Page 22 - RPV v AFC Wimbledon Res/U18s

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AFC WIMBLEDON

The Greatest Story in Football
It was the moment when a mir-
acle really happened. A mo-
ment that had been almost 30
years in the making, a moment
so special, so coveted and yet
so outrageously impossible it
felt like we would never see it
happen.
Plough Lane
Only it did. It happened on Novem-
ber 3, 2020. That was the day when
The Dons returned home to Plough
Lane and completed the greatest
story in football. ball”. Undeterred, four of our fans the fans. endary home, Plough Lane, in
70 miles away – let’s name them because they are Never again would we be at the 1912; we won the coveted FA Ama-
In 2002, the Wimbledon football heroes – refused to be beaten. Ivor mercy of private owners with their teur Cup in 1963, we were elected
club we knew and loved ceased Heller, Kris Stewart, Marc Jones own egotistical agendas. into the Football League in 1977
to exist. Snatched away from our and Trevor Williams contacted Date of birth after winning a hat-trick of South-
fans and our community, the club the London FA and relaunched There was another profound dif- ern League titles – and we won the
was shamefully allowed by an FA us under a new name: AFC Wim- ference as well. The entire history FA Cup in 1988 with a famous 1-0
commission to be airlifted to an- bledon. We were consigned to the of Wimbledon Football Club re- triumph over Liverpool at Wemb-
other town 70 miles away, where it Combined Counties League – five mained ours. When the paperwork ley. We gave birth to the infamous
carried on under a different owner divisions below the professional was drawn up for the new rein- Crazy Gang and we made a Womble
and different supporters. Football League – and we started carnation, our date of birth didn’t our official club mascot!
Disgraceful decision all over again. say 2002 – it said 1889, when our Most-famous players
The commission even underlined An executive board predecessors had played their first We were one of the founding
their disgraceful decision with an Only there was a fundamental and games on Wimbledon Common. members of the Premier League
ominous warning. Launching a profound difference. This time we Legendary home in 1992, where we stayed for eight
new club to replace the one that were owned by our own support- The ensuing years were owned by consecutive seasons and produced
had been stolen from us would not ers in the shape of The Dons Trust us and nobody could take them some of the most-famous players
be “in the wider interests of foot- with an executive board elected by away. We first moved to our leg- of that era.

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