AFC Wimbledon - Kingsmeadow, Jack Goodall Way, Kingston, London, UK.
N 51° 24.365 W 000° 16.870
30U E 689093 N 5698491
AFC Wimbledon is an English Football club with a turbulent recent history.
Waymark Code: WMAXF1
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 03/07/2011
Views: 3
At the time of writing AFC Wimbledon are in The Football Conference, the fifth tier of the English football leagues. They have been a professional team since the beginning of the 2010-11 season, being amateur and then semi pro previously since the re-incarnation of the club in 2002.
Wimbledon was originally formed in 1889, and rose to the top echelons of the English football leagues with regular fixtures against teams known worldwide, like Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal. The clubs greatest honour was their 1-0, 1988 FA Cup Final victory over Liverpool. At this time they were known for being somewhat unconventional and a little indisciplined on and off the pitch. They were known as "The Crazy Gang". However, they were an unfashionable club with a limited following and therefore limited financial resources available to them. In 1990 unable to afford to comply with new safety regulations and update the ground, Wimbledon started to share a ground with local rivals, Crystal Palace. This was the beginning of the end for this old club in this guise. There was talk over the next few years of the club relocating to other towns and eventually, a group of businessmen from Milton Keynes, 60 miles north and the largest European conurbation without a major football team pulled off what was English football's first franchise arrangement. Within a couple of years the name, club colours and badge were all gone. This was the end of The Crazy Gang.
Following the sell out to Milton Keynes, a small group of supporters, unable to accept the death of their club, formed a new club and before the franchised club had kicked the first ball at their new home in Milton Keynes, AFC Wimbledon was formed and playing games.
A Football Association Commission, looking into the franchise arrangement and in the knowledge that there would probably be a new club formed stated "Resurrecting the club from its ashes as, say, 'Wimbledon Town', is, with respect to those supporters who would rather that happened … not in the wider interests of football."
AFC Wimbledon is a supporter's trust with at least 75% of it being owned by the fans. In many ways this is a model that some would argue, could be adopted throughout English football. The support is loyal as a result. Not in the wider interests of football? Actually, we think that it is.
The photos used here are the entrance to the ground in Jack Goodall Way and shots from an FA cup fixture against Stevenage Borough (Lost 2-0) and a league fixture against York City (won 1-0).
At the end of the 2010-11 season, The Dons were promoted back into the Football League. It only took 9 years.
It's the home of which team(s)?: AFC Wimbledon (and tenants Kingstonian)
Which professional sports are played here?: Association Football.
Capacity (number of seats): 4,722
Opening Date: 06/01/2003
Guided Tours: no
Venue's Website or Team's Website: [Web Link]
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Visit Instructions:
1) Tell how was your visit. Were you at a game, which one? Have you just visited it by the outside, on a guided tour maybe? Are you a fan?
2) Pictures:
- They should be taken by YOU.
- No internet pictures are allowed.
- Upload one photo, at least. It would be great if you'd upload one of the venue and one with you on the photo.
- No need of photos with the GPSr.
- Extra credits for photos inside, with the teams playing.