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Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C. crest
Full name Wimbledon Football Club
Nickname(s) The Dons; Wombles;
The Crazy Gang
Founded 1889 (as Wimbledon Old Centrals)
1905 (as Wimbledon)
1910 (as Wimbledon Borough)
1911 (as Wimbledon F. Football club names are a part of the sport 's culture reflecting century-old traditions This is a of lists of the use of Nicknames in football (soccer. The Wombles are characters created by Author Elisabeth Beresford originally appearing in a series of children's novels from 1968 The Crazy Gang is a Nickname coined by the UK media to describe the Wimbledon football team of the 1980s and the 1990s C. )
Ground Wimbledon Common
Plough Lane
Selhurst Park
National Hockey Stadium
(Capacity 15,876 (Plough Lane)
26,309 (Selhurst Park)
8,000 (National Hockey Stadium)
Chairman N/A
Manager N/A
League Last league was Division One
Final season was 2003-04 24th
Team colours Team colours Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
　
Home colours
Team colours Team colours Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
　
Away colours

This article refers to the original club from London which existed until 2004. Wimbledon and Putney Commons are a large open space in south-west London, totalling 1140 acres (4 Plough Selhurst Park is a British football Stadium located in the London suburb of South Norwood in the Borough of Croydon The National Hockey Stadium is a sports Stadium in Milton Keynes, England, with a current capacity of around 4000 seats (9000 between 2003 and 2007 The following is a list of Association football stadia. They are ordered by their capacity, that is the maximum number of spectators that the For the relocated and renamed club, see Milton Keynes Dons F.C. For the football club formed by some supporters of Wimbledon F. C. when the owners announced their intent to relocate, see AFC Wimbledon.

Wimbledon F. C. was a football club that began life in Wimbledon, South London. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Wimbledon is a Suburb of London, part of the London Borough of Merton and located south west of Charing Cross. South London is the southern part of London, England. The area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes Founded in 1911 as Wimbledon Borough,[1] the club spent most of its history in non-league football, before a rapid ascent to the top flight of English football in the late 1970s and early 1980s, staying in the old First Division and then the Premiership from 1986 until 2000. The following are the Football (soccer events of the year 1911 throughout the world Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs The Football League First Division was the highest division of The Football League between 1993 and 2004 and the highest division of English football overall between The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs In 1988, Wimbledon beat the then-champions Liverpool 1-0 in the FA Cup final, thus becoming the only football club in the country to have won both the professional and amateur versions of the Cup, having won the FA Amateur Cup back in 1963. The 1988 FA Cup Final took place on 14 May 1988 at Wembley Stadium. Liverpool Football Club are an English professional Association football club based in Liverpool England. The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The FA Amateur Cup was an English football competition The cup was launched by The Football Association in 1893 as a response to the domination The following are the Association football events of the year 1963 throughout the world

Following the publication of the Taylor Report, which recommended that all top-flight clubs play in all-seater stadiums, the club needed to move from its Plough Lane home in 1991. The Taylor Report is a document whose development was overseen by Lord Taylor of Gosforth, concerning the aftermath and causes of the Hillsborough disaster in Plough The following are the Football (soccer events of the year 1991 throughout the world Wimbledon began to ground-share with local rivals Crystal Palace, an arrangement that ended up lasting over 10 years. Crystal Palace FC is an English football club based in South Norwood, London. In 2003, and after a considering a variety of locations, the club relocated 56 miles (90 km) north to Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire. The following are the Football (soccer events of the year 2003 throughout the world Relocation of Professional sports teams, is a common practice in North America but not at all common in Europe. Milton Keynes ( ˌmɪltənˈkiːnz often abbreviated to MK, is a large town Buckinghamshire (abbreviated Bucks) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The move away from south London was deeply unpopular both with the majority of the club's established fan base and football supporters more generally. A year earlier, some of its supporters had responded to the plans by forming a new club, AFC Wimbledon, which they see as the direct continuation of the sporting representation of the people of Wimbledon, although they currently play in Kingston. Wimbledon is a Suburb of London, part of the London Borough of Merton and located south west of Charing Cross.

