Full name: Milton Keynes Dons Football Club
Nickname(s): The Dons
Founded: 1889 (as Wimbledon Old
Centrals FC) or 2004 (as Milton Keynes Dons)
Stadium: Ground National Hockey Stadium
Capacity: 9,000
Club History
Milton Keynes Dons F.C. is a football club in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. It has been based there since 2003, and is a continuation of Wimbledon F.C., which had been based in south London. However, most of that club’s original fans no longer support it since the move, and have instead founded their own club, AFC Wimbledon.
An account of the controversy surrounding the club’s move is detailed in Wimbledon F.C.
The history of the MK Dons begins in the late 1990s with Pete Winkelman, a music entrepreneur and avid promoter of Milton Keynes, who wanted top-class football in the city. The city already had a football team, Milton Keynes City F.C., who were playing in the Spartan South Midlands League, the eighth level of English football. Had Winkelman only intended bringing sporting glory to the area, he could have invested in the local team, as had Dr. Martens millionaire Max Griggs with nearby Rushden & Diamonds F.C.. However, Winkelman saw an opportunity build a FIFA-compliant new stadium complex, as part of a large commercial development that included Asda and IKEA superstores, and near a mainline railway station. This was probably the last remaining site in the city that fitted the bill: if this opportunity were lost, there would not be another. It was unlikely he could persuade the backers to fund such a stadium for what was at the time a poorly-supported non-league team. Instead, he planned to bring in a professional club from another city.
Since 1998, Winkelman had been approaching other clubs that were struggling financially, including Barnet F.C., Luton Town F.C. and Queens Park Rangers F.C., but all had rejected his advances. However, in Wimbledon F.C., itself looking for a new home after years out of Wimbledon town, he found his perfect match. He persuaded the Directors that a move to Milton Keynes might give the club the new start it needed. On May 28th 2002, the FA approved the move to Milton Keynes, but before it took place (15 months later), Wimbledon went into administration with debts of more than £20 million.
During the 2003/2004 season, the club was being managed by the Administrators and many of the team’s best players were being sold off. At the end of a very poor season, the club were relegated to League One (the new name for the Second Division). During the summer of 2003, Winkelman helped finance the National Hockey Stadium’s conversion for football. In September 2003, Wimbledon F.C. moved into the National Hockey Stadium in Milton Keynes. By spring of 2004, Winkelman bought the business out of bankruptcy and saved the club from extinction
Change Of Name
In June 2004, despite the Football Association’s ‘Independent Commision’ recommendations, Winkelman announced that Wimbledon would change its name to Milton Keynes Dons, having previously promised fans a vote on the issue; the committee of the official supporters’ club had voted unanimously for the word ‘Wimbledon’ to be retained in the name. Winkelman announced that he was including the word ‘Dons’ formally in the new title (and not just a nickname) as a recognition of the previous history of the club, but it was clear that he wanted to close that chapter. When the club formally emerged from administration under the new name and ownership on July 1, he also announced new team colours and a new badge, this time without any consultation. The badge bears the legend MMIV, signifying that MK Dons is a new club started in 2004. The domain name mkdons.com had been registered in 2000.
Supporters Club Recognition
On 5 June 2005, the MK Dons Supporters Club was again refused membership of the national Football Supporters’ Federation (FSF), by 98 votes to 44. However, an informal indication was given that the FSF might be less hostile (though not necessarily favourable) if two conditions were met ? although meeting them is not within the MK supporters’ power, they might be able to influence the Board:
If the honours and history of Wimbledon FC are given back to the town of Wimbledon. This includes the replica of the FA cup won when Wimbledon FC defeated Liverpool F.C. in the 1988 Cup Final.
The Football Association amend their rules to prohibit clubs being moved out of their natural Community (‘Franchising’) (That said, the Football Association have stated that this was a ‘One-off’ and that it would not be allowed to happen again).
New Stadium
In February 2005, the club’s contractors started work on a new stadium and arena complex at Denbigh North near Bletchley railway station (map). The complex will combine an (initially2) 22,000 seat outdoor stadium with a 5,000 seat indoor arena, where the MK Lions basketball team will be based. The stadium, designed to UEFA’s Four Star specification, is due to be completed by December 2006, though the date of its official opening has yet[1] to be decided.
Training Ground
The club currently uses the public sports facilities at Woughton on the Green for training. The club’s academy sides also play their home games here. During the 2005 close season a new plastic-covered artificial training pitch nicknamed ‘the bubble’ was constructed. The club put forward a bid to redevelop the National Bowl as a future state-of-the-art training facility, but lost out to a competing bid.
Club Honours
FA Cup
Winners: 1987-88
F.A. Premier League
Best season 6th: 1993-94
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
Southern League Cup
Winners: 1969-70, 1975-76
Isthmian League
Champions: 1930-31, 1931-32, 1934-35, 1935-36, 1958-59, 1961-62, 1962-63, 1963-64
Athenian League
Runners-up: 1920-21
London Senior Cup
Winners: 1930-31, 1933-34, 1961-62, 1974-75, 1976-77
Famous Players
Neal Ardley
Dave Beasant
Alan Cork
Robbie Earle
John Fashanu
Marcus Gayle
John Hartson
Vinnie Jones
Lawrie Sanchez
Peter Shilton
Dennis Wise
Eric Young
Lift Share To Milton Keynes
If there is anyone looking to do a car share to home/away matches whether needing a lift or offering one, Please register with our forums and leave your details in the section called ‘Away Match Information’ with the following details and hopefully someone will be able to fulfill your request.
– Name and E-mail
– Where you live (i.e Trowbridge)
– Whether your offering a lift or looking for a lift
– If offering a lift, how far within your geographical location you would travel to pick up or if looking for a lift how far you would travel to meet your lift.
Vital Site
http://www.mkd.vitalfootball.co.uk/
