Formed when Wimbledon Football Club relocated to Milton Keynes, AFC Wimbledon see themselves as the continuation of Wimbledon FC and refute the right of MK Dons to the claim of Wimbledons' Football League place. Indeed in 2006 the MK Dons returned all trophies (including a replica of the FA Cup won in 1998) and effects relating to Wimbledon FC to the London borough of Merton so that they be held in the Wimbledon area. Some AFC fans are still unhappy with them using 'Dons' in their name and will not rest until that little hint to the past is erased. The club itself is a real community club and fans bought shares in it to help raise funds to buy the Kingsmeadow ground when Kingstonian ran into financial trouble and had their assets stripped. AFC Wimbledon is a success story built on a strong sense of togetherness and community. The club itself lays out it's agenda on its own website.......
"The supporters of AFC Wimbledon believe that our club is a continuation of the spirit which formed Wimbledon Old Centrals in 1889 and kept Wimbledon Football Club alive until May 2002. We consider that a football club is not simply the legal entity which controls it, but that it is the community formed by the fans and players working towards a common goal. We therefore reproduce the honours won by what we believe was, and will always be, "our" club, in our community."
AFC Wimbledon and MK Dons could have met each other in the 2nd Round of the FA Cup this season but both lost their 1st round replays to deny supporters the opportunity. It is inevitable that these two sides will meet and the level of animosity against MK Dons is sure to make for a tense atmosphere. The League cup is a possiblility as is the Johnstone's Paint Trophy next season. Of course it could be that the rise of AFC Wimbledon continues and they enjoy parity with MK Dons in League 1. MK Dons failed to get to the League 1 play-off final losing 4-3 on aggregate to Peterborough and they must almost be able to feel the weight of history pulling on them as AFC breath down their necks like the Lion stalking it's prey.
Peter Winkelman, the MK Dons chairman, is not the most popular man in football. His incredible arrogance and sickening enthusiasm for his club has demonstrated scant regard for former supporters of Wimbledon FC. Indeed it was not the first time he had tried to re-locate a football club to Milton Keynes, the record producer had previously tried and failed to lure Luton and QPR there. He has been shown that it was possible to start way down in the non-league pyramid and build a team from Milton Keynes which the town could have been proud of. Instead the whole club is illegitimate, a sham. By stealing the league place of Wimbledon FC it has sealed it's position as pariahs of the football league. The community that had shown no interest in football had a shiny new club while the people of Wimbledon were left with nothing. The FA once again have to accept responsibility for another series of terrible decisions.
AFC Wimbledons' remarkable rise is an outstanding achievement of fan power and genuine love of football. When they and MK Dons do play each other I know who I'll be supporting!
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