoku (born 8 June 1967, in Cheetham Hill, Greater Manchester) is an English born Nigerian Neil Sullivan (born 24 February 1970 in Sutton) is a professional footballer currently playing for Doncaster Rovers again on David "Dave" "Harry" Bassett (born 4 September 1944 in Stanmore is an English football manager, whose Walter John "Wally" Downes (born 9 June 1961) is an English former football player and manager Marcus Gayle (born 27 September 1970 in Hammersmith, London) is the current manager of AFC Wimbledon 's reserve team and a former professional Neal Christopher Ardley (born September 1, 1972 in Epsom, Surrey) is a former English professional footballer who Alan Kimble (born August 6 1966 in Poole, Dorset) is a retired English professional footballer Andy Thorn (born 12 November 1966 in Carshalton) is a retired English footballer Roger Anthony Joseph (born December 24 1965 in Paddington, England) is a former footballer who is most notable for playing for Dickie Guy (born January 6 1949 is an English former Non-league goalkeeper for Wimbledon FC during the sixties and seventies Allen Batsford is a former football manager He was manager of Wimbledon when they were elected to the Football League in 1977

WOPA fielded a team in the Masters Football Tournament on Sunday 16 July, at Wembley Arena, with AFC Wimbledon's backing. Masters football is a 6 a-side indoor football competition in the United Kingdom, where players over the age of 35 are chosen by the Masters Football Selection Committee Events 622 - The beginning of the Islamic calendar. 1054 - Three Roman legates fractured relations between the Western and Wembley Arena is a famous Entertainment venue located in Wembley, London, UK. ^[41] The team included Carlton Fairweather, Scott Fitzgerald, Marcus Gayle and Dean Holdsworth. Scott Fitzgerald (born 13 August 1969 in London) is an Irish former footballer, and the former manager of League One Marcus Gayle (born 27 September 1970 in Hammersmith, London) is the current manager of AFC Wimbledon 's reserve team and a former professional Dean Holdsworth (born 8 November 1968 in Walthamstow, London) is an English former professional football player now

Honours

Following the move of Wimbledon F. C. to Milton Keynes and the club's subsequent rebranding as Milton Keynes Dons F. C. , there was much debate over the home of the honours won by Wimbledon F. C. . Supporters of the club argued that the honours and trophies won by Wimbledon F. C. rightfully belong to the community of Wimbledon and should be returned to the local area.

In October 2006, agreement^[42] was reached between the club, the MK Dons Supporters Association, the Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association and the Football Supporters Federation (FSF). The Football Supporters' Federation is an organisation representing football fans in England and Wales. 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. A trademark or trade mark, represented by the symbols ™ and ®, or mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual In Computer networking, a domain name is a name given to a collection of network devices that belong to a domain which is an administrative space managed according 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. Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " C. ). 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. ^[43]

On 2 August 2007, Milton Keynes Dons transferred the replica trophies and all Wimbledon F. Events 338 BC - A Macedonian army led by Philip II defeated the combined forces of Athens and Thebes in the Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. C. memorabilia to the London Borough of Merton. ^[44][45]

AFC Wimbledon maintain that the honours of Wimbledon F. C. belong to the fans, as illustrated by the statement on the club's official website. A point which is the cause of some dispute as a minority of Wimbledon FC supporters decided to remain with the club through the relocation & re-branding rather than follow the break away AFC Wimbledon. These fans do not recognise AFC Wimbledon's exclusive rights to the history of Wimbledon FC:

For the list of Wimbledon F. C. honours referred to above, see Wimbledon F.C.#Honours. This article refers to the original club from London which existed until 2004

Post 2002

(Honours as AFC Wimbledon)

• Isthmian League
  • Division One Champions (1): 2004–05;
• Combined Counties League
  • Champions (1): 2003–04 (unbeaten);
• Combined Counties League 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;^[47] 2005–06^[48]
  • Runners-up (2): 2004–05;^[49] 2006–07^[50]

Records

Club records

• Biggest Home Victory: 9–0 against Slough Town on 31 March 2007. History The league was founded in 1905 and was strongly dedicated to Amateurism. The Isthmian League First Division (also known for sponsorship reasons as the Ryman League First Division) was part of the Isthmian League, an English association History The league's history can be traced back to 1978 when the Surrey Senior League underwent a metamorphosis in order to try to attract clubs from outside the county History The league's history can be traced back to 1978 when the Surrey Senior League underwent a metamorphosis in order to try to attract clubs from outside the county The Surrey Senior Cup is the County Senior Cup of the Surrey FA. The Supporters Direct Cup is an annual pre-season friendly football competition established by Supporters Direct, the British Government initiative to Slough Town FC is an English Football (soccer club The club was officially founded in 1890 after the amalgamation of three local clubs Swifts Events 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
• Biggest Away Victory: 9–0 against Chessington United on 14 February 2004
• Biggest Home Defeat: 4–0 vs. Events 842 - Charles the Bald and Louis the German swear the Oaths of Strasbourg in the French and German "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Hampton & Richmond Borough on 1 April 2006. Hampton & Richmond Borough FC are a football club based in the Suburb of Hampton, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, London, Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.
• 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 Kingsmeadow, 5 May 2003 versus Raynes Park Vale. Walton & Hersham FC are an English football club who are currently members of the Isthmian League Division One South. Events 68 - Galba, Governor of Hispania, names himself legatus senatus populique Romani, breaking the line of Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 747 BC - Epoch (origin of Ptolemy 's Nabonassar Era 364 - Valentinian I is proclaimed Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1095 - Pope Urban II declares the First Crusade at the Council of Clermont "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Kingsmeadow, officially The Fans' Stadium (or The Cherry Red Records Fans' Stadium for sponsorship purposes is a football stadium in the Norbiton Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Raynes Park Vale Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Raynes Park in the London Borough of Merton, England.

Player records

• Most Appearances: Anthony Howard 189 between July '04 and March '08.
• 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.

See also

• List of Fan Owned Teams

References

External links

Official sites

• AFC Wimbledon official site
• The Dons Trust
• The Fans' Stadium

Unofficial sites

• Womble Underground Press Fanzine Forum
• Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association
• An unofficial AFC Wimbledon fan site, "SW19's Army"
• The Big Tissue (fan site hosted by Rivals.net)
• Dons Online - video footage of every match
• AFCDons.net - Comprehensive Stats & Quick access to all the latest team information