AFC Wimbledon

Encyclopedia : A : AF : AFC : AFC Wimbledon

AFC Wimbledon is a semi-professional English football club representing the area of Wimbledon and Merton in south London.

Most football fans regard AFC Wimbledon as a direct continuation of the now defunct Wimbledon F.C., and consider that the new MK Dons are no longer representative of the Wimbledon area, or, more importantly, the legacy and tradition of Wimbledon F.C.

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 2004/2005 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 leagues matches in a row without defeat over a period spanning three seasons.

Foundation

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.

Finally, having moved, Wimbledon F.C. cut all ties with their old home town and renamed themselves Milton Keynes Dons in 2004, thus 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.

Supporters of other clubs around the country initially boycotted matches against Milton Keynes Dons (often mockingly referred to as "Franchise FC") in solidarity with Wimbledon's supporters, as a protest against the principle of relocation and the instant recognition of the new club in Milton Keynes by The Football League, which is perceived as completely alien to the traditions of the game in England.

Ownership and Legal Status

The stadium is now officially operated as "The Fans' Stadium, Kingsmeadow", offering space to the Football Supporters Federation. AFC Wimbledon intend to play there until such time as they can afford to return to Wimbledon proper, where no "Wimbledon" first team has played since the closure of Wimbledon F.C.'s Plough Lane ground in 1991.

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".

Khosla debt

All of this meant 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, has meant that to date only £360,000 is left owing to Mr. Khosla, with an additional £265,000 owing to Dons Trust Bond holders.

On March 30 2006, a Dons Trust meeting was held at which the majority vote was in favour of accepting a commercial loan from Barclays Bank where the debt would be to them, and not to Rajesh Khosla.

Performance

The 2004-05 season saw a Wimbledon side back in the Isthmian League for the first time since 1964. 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 quarterfinals. Dons manager Dave Anderson was named Manager of the Year in the Isthmian First Division following the season.

One Wimbledon player received a unique honour in the 2004-05 season. After scoring all three goals in the Dons' defeat of Dunstable Town in the Second Qualifying Round of the FA Cup, Rob Ursell was shortlisted by the FA for The FA Cup Player of the Round Award. In an online fans' poll on the FA's official website, Ursell won that award in a landslide. Ursell and the season's other 10 winners, including Premiership stars Shay Given and Ruud van Nistelrooy, were introduced at halftime of the FA Cup final at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Later in the season, Ursell also received a callup to the England national futsal team. 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 midseason.

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 with their 76th, a 1-1 draw at Bromley F.C., on November 13, 2004, and a 2-1 victory over Bashley F.C. on November 27 made it 78. Withdean 2000, 2002/2003 CCL champions, delivered AFC Wimbledon's last league defeat (on Saturday 22 February 2003) before the undefeated sequence finally ended at Cray Wanderers F.C. with a 2-0 defeat on December 4, 2004.

The 2005-2006 season proved far more competitive than previous seasons, and after winning their first few games the Dons found themselves struggling to remain in the playoff places as injuries to key players (including Ursell) kept them below full strength. However, after fluctuating form they eventually confirmed their place in the playoffs with a 1-0 win against Hendon F.C. on April 22. However the play-offs proved a disappointment as defeat at Fisher Athletic F.C. 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 F.C. in a fiercely contested derby game.

League history

! Season
! League contested
! Played
! Won
! Drawn
! Lost
! For
! Against
! Points
! Final league position

| 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06

Combined Counties Football League Premier Division	46	36	3	7	125	46	111	3rd of 24
Combined Counties Football League Premier Division	46	42	4	0	180	32	130	1st of 24 Promoted
Isthmian League First Division	42	29	10	3	91	33	97	1st of 22 Promoted
Isthmian League Premier Division	42	22	11	9	67	36	77	4th of 22 Lost in playoff semi-final

Attendances

! Season
! League contested
! Average Attendance
! Final league position

| 2005-06

2004-05	Isthmian League First Division	2907	1st of 22
Isthmian League Premier Division	2705	4th of 22 Lost in playoff semi-final

Youth and Women's Football

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 who play in the FA Nationwide 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 2005-2006 season.

