Wimbledon's first chance for revenge?

[Plastic Paddy]

If they both successfully negotiate replays against lower-division opposition then, following today's draw, AFC Wimbledon and Milton Keynes Dons will meet at Kingsmeadow in the second round of the (English) FA Cup. A fascinating backstory, whatever your views. If it comes off it's bound to be televised. Expect fireworks.

:ball: PP

[ArdeeBhoy]

Good luck to the real Wombles v.Franchise.

[culloty82]

Seems the Wimbledon fans don't want to play MK because it would give them needless legitimacy (http://www.wsc.co.uk/content/view/5886/38/), it would be justice if they did beat them though.

[Lionel Ritchie]

MocK Dons ...the gate is swinging and I hear a tumult of clucking from the direction of the driveway.

[Dodge]

Be great to see Milton Keynes Dons beat them alright, great stories attached to football like this make it worth while.

He hee he. Presume you go them mixed up there

[Lim till i die]

I remember the old Wimbledon.

Horrible nasty little club with no fans.*













*which is rich coming from a Limerick fan but I stand over it. :)

[BonnieShels]

I was watching Sky Sports News and that flashed up on the screen and I couldn't believe it. It'll be a dinger of a match if it goes ahead. I can understand the sentiments of the fans in that WSC article however.

[Plastic Paddy]

Following the FA Cup first round replays the wait for these two clubs to meet will go on somewhat longer. AFCW made it through their tie against Ebbsfleet United (of MyFC fame), winning 3-2 with a goal in the 120th minute, but the MK Dons went out to Stevenage 7-6 on penalties as their match finished 1-1 after extra time.

:ball: PP

[BonnieShels]

I think that's the best result for all involved.

[culloty82]

Wimbledon are through to play Luton in the Conference play-off final on Sunday week - it would be quite an achievement to climb from the bottom of the English pyramid back to the Football League in eight seasons.

[BonnieShels]

It would but in the process they could be replacing Lincoln City in League 2. :'(

It seems like only yesterday when me and Dave Regis had them in the European Cup Final against Milan. A sad time for us Imps!

[culloty82]

Wimbledon win promotion on penalties, it'll still take a few seasons at least before they can finish ahead of MK though, but it will make next year's League 2 very interesting. Could be a tough time ahead for BonnieShels, half the Conference these days seems to be made up of ex-League teams (York, Darlington, Wrexham, Cambridge, Stockport), so getting out is escaping a real bearpit.

[ArdeeBhoy]

They could finish above Franchise as early as 2012-13, it may take as long as 5 years, but hope they beat those ***** ASAP?

[BonnieShels]

Wimbledon win promotion on penalties, it'll still take a few seasons at least before they can finish ahead of MK though, but it will make next year's League 2 very interesting. Could be a tough time ahead for BonnieShels, half the Conference these days seems to be made up of ex-League teams (York, Darlington, Wrexham, Cambridge, Stockport), so getting out is escaping a real bearpit.

Aren't I used to bear pits. Can't out of division 1 at all!

[culloty82]

Because Birmingham's European bye has messed up the League Cup first round draw, Wimbledon become the first team to kick off the English domestic season, playing Crawley in a preliminary round tie tonight.

[ArdeeBhoy]

And lost.

The old cliche of consolidating to life in their division applies, though may have a slim chance of play-offs??

[culloty82]

After a shaky start, are now flying in League Two, moving into the automatic promotion places for the first time this weekend. Could well be promoted to League One, as numerous Conference clubs (Macclesfield, Wycombe, Stevenage) have had back-to-back success in previous seasons.

[Acornvilla]

After a shaky start, are now flying in League Two, moving into the automatic promotion places for the first time this weekend. Could well be promoted to League One, as numerous Conference clubs (Macclesfield, Wycombe, Stevenage) have had back-to-back success in previous seasons.

Yeovil did it too!

[citybone]

Unfortunatly They lost at the weekend to Crewe and drop down to the playoff spots. They are into the Johnstone Paint Trophy southern section Quarter final against Paulo Di Canio's Swindon Town.
In respect of promotion the ground would not qualify for League 1 standard and have no more room for expansion so unless they can find a new ground to build up they will be in the same problem Wimbledon FC were in the 90's.
Better off staying in League 2 for more than one season and if getting promoted then do it by winning the league.

[culloty82]

After slipping to 21st in League Two, and thus dangerously near relegation to the Conference - Wimbledon have sacked their long-time manager Terry Brown, who earned them three promotions, from the Southern League through to League Two.

[BonnieShels]

No loyalty in football eh...
Madness!

