Milton Keynes Wimbledon

MK was the largest urban connurbation in europe without a professional football club you know, wonder who holds this title now...

So ner.

Steve, what's the largest rural conNurbation in Europe without a pro club?

As for Wimbledon - the AFCW fans are willing to do pretty much whatever they can to hijack Franchise's season, whether it's negative publicity, briefing the supporters of Franchise's opponents, etc. etc.

But, all said and done, I expect in a couple of years there'll be a compact little 2nd division team settled in Milton Keynes, and most people will have lost the drive to hate them. It's one thing I'm not entirely comfortable about as an AFC fan, the constant, apoplectiv loathing of Franchise and all who sail in her.

The key is surely to get some sort of away supporters' boycott working (and I'm sure this is something that Dave B & co have been trying to do). Without the away support, what would their average attendance have been last season?

Surely the idea is that, given time, good marketing and a reasonably successful team, they will gain significant support from the local area. It will be interesting to see if they succeed.

I expect in a couple of years there'll be a compact little 2nd division team settled in Milton Keynes

The past two seasons would suggest they'd be able to hold on to their 1st division status or even improve on it.

does Wimbledon AFC have players who are from Wimbledon?

AFC Wimbledon have a ex-Franny reserve player - Gavin Bolger, who is ded ded good.

AFC Barnsley - think it's a bit previous at the moment. Sure, Peter Doyle is a worry, but they still have a club. They want to set up a supporters trust, but seem to think they can do it without talking to us. I ph34r DIY efforts.

Dublin - rumour has it that the Nogs (The Norwegian owners to the uninitiated) bought it as Sham the Man told them Dublin was a shoe-in.

MK City - Irony of ironies, they are owned by a guy who lives in Mitcham. They've been screwed by the Franchise, who've told them to move over darlin', as it were.

Keeping the name Wimbledon - a joke obviously. But they need to tread a fine line. Thbey want to be Wimbledon at first (established club, 1st Division team etc, defo not a plastic product) but then need to move to a more MK based identity. They registered the domain name MK Dons about 2 years ago, and there's a head of steam with the Tory Councillors to get them to change their name. They'll probably move to become MK Dons over the next year, before dropping Wimbledon after that. But we want them to change it now.

Scotland has also seen a team move in the past - Meadowbank Thistle became Livingston.

The biggest and most disgraceful case of franchising was Airdrie United. Shocking shcoking shocking. The Bankies are back though, playing Junior Football from next season. Will be going up to show my support for them.

Right - Cyldebank had been in administration. The supporters had a bid in for it. Airdrie were in administration. Airdrie then went into Liquidation. No club in Airdrie.

Airdrie ex-Directors put a bid to the League to form a new club based in Airdrie (average crowd about 1000). Scottish league decided to invite Gretna instead (average crowd 200). Rumours of machiavellan arm-twisting in the meeting making this decision.

Airdrie Directors then approach administrator of Clydebank offering to buy the League place and move the team to Airdrie and rename it Airdrie United. Administrator agrees, rejecting Clydebank fans bid 9even though the latter is for more cash). Scottish league agree to this.

Clydebank fans end up having to sign the deal to give the club away. Ouch.

Clydebank fans then get offered 3 different Scottish League clubs to do what has just been done to them - ie, buy a club and move it to Clydebank. bankies reject this as being disgusting and vow to rebuild club from the bottom. Fucking heroes the lot of em.

The shame

Impressive figures, Dave. Apart from Portsmouth, but at least they won't be going to Milton Keynes next season.

Surely worst franchise ever = one mentioned upthread that deprived Woolwich of it's gunners??

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/luton_town/2948132.stm

Lootun - all sorts of shit going down. Off to a meeting tomorrow. Will know more.

This assumes that a team is the root cause. And not a trojan horse for a massive Wal-mart superstore. Oh no. Never. Wal-Mart have expanded there list of 'things we fuck over to build stores' to now include English football clubs. Cunts.

Really? Evidence for that?

Not sure why nobody told you about it.

Pete you're in so much trouble.

I don't feel sorry at all for Koppel and all that, what they have done is despicable, I feel sorry for the playing and coaching staff.

Is it true though that they're getting bigger crowds now than they were at Selhurst park?

