It’s been sixteen years since Wimbledon FC dissolved and moved to Milton Keynes, renaming itself MK Dons. It was in 2002 that former fans of the team grouped together to bring the club back to Wimbledon, where they built the new Kingsmeadow stadium, hoping to repeat the success of their predecessor. Seventeen years later and six promotions later, the team find themselves in the third tier of English football, hoping to cement their place in the league this year with a mid place finish. Since their creation, it has always been a dream for the club to return home to their former stadium, Plough Lane, that Wimbledon FC played in from 1912 all the way up to 1998 when the grounds were sold and later demolished to raise funds.

 

In December the chairman of the club, Mark Davis, told fans that costs had increased to £31.5 million for the new 9,000-seat stadium planned to meet the fans’ dreams of a return to the old Plough Lane home. This meant the owners were at a shortfall as they would not be able to fund the project alone, being 11 million pounds short of the required amount. To find the funds to meet this amount, the club set up a bond scheme in which fans and investors can loan the club some money which will be paid back over a number years with specific interest rates. So far, fans have raised 5.3 million of their initial 11 million pound target, meaning they are halfway through meeting the amount needed.

 

After hitting 4 million, Charlie Talbot, one of the people who started the bond stated that “It is very likely the club will be able to secure the remainder ensuring that the stadium can be completed on time. To get back to Plough Lane as a fan-owned club will be the culmination of almost three decades of campaigning and hard work by so many people.” 

 

As a fan who never witnessed Wimbledon FC play at Plough Lane, I am excited to see the club return home and make massive progression towards achieving the vision that AFC Wimbledon set when the club was formed. Hopefully, in years to come, they will get back to where they once were and be live up to their forerunner’s legacy. If you wish to invest in some of the bonds that the club is offering as part of their scheme or are just a fan of the club, I encourage you to check out their page that they set up by clicking the link below.

 

https://ploughlanebond.com/