Hullfox Posted 22 June 2008 Posted 22 June 2008 I can't believe that the other thread was closed before I could post so I'm doing it now. Hopefully we can provoke some debate not wholly based upon roundabouts and concrete cows. Some money and a group of players bought a place in the league instead of earning it like every other team has done in the history of league football in the UK. Jon, I have more than a little every sympathy for your viewpoint. However, The money you refer to was used to allow a club to survive and moving the club away from South London gave it an opportunity to thrive, albeit in a different (and to some unacceptable) guise. Is it any more distasteful though than the likes of Man Utd and Chelsea pricing football beyond the reach of the working man? After all, history tells us that the game is for the working classes - At least Winkelman has allowed more of this socio economic grouping access to the national game. South London it is true was robbed of a league club but the club was badly managed and was dying on it's arse. Look at the legacy tough. In it's place, AFC Wimbledon are an infinitely better run organisation and a true community club with teams ranging from under 10's upwards. The first team attracted attendances of 2500-3000 last season. In their final year at Selhurst Park, Wimbledon's attendances were around 1500, nearly all of which were away supporters. The club had been killed long before Winkleman got hold of it and if anything, more people in Wimbledon are now watching their local side now as a result of the move away. Just as Chelsea and lots of other clubs have used money to build/buy success, then so have MK Dons. They took a club that had no support locally to somewhere where through hard work over a number of seasons have increased the support ten-fold at prices that allow normal people to watch football week in week out. I am no great fan of MKD but I hope I can see past the obvious venom that people have towards them and having watched AFC Wimbledon's progress as a club I can see how many have actually benefitted as a result of what has passed. MK Dons for me represent an easy target for disgruntled supporters but they are not the biggest culprits by a long way in the spoiling of a once great game. If there is a footballing god somewhere up there then hopefully during our lifetimes, we'll see the likes of AFC Wimbledon and FC United playing league football.
Darkzzz_ Posted 23 June 2008 Posted 23 June 2008 I prefer AFC Wimbledon!! They should take the dons place....
Hullfox Posted 23 June 2008 Author Posted 23 June 2008 I prefer AFC Wimbledon!!They should take the dons place.... There are many that hope that happens.
Lovejoy Posted 23 June 2008 Posted 23 June 2008 Tbh no one apart from people from MK and the surrounding areas has any time for the Dons. Geographicallly, they are my local team, so I won't bash them (until we were in the same division I supported them as my second team) but I do understand why most people don't approve.
Jon the Hat Posted 23 June 2008 Posted 23 June 2008 The money you refer to was used to allow a club to survive and moving the club away from South London gave it an opportunity to thrive, That is the fundamental point of disagreement. You think the club moved, I think it ceased to exist. Whether it would have died anyway is a seperate discussion, although I doubt it. This set a terrible precedent that I hope we fans never come to regret. What took Wimbledons place in the league was quite simply not the Dons. Call them what you like, you cannot uproot a club like that. A club is a space in the community, a hard to define mix of fans, history and hope. You simply cannot move it away from it's home.
Sods Posted 23 June 2008 Posted 23 June 2008 Tbh no one apart from people from MK and the surrounding areas has any time for the Dons. Geographicallly, they are my local team, so I won't bash them (until we were in the same division I supported them as my second team) but I do understand why most people don't approve. They are also local to me, but this has just made me dislike them even more.
Hullfox Posted 23 June 2008 Author Posted 23 June 2008 It's not the first time it's happened though, Meadowbank Thistle to Livingston (another new town like MK) set the precedent some time ago. I'm not sure that they got the same reaction as MK Dons have. The fact remains though that Wimbledon were not wanted by their local council. Even now AFC Wimbledon play in the neighbouring borough because Merton have not shown the necessary support. Like I say, I'm no apologist for MK Dons, I'm just trying to give a balance to the argument.
Webbo Posted 23 June 2008 Posted 23 June 2008 I have no strong feelings about MKDs either way. I certainly feel some of the hatred towards their fans is over the top, surely it's better that they support a team like that than getting on a coach and supporting Man U/Chelsea or Arsenal.
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