[culloty82]

The FA must've warmed up the balls today:

Cambridge City or Milton Keynes Dons vs AFC Wimbledon/York City.

[theworm2345]

The FA must've warmed up the balls today:

Cambridge City or Milton Keynes Dons vs AFC Wimbledon/York City.
Obviously you'd assume MK Dons would go through as they'll be at home in the return leg (though I have to say Cambridge City were a credit to themselves in the first leg). AFC Wimbledon have been struggling in the league but will be at home in the return leg so you never know.

[BonnieShels]

Obviously you'd assume MK Dons would go through as they'll be at home in the return leg (though I have to say Cambridge City were a credit to themselves in the first leg). AFC Wimbledon have been struggling in the league but will be at home in the return leg so you never know.

The FA Cup is one-legged.

[theworm2345]

The FA Cup is one-legged.
I shouldn't have said return leg, I meant replay (though I'm not sure first leg and return leg would technically be incorrect even in this case)

[BonnieShels]

I shouldn't have said return leg, I meant replay (though I'm not sure first leg and return leg would technically be incorrect even in this case)

They would have been. Replay is pretty much the only word to use.

Anyway either way I imagine fate won't allow it to happen until they eventually meet in the league.

[Mad Moose]

Former Harps player Shaun Williams has hit a 40 yard effort to make this a real possibility. I could see a possibility of AFC Wimbledon not playing the game even if a League game is likely down the line. Too lucrative for AFC Wimbledon to turn down but I could see them been supported and respected. They certainly do not want to face MK Dons. Went to a game at Stadium MK once. A souless place and a souless club.

AFC Wimbledon fans so divided on this. Support the club or not legitimise MK Dons. Either way playing them legitimises their existence. This meeting nearly happened in the same competition 2 seasons ago. I remember been aware of it.

[BonnieShels]

Yeah that's what started this thread in the first place.

Well at the moment it's gonna happen as MK won 6-1 against Cambridge.

[patrickccfc]

hopefully it happens would be a good game to watch assuming espn cover it

[theworm2345]

Interesting to see Neil Sullivan has gone to AFC Wimbledon on loan. I know Marcus Gayle and Jermaine Darlington played for both incarnations of the club, not sure if he is the third or not. He's not cup-tied so could be eligible to face MK Dons.

[BonnieShels]

hopefully it happens would be a good game to watch assuming espn cover it

I agree but there's a lot of unhappy Wimbledon fans out there who don't want to play MK and feel it legitimizes what the FA did and they would rather not play the game.

Should be a belter of a game though.

[culloty82]

Far as I know, it'll be on UTV, Sunday December 2nd, at 12.30.

[patrickccfc]

I agree but there's a lot of unhappy Wimbledon fans out there who don't want to play MK and feel it legitimizes what the FA did and they would rather not play the game.

Should be a belter of a game though.
i didnt understand the full story in my original post, now that i have looked it up i understand why wimbledon fans dont want it.. but if i was an AFC fan id be well up for it

[nigel-harps1954]

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/fa-cup-wimbledon-fans-group-rejects-mk-dons-180810232.html

[BonnieShels]

The comments at the bottom of the article are priceless. Gobs.

Excepting the first one of course.

[Spudulika]

I never got the whole AFC thing and have grown even more tired of their worn out rhetoric over the years. They (the fans) didn't own the club and from what I remember they were getting damn all through the gates even in good times. It's great that a new club sprung up in the old borough, but this is just tedious. Build a bridgefolks and cross it to feck!

[BonnieShels]

Well the background to it is slightly more nuanced than that. They are getting big crowds for League Two and they will probably hover in and around that should they get promoted. Wimbledon were a club who managed to get bigger than their supposed "level" unfortunately for them they had a very static suppport that really had no way to go. Towards the end of the period in the Premiership and the announcement of the move to MK this support further dwindled as the club became no more than a name on a league table.

AFC were founded on the basis that the original Wimbledon had had their position in the league "sold" to MK and that they should try and keep the idea of the club alive.
I think anyone with even a vague interest in Irish football should have a positive interest in this endeavour given the perilous status of Irish clubs at any given time.

I hope they whip MK.

[pineapple stu]

Fairly scrappy, cheeky last-minute winner for MK Dons. Wimbledon had a great chance just moments before. Still a great performance from Wimbledon, though that's probably not much consolation.

[patrickccfc]

was a good game to watch.. wimbledon defended well i thought and were very unlucky with that chance near the end.. yeah very fortunate goal for the winner.. a replay would of been good but ah well

[culloty82]

With League Two's penultimate results in, Wimbledon have become fully dragged into the relegation mire after seemingly escaping a month ago:

18. Torquay 45 52
19. Plymouth 45 52
20. York 45 52
21. Dag & Red 45 51
22. Barnet 45 51
23. Wimbledon 45 50
24. Aldershot 45 48

Realistically, only a win will save them, and that only if Dagenham fail to beat York.