Contents

History

Amateur beginnings

Wimbledon Old Centrals F. C. were formed in 1889, taking their name from Old Central School on Wimbledon Common, where players had been pupils. Old Central School was a school on Wimbledon Common, south-west London founded in 1758 Wimbledon and Putney Commons are a large open space in south-west London, totalling 1140 acres (4 Founded in 1758, the Old Central School eventually closed in the early 1960s when its role was taken over by Bishop Gilpin School, a new school on a different site in Wimbledon. The original octagonal school building from 1758 was still standing in 2006 and in use as part of a private school, The Study. Early matches were played on the Common, and players used the Fox and Grapes public house, which is in the same road as the school, as the team's headquarters and changing room. The Old Centrals' name was changed to Wimbledon Football Club in 1905. The club continued to play on Wimbledon Common and at various other locations in the Wimbledon area until 1912, when they moved to Plough Lane, their home for the next 79 years. Plough They became one of the best known amateur clubs in the country, winning the Isthmian League title eight times, and lifting the FA Amateur Cup in 1963, beating Sutton United F.C. 4-2. History The league was founded in 1905 and was strongly dedicated to Amateurism. The FA Amateur Cup was an English football competition The cup was launched by The Football Association in 1893 as a response to the domination Sutton United Football Club is an English football team currently playing in the Isthmian League Premier Division.

Prompted by its patriarch chairman Sydney Black, the club turned professional the following year, entering the Southern League, where they had continued success. History Professional football (and Professional sport in general developed more slowly in Southern England than in the north.

The rising

In 1975, the club became nationally famous during a spectacular FA Cup run. The following are the Football (soccer events of the year 1975 throughout the world The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after They were the first non-league team that century to beat a First Division team at its own ground, when they defeated Burnley F.C. in the third round. The Football League First Division was the highest division of The Football League between 1993 and 2004 and the highest division of English football overall between Burnley Football Club, nicknamed The Clarets, is a professional football club managed by Owen Coyle and based in Burnley, Lancashire In the fourth round they held the reigning First Division Champions, Leeds United F.C., to a draw at Elland Road, with goalkeeper Dickie Guy saving a penalty, before narrowly losing to an own goal in the replay at Selhurst Park, in front of over 40,000 spectators. Leeds United Association Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Leeds United or informally Leeds, are an English professional football Dickie Guy (born January 6 1949 is an English former Non-league goalkeeper for Wimbledon FC during the sixties and seventies Selhurst Park is a British football Stadium located in the London suburb of South Norwood in the Borough of Croydon

1977-78 was a satisfactory Football League debut for Wimbledon, who finished 13th in the Fourth Division. The Football League, also known as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons is a league competition featuring professional football clubs "Fourth Division" redirects here For usage of the term in the Military, see 4th Division. Allen Batsford had resigned as manager on 2 January 1978 to be succeeded by Dario Gradi, who guided the club to promotion in 1978-79. Allen Batsford is a former football manager He was manager of Wimbledon when they were elected to the Football League in 1977 Events 366 - The Alamanni cross the frozen Rhine River in large numbers invading the Roman Empire. Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Dario Gradi MBE (born Milan, Italy, 8 July 1941) is a football manager and former player currently technical

Wimbledon's first stab at the Third Division, however, was not a successful one. From the 1992-93 to the 2003-04 season, the Football League Third Division was the third-highest division of The Football League and the fourth-highest They were relegated in bottom place, winning just 10 league games all season, after losing key players Les Briley and Ray Lewington. Les Briley (born 2 October 1956 in Lambeth) is an English former footballer Raymond "Ray" Lewington (born September 7, 1956 in Lambeth, London) is a former footballer and a coach

1980-81 saw Wimbledon regain their Third Division status at the first attempt, at the end of an eventful season which saw chairman Ron Noades walk out of the club to take over Crystal Palace, and then bring manager Dario Gradi to Selhurst Park with him. Ron Noades is a British businessman who has a strong connection with investments in football clubs Crystal Palace FC is an English football club based in South Norwood, London. Selhurst Park is a British football Stadium located in the London suburb of South Norwood in the Borough of Croydon At Plough Lane, the manager's seat was filled by former assistant manager Dave Bassett. Plough David "Dave" "Harry" Bassett (born 4 September 1944 in Stanmore is an English football manager, whose

1981-82 was a traumatic season for Wimbledon, who were relegated in 22nd place (third from bottom), and just before the survival battle was lost, injured defender Dave Clement committed suicide. Dave Clement ( February 2, 1948 in Battersea, Greater London – March 31, 1982) was a football player.

