Milton Keynes Dons F.C.
| Milton Keynes Dons
|
| Full name
| Milton Keynes Dons Football Club
|
| Formed | 1889
|
| Ground | National Hockey Stadium, Milton Keynes
|
| Manager | Stuart Murdoch
|
| Nickname | The Dons
|
Milton Keynes Dons F.C. is a football club that will play the 2004-05 season in the English Football League One, having just been relegated from the First Division. Known until 21 June 2004 as Wimbledon F.C., their new name reflects their controversial move to the city of Milton Keynes. Their traditional home is Wimbledon, south London, but since 2003 they have been based in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.
History
Wimbledon Old Centrals were formed in 1889, and changed their name to Wimbledon in 1905. The club played on Wimbledon Common until 1912, when they moved to Plough Lane, their home for the next 75 years. They became one of the best known amateur clubs, winning the Isthmian League title eight times, and finally lifting the F.A. Amateur Cup in 1963.
The club turned professional the following year, entering the Southern League, and were elected to the Football League in 1977. They were promoted or relegated every season from 1979 to 1984, reaching the top level in 1986. Known as "The Crazy Gang" because of the eccentric behaviour of their players and fans, their greatest moment came in 1988 when they won the FA Cup, beating Liverpool 1-0.
Recent seasons
The club's troubles started in the late 1980s when they were forced to leave Plough Lane and groundshare at Crystal Palace's Selhurst Park ground. Their poor financial situation, together with relegation from the Premier League in 2000, led to the owners' attempts to relocate the team to Milton Keynes, over 50 miles north (something unheard of in English football). After a long enquiry, the Football Association finally gave the go-ahead for the move, causing the fans to form a new club, AFC Wimbledon.
The vast majority of Wimbledon football fans regard AFC Wimbledon as the continuation of the original club. Also, the Wimbledon women's team, which plays in the regionalized second level of England's women's football pyramid, refused to move to Milton Keynes; it changed its affiliation to AFC Wimbledon after the 2002-03 season.
Following the move to Milton Keynes, the team (often derisively called "Franchise FC") struggled both on and off the pitch. After 9 months in financial administration with debts of £25 million (GBP), the club agreed to a buy-out package by a consortium named InterMK in March 2004. Wimbledon FC was relegated to the Second Division at the end of the 2003/2004 season, having been placed at the bottom of the table for nearly the entire period. Poor performance on the pitch, characterised by as many as ten consecutive defeats, was due to necessarily ruthless cost-cutting, which resulted in the departure of all of Wimbledon's better players. The team formally emerged from administration under the new name on July 1 2004 and immediately announced new colours and a new badge.
Honours
(as Wimbledon FC)
- F.A. Cup
- F.A. Premier League
- Football League
- First Division best season 6th: 1986-87
- Third Division Runners-up: 1983-84
- Fourth Division Champions: 1982-83
- Football League Cup
- Semi-finals: 1996-97, 1998-99
- F.A. Amateur Cup
- Winners: 1962-63
- Runners-up: 1934-35, 1946-47
- Southern League
- Premier Division Champions: 1974-75, 1975-76, 1976-77
- Premier Division Runners-up: 1967-68
- First Division Runners-up: 1964-65
- Isthmian League
- Champions: 1930-31, 1931-32, 1934-35, 1935-36, 1958-59, 1961-62, 1962-63, 1963-64
- Athenian League
- National Hockey Stadium (2003-date)
League history
Managers
Famous players
|
Barnsley |
Blackpool |
Bournemouth |
Bradford City |
Brentford |
Bristol City |
Chesterfield |
Colchester United |
Doncaster Rovers |
Hartlepool United |
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Milton Keynes Dons |
Oldham Athletic |
Peterborough United |
Port Vale |
Sheffield Wednesday |
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Torquay United |
Tranmere Rovers |
Walsall |
Wrexham
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