[BonnieShels]

MK Dons will play Wimbledon in the first round of 2014/2015 English League Cup

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27871976

[ArdeeBhoy]

Yeap, been doing the rounds for a while now. Saw Wimbledon get gubbed in a ground-hopping visit to a friendly, two weeks ago, looked very poor.

[BonnieShels]

Only saw it tonight. Being in Canada does that to ya.

Anyway, the thread needed to be updated.

[ArdeeBhoy]

'Tis tonight!

'Mon Wombles...

[Charlie Darwin]

Come on the Dublin Dons!

[NeverFeltBetter]

Beaten 3-1. MK get the reward of Manchester United at home in a week and a half.

[DeLorean]

AFC Wimbledon refuse to cash in on FA Cup glamour tie with Premier League Liverpool... with tickets as cheap as £4! (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2867744/AFC-Wimbledon-refuse-cash-FA-Cup-glamour-tie-Premier-League-Liverpool-tickets-cheap-4.html)Class!

[KK77]

Looking forward to this over the Christmas.


BT Sport is to premiere the next instalment in its BT Sport Films series, The Crazy Gang, which gives an in-depth look at the extraordinary story of Wimbledon FC in the 1980s.
The film, which features in-depth interviews with the likes of Vinnie Jones, Dennis Wise, Lawrie Sanchez, John Fashanu, Dave Beasant, Bobby Gould and other members of the notorious team, will be shown on Boxing Day on BT Sport 1 at 9pm.
The Crazy Gang examines the hard-man, win-at-all-costs side which rose from non-league obscurity to FA Cup winners in less than ten years and left an unrivalled mark in the history of British sport.
The film, which is the 12th in the BT Sport Films franchise, brings to life the high-jinks and at-times despised nature of the team who were an anathema to the established world of football where star players, football officials and the media found out that the Crazy Gang were not to be messed with.
As this feature length documentary will reveal, they were the team that everyone loved to hate. It is a never-to-be-repeated football story of nomads and misfits who found a family, no matter how harsh the environment, and in doing so found themselves. As Jones says in the film: “We were a lot of misfits, a lot of throw outs. A lot of not wanteds. You either grew a backbone very quickly or you dissolved as a man.”
Jones, who made more than 300 appearances for the team in two separate spells, was known for being one of the main influencers of the Crazy Gang, something he discusses in the film.
“People say me, Wisey and Fash were [leaders], but it was nuts when I first went there. Make no bones about it, Wally was the leader and Bassett encouraged that” said Jones, referring to former players Wally Downes and then Manager Dave Bassett.
Known for his aggressive style of play alongside Dennis Wise in the team’s midfield, Jones’ belligerence echoed on and off the pitch. New players were tested to the extremes, mentally and physically, by the most intimidating dressing room in football with stories of shocking brutality. “We set fire to Corky’s (Alan Cork) car once, only because Harry (Dave Bassett) wouldn’t give him a raise, they said it would be better if Corky lost his car, so we set fire to it in the car park - third party fire and theft.

“The best laugh we had was when we had a big punch-up at Chelsea... there were 21 players in the centre circle all throwing punches and everything. We loved the fact that everyone was calling us the ‘Crazy Gang’,” said Jones, who has since made a career in Hollywood as an actor.
Sam Hammam, who famously purchased the majority share in Wimbledon in 1990, also features in the documentary and says in the film: “I didn’t know football, I didn’t know how to behave – but nobody at the club knew how to behave. I would encourage those things. I would participate in those things and later we were extremely successful in the Premier League and still there are millions of stories that were happening all the time.”
Grant Best, senior executive channel producer, BT Sport, said: “Through BT Sport Films, BT Sport is committed to bringing sports fans the back stories behind the sports, teams, athletes and events that resonate with them.
“The Crazy Gang is a footballing story of contrasts, surprises and extremities of men who discovered themselves and others who lost themselves within the football club. The film does not romanticise their behaviour which at times was unacceptable, ugly and a little bit crazy. It is partly a social study that attempts to understand why they behaved in such a way as well as telling a remarkable story.”

[pineapple stu]

So - next season will be interesting.

MK Dons relegated from the second flight. Wimbledon promoted from the fourth. Will be at the same level next year for the first time.

Akinfenwa - the Beast - scored a penalty with the last kick in the tenth minute of injury time to make it 2-0 today, and then in the celebrations told everyone he'd just been released on a free (http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/36413941).