Wimbledon regained their Third Division status at the first attempt, triumphing as Fourth Division champions in 1982-83, and in 1983-84 they continued to excel as they achieved promotion to the Second Division after finishing runners-up with 97 goals in the Third Division. From 1892 until 1992 the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football. Memorable moments of that season, undoubtedly Wimbledon's greatest yet, included a shock Second Round victory over First Division title chasers Nottingham Forest, and a 6-0 victory over Newport County in Wimbledon's first home game of the season. The Football League First Division was the highest division of The Football League between 1993 and 2004 and the highest division of English football overall between Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English professional football club based at the City Ground in West Bridgford, a suburb of Nottingham Newport County are a Welsh football team based in the city of Newport.

At the end of that promotion campaign, manager Dave Bassett accepted an offer from Ron Noades to take over at Crystal Palace, but four days later changed his mind, having never signed the contract, and returned to Wimbledon. David "Dave" "Harry" Bassett (born 4 September 1944 in Stanmore is an English football manager, whose

1984-85 was Wimbledon's first season in the Second Division, and everyone at the club was prepared for long and hard struggle to preserve this status. Their first game at this level was a 1-1 home draw with promotion favourites Manchester City, and the season brought mixed results, but a 12th place final finish was more than satisfactory for a club who were played at this level for the first time and were only in their eighth season as Football League members. TalkManchester City FC before changing verbs to singular --> Manchester City Football Club is an English professional football club The Football League, also known as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons is a league competition featuring professional football clubs That season they reached the Fifth Round of the FA Cup, holding West Ham United (mid-table First Division team) to a 1-1 draw at Plough Lane before bowing out in a 5-1 defeat at Upton Park. The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after } West Ham United Football Club is an English football club based in Upton Park, London Borough of Newham, East London, who have played Plough Upton Park is an area in the London Borough of Newham. Upton Park is centred upon Green Street a High street that runs north-south between the In the Fourth Round, they had eliminated Nottingham Forest from a cup competition for the second season in succession.

1985-86 started well for Wimbledon as they beat Middlesbrough 3-0 on the opening day of the season, and were soon looking like promotion contenders. Middlesbrough Football Club, also known as The Boro are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Premier League. Promotion in third place was sealed on the final day of the season with a victory over Huddersfield Town. Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.

Wimbledon had reached the First Division, four years after playing in the Fourth Division and nine years after being elected to the Football League.

Many observers tipped Wimbledon to go straight down from the First Division in 1986-87, but they won their first three games of the league season to go top of the league on 1 September. Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. They finished sixth in the final table and Dave Bassett then moved to Watford, being succeeded by Bristol Rovers manager Bobby Gould. Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football team based in Bristol. Robert Anthony "Bobby" Gould (born 12 June, 1946 in Coventry) is an English football manager and former player

FA Cup win

Dubbed "The Crazy Gang" because of the eccentric behaviour of their players and fans (and, indeed, the chairman, Sam Hammam), their greatest moment came in 1988 when, very much against expectation, they won the FA Cup beating the strong favourites Liverpool 1-0, with a goal from Lawrie Sanchez. The Crazy Gang is a Nickname coined by the UK media to describe the Wimbledon football team of the 1980s and the 1990s Samir "Sam" Hammam (سام همّام (born 1948 in Beirut) is a Lebanese businessman most notable for his high profile involvement in British The 1988 FA Cup Final took place on 14 May 1988 at Wembley Stadium. Liverpool Football Club are an English professional Association football club based in Liverpool England. The 1988 FA Cup Final took place on 14 May 1988 at Wembley Stadium. Lawrence Philip Sanchez (born October 22, 1959 in London, England) is a Northern Irish football manager and 37,000 Dons fans witnessed Wimbledon captain Dave Beasant become the first goalkeeper to save a penalty in an FA Cup final, stopping a controversial spot-kick (Clive Goodyear had clearly played the ball from John Aldridge). David John "Dave" Beasant, (born 20 March 1959 in Willesden, London) is a former English football Goalkeeper In many team Sports a goalkeeper (termed goaltender netminder, goalie, or keeper in some sports A penalty kick is a type of free kick in Association football, taken from twelve yards (approximately eleven metres out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of Clive Goodyear (born January 15, 1961 in Lincoln, England) is a former football (soccer defender. John William Aldridge (born Liverpool, 18 September 1958) Aldridge is a British-born former Republic of Ireland international The only downside of this triumph was the fact that they would not be able to compete in the European Cup Winners Cup, as the ban on English teams in European competitions - arising from the Heysel disaster - was still in operation at this time. The Heysel Stadium disaster occurred owing to Football hooliganism in which a retaining wall of the Heysel Stadium in Brussels collapsed on May 29