This means that there are now a total of 25 teams representing AFC Wimbledon, in a mixture of men's, women's, boys' and girls' football.

Why \"AFC\"?

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 played a friendly match at The Fans' Stadium, Kingsmeadow on 23 July 2005, won 1-0 by the Dons.

Wimbledon Old Players Association

WOPA will be fielding a team in the Masters Football Tournament on Sunday 16 July, at Wembley Arena, with AFC Wimbledon's backing. [link]

Current squad

Josh Lennie

Wayne Finnie

Achievements

• Isthmian League First Division:
• * Winners (1): 2004-05

• Combined Counties League:
• * Winners (1): 2003-04

• Surrey Senior Cup:
• * Winners (1): 2004-05
• * Runners-up (1): 2005-06

• CCL Premier Challenge Cup:
• * Winners (1): 2003-04

• Supporters Direct Trust Cup:
• * Winners (1): 2002-03

Records

• Largest victory in league: 9-0 against Chessington United F.C. 2004
• Most consecutive unbeaten league games: 78 (This is the longest unbeaten sequence of league matches of any team at senior level in the UK)
• Record attendance: 4,560 at The Fans' Stadium, Kingsmeadow, 5th May 2003 versus Raynes Park Vale F.C.

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

• [AFC Wimbledon Messageboard]
• [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"]
• [Womble Underground Press - independent fanzine]
• [A statistic and history site]
• [AFC Wimbledon Supporters Groups]
• [AFCDons.net - Comprehensive Stats & Quick access to all the latest team information]
• [US Dons - AFC Wimbledon Supporters Club of the Americas]

|- !colspan="3" style="background:#ccf; text-align:center;"|Isthmian League Premier Division 2006/07 |- |colspan="3" style="padding:0 5% 0 5%; text-align:center;"| AFC Wimbledon | Ashford Town | Billericay Town | Boreham Wood | Bromley | Carshalton Athletic | Chelmsford City | East Thurrock United | Folkestone Invicta | Hampton & Richmond Borough | Harrow Borough | Hendon | Heybridge Swifts | Horsham | Leyton | Margate | Ramsgate | Slough Town | Staines Town | Tonbridge Angels | Walton & Hersham | Worthing   [ edit]

|- ! colspan="3" style="background:#ccf;" | Football in England |- ! style="background:#ffdead; width:19em;" | League competitions | style="width:9em;" align="center" | The FA ! style="background:#ffdead; width:19em;" | Cup competitions |- | align="center" |FA Premier League | align="center" |England | align="center" |FA Cup |- | align="center" |The Football League (Champ, 1, 2) | align="center" |(U-21) (B) | align="center" |League Cup |- | align="center" |Football Conference (Nat, N, S) | align="center" |List of clubs | align="center" |FA Community Shield |- | align="center" |Northern Premier League (Prem, 1) | align="center" | | align="center" |Football League Trophy |- | align="center" |Southern League (Prem, Mid, S&W) | align="center" |(by capacity) | align="center" |FA Trophy |- | align="center" |Isthmian League (Prem, 1N, 1S) | align="center" | | align="center" |FA Vase |- | align="center" |English football league system | align="center" |Records | align="center" |FA NLS Cup |- | style="background:#ccf;" colspan="3" align="center" | Women's football in England |- ! style="background:#ffdead; width:19em;" | League competitions | style="width:9em;" align="center" |   ! style="background:#ffdead; width:19em;" | Cup competitions |- | align="center" |Women's Premier League (Nat, N, S) | align="center" |England women | align="center" |FA Women's Cup |- | | align="center" |List of clubs | align="center" |Premier League Cup

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.