Milton Keynes Dons F.C.
| Wimbledon | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Wimbledon Football Club |
| Formed | 1889 |
| Ground | National Hockey Stadium, Milton Keynes |
| Manager | Terry Burton |
| Nickname | The Dons |
Wimbledon F.C. are a football club playing in the English First Division. Their traditional home is Wimbledon, south London, but since 2003 they have been based in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.
History
Wimbledon Old Centrals were formed in 1889, and changed their name to Wimbledon in 1905. The club played on Wimbledon Common until 1912, when they moved to Plough Lane, their home for the next 75 years. They became one of the best known amateur clubs, winning the Isthmian League title eight times, and finally lifting the F.A. Amateur Cup in 1963.
The club turned professional the following year, entering the Southern League, and were elected to the Football League in 1977. They were promoted or relegated every season from 1979 to 1984, reaching the top level in 1986. Known as "The Crazy Gang" because of the eccentric behaviour of their players and fans, their greatest moment came in 1988 when they won the FA Cup, beating Liverpool 1-0.
Recent seasons
The club's troubles started in the late 1980s when they were forced to leave Plough Lane and groundshare at Crystal Palace's Selhurst Park ground. Their poor financial situation, together with relegation from the Premier League in 2000, led to the owners attempts to relocate the team to Milton Keynes, about 50 miles north (something unheard of in English football). After a long enquiry, the Football Association finally gave the go-ahead for the move, causing the fans to form a new club, AFC Wimbledon.
The vast majority of Wimbledon football fans regard AFC Wimbledon as the continuation of the original club. Also, the Wimbledon women's team, which plays in the regionalized second level of England's women's football pyramid, refused to move to Milton Keynes; it changed its affiliation to AFC Wimbledon after the 2002-03 season.
Following the move to Milton Keynes, the team (often derisively called "Franchise FC") struggled both on and off the pitch. After 9 months in financial administration with debts of £25 million (GBP), the club agreed to a buy-out package by a consortium named InterMK in March 2004. It is unlikely that Wimbledon FC will avoid relegation to the Second Division at the end of the 2003/2004 season, having been placed at the bottom of the table for nearly the entire period. Poor performance on the pitch, characterised by as many as eight consecutive defeats, was due to necessarily ruthless cost-cutting which resulted in the departure of all of Wimbledon's better players.
It has been suggested that the club should change its name to reflect the area it is now based in, with Milton Keynes Dons being the most likely.
Honours
- F.A. Cup
- Winners: 1987-88
- F.A. Premier League
- Best season 6th: 1993-94
- Football League
- Division One best season 6th: 1986-87
- Division Three Runners-up: 1983-84
- Division Four Champions: 1982-83
- Football League Cup
- Semi-finals: 1996-97, 1998-99
- F.A. Amateur Cup
- Winners: 1962-63
- Runners-up: 1934-35, 1946-47
- Southern League
- Premier Division Champions: 1974-75, 1975-76, 1976-77
- Premier Division Runners-up: 1967-68
- Division One Runners-up: 1964-65
- Southern League Cup
- Winners: 1969-70, 1975-76
- Isthmian League
- Champions: 1930-31, 1931-32, 1934-35, 1935-36, 1958-59, 1961-62, 1962-63, 1963-64
- Athenian League
- Runners-up: 1920-21
- London Senior Cup
- Winners: 1930-31, 1933-34, 1961-62, 1974-75, 1976-77
Grounds
- Wimbledon Common (1889-1912)
- Plough Lane (1912-?)
- Selhurst Park (?-2003)
- National Hockey Stadium (2003-date)
League history
| 1919-21 | Athenian League |
| 1921-64 | Isthmian League |
| 1964-65 | Southern League, Division One |
| 1965-77 | Southern League, Premier Division |
| 1977-79 | Football League, Division Four |
| 1979-80 | Football League, Division Three |
| 1980-81 | Football League, Division Four |
| 1981-82 | Football League, Division Three |
| 1982-83 | Football League, Division Four |
| 1983-84 | Football League, Division Three |
| 1984-86 | Football League, Division Two |
| 1986-92 | Football League, Division One |
| 1992-2000 | F.A. Premier League (founder members) |
| 2000-date | Football League, Division One |