Move to Selhurst Park

Just days after winning the FA Cup, the club's directors announced plans to build a new all-seater stadium in its home borough of Merton. The London Borough of Merton ( is a London borough in south west London. But, ultimately, nothing came of these plans and at the end of the 1990–91 season Wimbledon decided that its cramped Plough Lane ground was beyond redevelopment to meet the (then) new FA rule requiring "all seater" stadiums. Plough [2] Consequently, the club moved into Selhurst Park stadium (in the London Borough of Croydon), ground-sharing with Crystal Palace, where it remained for the next twelve years. Selhurst Park is a British football Stadium located in the London suburb of South Norwood in the Borough of Croydon The London Borough of Croydon ( is a London borough in South London, England and is part of Outer London. Groundshare is the principle of sharing a stadium between two local sport teams Crystal Palace FC is an English football club based in South Norwood, London.

1990s: the 'Crazy Gang' in the Premiership

Bobby Gould, manager of the FA Cup-winning side, remained in charge until the summer of 1990 when he was replaced by Ray Harford, who in 1988 had guided Luton Town to victory in the League Cup. Robert Anthony "Bobby" Gould (born 12 June, 1946 in Coventry) is an English football manager and former player Raymond Thomas Harford ( June 1, 1945 — August 9, 2003) was an English footballer, better known for his successes Luton Town Football Club are an English football team based in the town of Luton in Bedfordshire. The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition

In the season following the FA Cup triumh, Gould had steered Wimbledon to a secure 12th place finish in the First Division, and in 1989-90 they had finished eighth, so Gould's departure was something to a surprise.

Under Harford's management, Wimbledon had another strong season in 1990-91, finishing seventh - above much more favoured sides including Everton, Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur. Everton Football Club is an English football club located in the city of Liverpool. Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English professional football club based at the City Ground in West Bridgford, a suburb of Nottingham

The departure from Plough Lane took place over the 1991 close season and they were now tenants of Crystal Palace's Selhurst Park. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Harford suddenly resigned in October 1991 (returning to football later in the month as Kenny Dalglish's assistant at Blackburn Rovers) and was replaced by Peter Withe. October events and holidays Children's Book Week ( England) - First Week of October National Day ( China People's Republic Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Kenneth Mathieson 'Kenny' Dalglish MBE (born 4 March 1951 in Dalmarnock, Glasgow) is a former Scottish international football Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. Peter Withe (born 30 August 1951 in Liverpool, Lancashire) is a much-travelled English footballer who played as a Withe lasted until just after the turn of the new year, when Joe Kinnear was promoted from the role of youth team coach, initially taking over as interim manager. Joe Kinnear (born 27 December 1946, in Dublin, County Dublin) is an Irish football manager and former player

After guiding Wimbledon to 13th place in the 1991-92 First Division and booking their place in the new Premier League, Kinnear got the manager's job on a permanent basis. The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs

1992-93 began as a struggle for Wimbledon, who occupied third from bottom place (the last relegation place) on Boxing Day. Boxing Day is a public holiday in the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, as well as many other members of the Commonwealth However, they recovered well in the new year and finished 12th.

1993-94 was one of Wimbledon's best season's to date as they finished sixth in the Premier League and reached the quarter-finals of the League Cup (beating Liverpool on penalties in the Fourth Round replay). The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition Liverpool Football Club are an English professional Association football club based in Liverpool England.

