A short blog today as my employers have me on a deadline for a huge piece of work. Bloody employers. They will insist that you work for them in return for their measly pittance of a salary. Outrageous!
Our reserves’ pre-season programme has been fleshed out over the last few days with the announcement of a pre-season friendly away to AFC Wimbledon at the Cherry Red Records Fans’ Stadium at Kingsmeadow. Our team will probably be pretty close to that we put out in the Premier League Reserve Division.
When the controversy over the old Wimbledon’s “franchise” move to Milton Keynes blew up the Wimbledon fans declared they’d had enough. After the FA appeals commission permitted the move (in complete contravention of the Football League rule book) over the objections of the supporters, the fans established their own club to continue the history and traditions of Wimbledon FC.
After a peace deal negotiated with the assistance of the Football Supporters’ Federation the records, mementos and trophies of the old club were handed over by Milton Keynes Dons to Merton Council in south-west London. They are now on display for all to see, residing in the community in which they had been won.
AFC Wimbledon started life as the continuing entity of the spirit of the Crazy Gang in the Combined County League in 2002/3.After four promotions they now sit comfortably in the Blue Square Premier League (aka the Football Conference) one level below Football League Two. They missed out on the promotion play-offs last season as their form dipped late in the season. Their average gates have gone up and up and are near four thousand a match now.
The club is one hundred percent supporter owned and managed. I’ve adopted the Wombles as one of my “second teams” and go to watch them whenever Arsenal doesn’t have a game. Our reserve friendly there will be played on Saturday 7 August 2010 kick-off 3.00pm. I can guarantee a warm welcome for all visiting Gooners. I’ll let you have ticket details as soon as they’re available.
Well done to Arsenal for giving AFC Wimbledon this fixture. It helps put money into the grass-roots of the game, as does our arrangement with Barnet whose Underhill ground we use for our reserve matches and with whom we have a long-established first team friendly every pre-season. It’s nice to know we don’t forget the base of the football pyramid, sitting on our perch at the top of the football world as one of the richest clubs on the planet.
Keep the faith!
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