Fans fight back against franchising

As the TV cameras opened on the first day of the Wimbledon fortnight, something far more significant in the future of sport in this country was taking place just down the road from “The Showcourt”. AFC Wimbledon, the new club formed a few weeks ago by the 1100+ strong Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association, was last night admitted to the little known Combined Counties League

The husk of the 'official' Wimbledon Football Club is being transferred 80 miles up the M1 to Milton Keynes. AFC Wimbledon is the fans response. “You've taken our club away – so we'll set up our own”. Good luck to them. And every one of us should hope they succeed.

The Milton Keynes move is the first step toward franchising the game we love. The FA Commission, set up as the final 'Court of Appeal' found in favour of the directors and shareholders, allowing this move. And against the supporters, the history and tradition. The Commission interpreted the Football League Rules to mean that the 'business case' counted more than the supporters.

The rule that said “a football club must remain within the conurbation from which it takes its name” apparently doesn't really mean that in Wimbledon's case. Evidence given by the Football League, the FA, Merton Council and Supporters Groups counted for nothing.

According to the report published by the commission, Milton Keynes “deserves” Div 1 football. Well so do we, but it's tough luck until we get ourselves organised and fight our way back up the leagues. That's how it always has been and that's the way it should stay.

We're told that Bradford City are in a perilous financial condition and may not survive. If they go under it will leave one of the UKs biggest cities without a league club. What is now to stop any of the other troubled clubs from moving there as part of some bale out deal?

And a note of caution to our friends up the road. The FA Commission's report has several paragraphs on Sam Hamman and the part he played in creating Wimbledon's current crisis. Charles Koppel bought Wimbledon on the understanding – allegedly given to him by Sam Hamman - that moving it somewhere else in England wouldn't be a problem – and has been working to that agenda ever since.

As usual, the fans have been kicked in the teeth. But what have you got left if you take away the history, tradition and the supporters? Nothing. Those values you don't see on a Balance Sheet are now vested in the new AFC Wimbledon. Promotion gets them into Ryman Div 1, then Ryman Premier, then Conference., then Div 3.

Five years, which is both an eternity and a blink of an eye, can see real Wimbledon back in the league. Love them or loathe them, this is the club that epitomises “the dream”. Formed in 1889, they were promoted into the league in 1977. They went into Div 1/ Premier League in 1986 and stayed there to 2000 (a lot longer than we managed) and in 1988 they won the FA Cup.

The supporters through the Dons Trust will own AFC Wimbledon. The Trust is democratic and will have full control of the Club. They have already raised £75,000 in a couple of weeks, have appointed a manager, so they have shown they mean business. More information is on www.afcwimbledon.com. And a full blooded Trust general meeting is reported on http://www.thedonstrust.org/minutes130602.html

The soul of our game rests in its communities and its history. We all fought when our club was threatened last season. Now the Wimbledon supporters are taking on a bigger battle, which could affect all of us. Franchising is not acceptable in our game. For the sake of supporters up and down the country it is vital that AFC Wimbledon succeeds and the Milton Keynes experiment fails.

We tend to focus on our own problems (God knows- we've had enough of them) but there are times when we need to stick our heads out and look around. This is one.

So what can we do to help? First, make a vow never to pay money to watch a game at Milton Keynes – and tell anyone you know who follows a Div 1 team to do the same. No gate receipts and they'll go bankrupt. Secondly, if you're in the London area anytime in the next few years and can't get to a Swans game, go and watch AFC Wimbledon. Let's make sure that supporters win and the money men lose.




Richard Lillicrap

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