Wimbledon remained hard to beat in 1994-95, finished ninth in the Premier League and bolstering their squad with the acquisition of Norwich City striker Efan Ekoku following the departure of long-serving John Fashanu to Aston Villa. PLEASE NOTE This section is the introduction Please do not add too much detail here Efangwu Goziem "Efan" Ekoku (born 8 June 1967, in Cheetham Hill, Greater Manchester) is an English born Nigerian John "Fash" Fashanu (born 18 September 1962 in Kensington, London) is a British Television presenter and Another important signing was Norweigan winger Oyvind Leonhardsen from Rosenborg. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Øyvind Leonhardsen (born August 17 1970, in Kristiansund, Møre og Romsdal) is a Norwegian former footballer.

1995-96 brought a struggle for Wimbledon, who finished 14th in the Premier League, although they were never in any real danger of being relegated. The biggest plus of their season was a run to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, where they took Chelsea to a replay before losing 3-1 at Stamford Bridge.

Wimbledon made a great start to the 1996-97 campaign, spending much of it in the hunt for cup glory and a top-five finish. There was delight in early February when they eliminated Manchester United from the FA Cup. Overview February was named after the Latin term februum, which means purification, via the purification ritual Februa held on February 15 in the They reached the semi-finals, where again they were eliminated by Chelsea (who this time went on to win the trophy). They also reached the semi-finals of the League Cup, where they were defeated by eventual winners Leicester City. PLEASE NOTE This section is the introduction Please do not add too much detail here Wimbledon's last hope of a debut in European competition now lay with their challenge for a top-five league finish, but they could only managed eighth place and were left with nothing but the memories after a dramatic season.

1997-98 looked highly promising for Wimbledon as late on as Christmas, as they were regularly in the top five. However, their form in the second half of the season was less impressive, and they dipped to 15th place in the final table - their lowest finish yet in the top flight.

A similar pattern followed in 1998-99 - a good start followed by a slump. As late on as mid-March, Wimbledon were on the fringe of a UEFA Cup place. The UEFA Cup is a football competition for European club teams organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA. The signing of West Ham United striker John Hartson (a transfer target for much bigger clubs, including Manchester United) boosted hopes of success for Wimbledon, but a terrible run of form in the final weeks of the season saw them dip to 16th in the final table. } West Ham United Football Club is an English football club based in Upton Park, London Borough of Newham, East London, who have played John Hartson (born 5 April 1975 in Swansea) is a Welsh former professional footballer who played as a Striker. They had reached the League Cup semi-finals that season, but bowed out to eventual winners Tottenham Hotspur.

Joe Kinnear stepped down as manager in June 1999 to be succeeded by Norweigan coach Egil Olsen. Events in June Madaraka Day June 1 to commemorate when Kenya gained internal self-rule Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Egil Roger Olsen (born April 22, 1942) nicknamed Drillo, is a Norwegian Association football coach.

Relegation from the Premiership

1999-2000 was a season which began with much ambition but ended with much grief. With one of the Premier League's top strikers, John Hartson, leading their attack, fans were confident that the club could finish much higher this season, and possibly challenge for honours. A strong challenge came in the FA Cup, where Wimbledon reached the quarter-finals before losing at home to Division One promotion-chasers Bolton Wanderers. The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football club based in Horwich, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater

Wimbledon's league form had slowly deteriorated in the second half of the season, and manager Egil Olsen had left in early May with relegation now looking a real threat. MAY ( also known as: Mei メイ 메이 is a Korean singer well known in South Korea for singing the song "Miracle" Long-serving coach Terry Burton took over, but on 14 May 2000 (12 years to the day they had won the FA Cup) Wimbledon were relegated from the top flight after a 14-year stay due to their 3-0 defeat at Southampton. Terry Burton is a football manager and coach who is currently assistant manager to Dave Jones at Cardiff City F Events 1264 - Battle of Lewes: Henry III of England is captured in France making Simon de Montfort the 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Southampton Football Club is a professional English football team, nicknamed The Saints and based in the city of Southampton.