I don't feel sorry for the players or coaches ultimately - some kept their heads down. Others went out of the way to tell the fans to shut up, sit down and support the team. Still others spoke out. But most didn't - they took a position of neutrality and ambivalence. That's their choice. But don't expect me to feel sorry for them as a result of their supine cowardice. They could have stopped this, but chose to carry on collecting ludicrous salaries. As I say - their choice. Many put in transfer requests and voted with their feet, and good luck to them.

Murdoch carries on because he's got little integrity. He could have walked - no-one came in for him though. He was initially refused the job after terry Burton 'left' (ahem) and Koppel stated he wouldn't employ Murdoch as manager. He then does a volte-face and appoints him as no-one else wanted it.

He's constantly been banging on about the administrators making his life a misery - toughy shit. They're only in that position because the the people he choose to work for. The administrators were clearing up a mess that he was silent about, then expects sympathy. If it's so bad, so impossible, and so hopeless, then get a job elsewhere.

Ultimately - if wants the job at MK, then he accepts what goes with it, and part of what goes with it are shite crowds, players being sold and my utter cointempt for taking money and being part of a exercise that has been the biggest travesty and the worst decision in recent footballing history.

Stuart Murdoch made a decision whereby he publicly and unequivocally supported the franchising of football clubs. While I don't disagree with aspects of what you said, he was put in a difficult position but chose the dark side. Personally I don't hate him, or (most of) the players, but my sympathy is extremely limited.

As a supproter of a club yourself who have struggled and faced liquidation, I'm surprised you find it so easy to be magnanimous.

(x-post obv)

When I watched them on tv earlier in the season there were few players in the team over 25 (I think the average age was 22 or something ridiculous) I don't think they're in much of a position to be able to move unless they start shining. or in a position to stop it. What backing were they offered by the PFA if they chose to not play in MK? I'd suspect very little (but would be heartened and would think differently if proved wrong on this)

I just can't bring myself to hat ethe players and Murdoch, I know it's more emotive for others, but what this all boils down to is administrative incompetency and chicanery. That's why I feel sorry for them, it's not even in a wind-up sense. It wa sthe same for Chesterfield Mark, it wasn't the players I'd blame (although I know some were only too happy to get a little bit more intheir pay packet - most of whom left soon after) It was that scumbag Brown that the blame lay at the feet of.

But other players, older lags like Holdsworth in particular, have not only taken their dirty money but have actively supported the move. There are easily enough ingredients for us to justifiably loathe this bastard creation without having to resport to blindly slagging anyone paid a wage by them.

Chesterfield - but the players took it? Aren't they culpable? As for the players talking out of turn - I understand it was made a club disciplinary offence to speak out against the move. That, to me, is something that should have been made an issue. But it wasn't. And why? Because to the players, they really didn't care - Wimbledon was a job, and a temporary one at that. Why rock the boat when you can keep schtum, get the pay, maybe get a move somewhere else. But we all have choices in life, and it frustrates the fuck out of me that priofessional footballers are treated as people who exist in a moral vacuum where choice is constrained and they are never culpable for anything.

Do we know what the PFA (who I know are mostly rubbish) said about the whole thing.

I fear it may just be the theree of us in this one btw

PFA tend to say little in public on any issue really.

(don't think we need to shut up btw - I'm sure this thread isn't the first clicking point for every other ILXor. Though I'd love to see Ally and Jess's take on the situation)

the kids? I don't know, it was mabe me just being wistful about a bunch of young semi-promising kids battling against the odds

when are they going change their name to Milton Keynes Dons?

It's confusing these days.

i thought they paid for it

And so every single point made by the fans 2 years has come true:

- It was about a property deal for a new supermarket
- They will become the MK Dons
-They are insolvent only insofar as the Norwegian debts were the major blight on the club
- The gates in MK are smaller than they were in Selhurst

Pity the people who are the only ones who have been considently right were the only ones with no influence in the decision.

xpost - Winkelman registered the domain name 'www.mkdons.com' in 2000. Who'dathowtit!

It's a halfway house - Winkelman (I reckon) likes the US Football stylee name and thinks it might take off - if not, he'll migrate them further to MKFC in 2-3 years. That's always been part of the plan AFAIK.

I'm delighted the "Wimble" part of the name has disappeared, but annoyed that they've kept the rest.

Did they win the play-off? At least something good came of the chaos that was serie B last year.

There's a thread on Fiorentina

Season ends by bringing the dread fixture about

Oh fuck I missed it <3 <3 go on Dons.