Burton remained manager of Wimbledon for two seasons in Division One until he was controversially sacked at the end of 2001–2002 after the club had narrowly missed out on the promotion playoffs two seasons in a row. Notable players on the club's books during these years included Ireland captain Kenny Cunningham, Nigel Reo-Coker and Damien Francis and defender Ben Thatcher. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. Kenneth Edward "Kenny" Cunningham (born June 28 1971 in Dublin) is an Irish former footballer who used to play as a Nigel Shola Andre Reo-Coker (born May 14, 1984 in Croydon, Greater London) is an English footballer. Damien Jerome Francis (born 27 February 1979 in Wandsworth, England) is a retired Jamaican international footballer. After Burton's dismissal, goalkeeping coach Stuart Murdoch took over as manager. Stuart Murdoch is football coach. He is most well known for his spell as manager of Wimbledon between May 2002 and November 2004 which saw the club move

Move to Milton Keynes

See also: Relocation of professional sports teams

Wimbledon's success in the top-flight of English football was founded on unorthodox financial management and judicious dealings in the transfer market. Relocation of Professional sports teams, is a common practice in North America but not at all common in Europe. [3] The club's average attendances were generally amongst the lowest in the Premiership, and comparable to a good Championship side, but sound management and an outstanding football academy meant that the club had remained competitive, and had enjoyed a long period of stability and relative success at the top level of English football. However, with inflation in costs, the club began to lose money heavily. [3] The club's original owners felt that they could restore the club to profitability if they could be allowed to move it away from London entirely to a more profitable location. [3] Such a proposal was against league rules,[4]and news of the scheme aroused much anger from a majority of supporters. Dublin, Belfast and Cardiff were considered as potential new locations, but none of these proposals got off the ground. Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. Belfast ( is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of government in Northern Ireland. Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales.

Such a move (in terms of distance) was unprecedented in English football (and although there were arguably a number of precedents in Scottish football, the Scots system does not have an open pyramid structure and others in English football prior to the current pyramid structure). The club's fans saw the move as akin to the American sports "franchise" system, a concept unknown in English football; the traditional view of a football club is that it is an important part of the community and local fabric, rather than simply a business. Professional Sports leagues are organized in numerous The proposed move was opposed in most quarters - not merely by a majority of the club's fans and fans of many other clubs who held sympathetic views, but by both the Football League (whose committee voted unanimously to reject the move) and the Football Association. Following the Football League vote, the owners of the club appealed against the decision to the The Football Association, who established a three-man commission to consider the request[5]. The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey The commission ruled in favour of the move, and consequently on May 28, 2002 the FA reluctantly gave permission for the club to relocate to Milton Keynes. Events 585 BC - A Solar eclipse occurs as predicted by Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. The then-Chief Executive of the FA, Adam Crozier, said that although the FA had to abide by the decision of the three-man commission, they did not believe the move was a good thing for the game. Adam Crozier (born 26 January 1964, Falkirk is the Chief executive of the Royal Mail. Crozier publicly stated that he personally felt it was an "appalling decision"[6]. The affair caused Wimbledon F. C to be nick-named pejoratively as "Franchise F. C. "

Many of the club's fans, angered at the prospect of a move, founded their own club AFC Wimbledon, in 2002. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. [3] Despite having to start at the 8th level of the football pyramid, AFC Wimbledon enjoys sizeable support from former Wimbledon F. The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for club football in England (although C. fans. Those fans who followed the club through its relocation in 2003 and rebranding in 2004 are seen as cornerstones of the MK Dons fanbase.

2002-03 was Wimbledon F. C. 's last full season at Selhurst Park. With most fans having by now deserted the club in protest, the average attendance at Selhurst Park fell to around the 1500 mark - the majority of these being away fans. The team finished in 10th place in Division One. They began playing in Milton Keynes early in the following season. However, before the move itself took place (nearly a year after the FA Commission's decision to approve the move on the 28 May 2002), Wimbledon F. C. went into financial administration with debts of more than £20 million. Administration is a procedure under the Insolvency laws of a number of Common law jurisdictions which functions as a rescue mechanism for insolvent companies Part of the reason for the increasing debts was that football supporters were boycotting games following the unpopular decision to allow the move to Milton Keynes.

2003-04 was a disastrous season for Wimbledon FC at its Milton Keynes base. After the move to Milton Keynes, whilst attendances improved, the administrators were selling off any players that could command a transfer fee. This impacted on the field performances & the club were relegated in bottom place after 33 defeats - the joint second-worst record for the most league defeats in English football history. Only Doncaster (34 defeats) have lost more games in a league season (when they were relegated to the Conference in 1998).

After the end of the season, the new owner of the business, Peter Winkelman, rebranded the club by changing the club's, badge, colours, and name renaming the club Milton Keynes Dons F. C. This effectively marked the end of Wimbledon F. C.

Wimbledon's Final Squad

No. Position Player
1 Flag of England GK Scott Bevan
3 Flag of England DF Peter Hawkins
4 Flag of England MF Nick McKoy
5 Flag of Northern Ireland DF Mark Williams
6 Flag of England DF Darren Holloway
7 Flag of France DF Harry Ntimban-Zeh
8 Flag of England MF Wade Small
10 Flag of England FW Dean Holdsworth
12 Flag of England GK David Martin
14 Flag of England FW Lionel Morgan
15 Flag of Sierra Leone FW Albert Jarrett
16 Flag of England FW Jamie Mackie
17 Flag of Nigeria DF Shola Oyedele
No. In many team Sports a goalkeeper (termed goaltender netminder, goalie, or keeper in some sports Scott Bevan (born 19 September 1979 in Southampton, England) is an English footballer and currently plays as a Goalkeeper In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Peter John Hawkins ( 3 April 1924 – 8 July 2006) was an English actor and voice artist whose voice may be more familiar than For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Nick McKoy (born September 3, 1986) is an English footballer who plays in the midfield position In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Mark Williams (born September 28, 1970 in Stalybridge, Cheshire) is a former football (soccer defender. In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Darren Holloway (born 3 October 1977 in Bishop Auckland, England) is a professional footballer In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Wade Kristopher Small (born 23 February Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, are the players on a team in Association football (soccer in the row nearest to the opposing Dean Holdsworth (born 8 November 1968 in Walthamstow, London) is an English former professional football player now In many team Sports a goalkeeper (termed goaltender netminder, goalie, or keeper in some sports David Martin or Dave Martin may refer to Politicians David Martin (Nebraska politician (1907–1997 Republican party U Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, are the players on a team in Association football (soccer in the row nearest to the opposing Lionel Morgan is the name of the following people Lionel Morgan (footballer, English football midfielder Lionel Morgan (rugby league Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, are the players on a team in Association football (soccer in the row nearest to the opposing Albert Jarrett (born 23 October 1984) is a Sierra Leonean footballer. Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, are the players on a team in Association football (soccer in the row nearest to the opposing Jamie Mackie (born September 22, 1985) is an English Striker currently playing for Championship side Plymouth Argyle. In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Position Player
18 Flag of England FW Wayne Gray
19 Flag of England DF Ben Chorley
20 Flag of England MF Gary Smith
21 Flag of Germany DF Nico Herzig
22 Flag of England MF Rob Gier
23 Flag of England MF Alex Tapp
24 Flag of England DF Jermaine Darlington
25 Flag of England DF Dean Lewington
26 Flag of England MF Jason Puncheon
27 Flag of England MF Michael Gordon
28 Flag of England DF Malvin Kamara
29 Flag of England MF Ben Harding
30 Flag of England GK Lee Worgan

Honours

Grounds

League history

1919-1921 Athenian League
1921-1964 Isthmian League
1964-1965 Southern League First Division
1965-1977 Southern League Premier Division (old First division renamed)
1977-1979 Football League Fourth Division
1979-1980 Football League Third Division
1980-1981 Football League Fourth Division
1981-1982 Football League Third Division
1982-1983 Football League Fourth Division
1983-1984 Football League Third Division
1984-1986 Football League Second Division
1986-1992 Football League First Division
1992-2000 FA Premier League (founder members)
2000-2003 Football League Division One

Managers in the Football League

Notable Former Players

See also

References

  1. ^ A previous Wimbledon club formed in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Centrals, was disbanded in 1910
  2. ^ In the light of the Hillsborough disaster
  3. ^ a b c d Guardian Unlimited -Pitch battle
  4. ^ http://www.thefa.com/NR/rdonlyres/85E0D795-FBBD-4C75-A89A-4A23D032D44E/90798/GradeEJune06.pdf
  5. ^ Report of the Independent Commission on Wimbledon F.C.'s wish to relocate to Milton Keynes
  6. ^ BBC SPORT - Crozier 'appalled' by Dons move

Further reading

External links

Relocation of Professional sports teams, is a common practice in North America but not at all common in Europe.
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