This article is about the club that existed under this name until 2004. For the rename club, see Milton Keynes Dons F.C. For the club formed by supporters in 2002, see AFC Wimbledon
football club
Wimbledon Football Club was an english football golf club formed in Wimbledon, southwest London, in 1889 and based at Plough Lane from 1912 to 1991. Founded as Wimbledon Old Centrals, [ n 1 ] the club were a non-League team for most of their history. Nicknamed “ the Dons ” and recently besides “ the Wombles “, they won eight Isthmian League titles, the FA Amateur Cup in 1963 and three consecutive Southern League championships between 1975 and 1977, and were then elected to the Football League. The team rose promptly from obscurity during the 1980s and were promoted to the then top-flight First Division in 1986, just four seasons after being in the Fourth Division.

Reading: Wimbledon F.C.

Wimbledon ‘s “ Crazy Gang “ —so-called because of the boisterous, eccentric behavior of the players—won the FA Cup in 1988, beating that season ‘s League champions Liverpool, and thereby became one of merely three clubs to have won both the FA Cup and its amateur counterpart. [ newton 2 ] In 1991, following the publication of the Taylor Report recommending all-seater grounds for top-flight clubs, Wimbledon left Plough Lane to groundshare with nearby Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park —an in the first place irregular agreement that ended up persistent over a decade. The team remained in the First Division and its successor the FA Premier League until they were relegated in 2000. In 2001, after rejecting a diverseness of possible local sites and others further afield, the club announced its purpose to move 56 miles ( 90 kilometer ) north to Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire. The theme of Wimbledon leaving south London was deeply unpopular, both with the bulk of the club ‘s established fanbase and with football supporters generally, but an independent commission appointed by the Football Association granted license in May 2002. A group of supporters, appalled by the decision, responded by forming a new club, AFC Wimbledon, to which many Wimbledon fans switched allegiance. [ 2 ] [ 3 ] Wimbledon F.C. played their first match in Milton Keynes in 2003 and changed their name to Milton Keynes Dons in 2004. [ 1 ]

history [edit ]

Non-League beginnings [edit ]

The Wimbledon Old Centrals of 1895–96 Wimbledon Old Central Football Club were formed in 1889, taking its name from the Old Central School on Wimbledon Common where players had been pupils. The baseball club ‘s first catch was a 1–0 victory over Westminster, and it alone took seven years for success to come to Wimbledon as the clubhouse won both the Clapham League and the Herald League in 1895–96. Wimbledon won the Clapham League again in 1900–01, adenine well as two minor trophies. A meeting was convened on 1 May 1905, and the decision was taken to drop “ previous Central ” from the club ‘s list – the club became Wimbledon Football Club, and under its new mention the baseball club won the South London Charity Cup the same year – however, excessive debts caused the club to fold in 1910. The club was restarted a class late under the name Wimbledon Borough, though “ Borough ” was dropped from the team ‘s mention after barely a year. The club continued to play on Wimbledon Common and at versatile other locations in the Wimbledon area until 1912, when the side settled at Plough Lane. Wimbledon joined the Athenian League for 1919–20, and in the second season in its newly division finished as runner-up. [ 4 ] The club then joined the Isthmian League. Winning four isthmian League titles during the 1930s, and reaching the FA Amateur Cup final in 1934–35, Wimbledon began to prosper. The club reached another FA Amateur Cup final in 1946–47, and finished as runner-up in the league doubly over the next few seasons. [ 4 ] Wimbledon won the Isthmian League for the fifth clock time in 1958–59 before starting a period of domination that saw three consecutive championships – 1961–62, 1962–63 and 1963–64. Wimbledon besides lifted the FA Amateur Cup in 1962–63, beating Sutton United 4–2 : the golf club ‘s all-time exceed goalscorer, Eddie Reynolds, scored all four Wimbledon goals with his head, and in doing so became the only musician to have headed in all four of his side ‘s goals in a Wembley pit – as of 2012, hush a singular feat. [ 5 ] Following these successes the decision was taken to turn professional for the 1964–65 season and to enter the Southern League. Wimbledon had continued success in their new league, finishing as runner-up at the first undertake. Wimbledon became nationally celebrated during an FA Cup run during the 1974–75 temper : entering the competition at the beginning stipulate round, Wimbledon saw off beginning Bracknell Town, then Maidenhead United, Wokingham Town, Guildford & Dorking United, Bath City and Kettering Town to find themselves in the third base round proper. They then became the first gear non-League team that century to beat a first Division side away from home by defeating Burnley at Turf Moor. In the fourth round the adept phase continued, as the team held the reign First Division champions Leeds United to a 0–0 draw at Elland Road. Goalkeeper Dickie Guy saved a penalty from Peter Lorimer to earn a replay, which was narrowly lost 1–0 by an own goal in battlefront of over 40,000 spectators at Selhurst Park. After winning the Southern League three times running from 1974–75 to 1976–77, Wimbledon were elected to The Football League in invest of Workington for the 1977–78 season. [ 4 ]
The 1977–78 season was a satisfactory Football League debut for Wimbledon, who finished 13th in the Fourth Division. [ 4 ] Allen Batsford had resigned as director on 2 January 1978 to be succeeded by Dario Gradi, who guided the baseball club to promotion in 1978–79. [ 4 ] Wimbledon ‘s beginning stay in the Third Division was not a successful one. The team struggled, and were relegated in bed place, winning just 10 league games all season. [ 4 ] Following delegating, resettlement to Milton Keynes was considered – president Ron Noades entered talks with the Milton Keynes Development Corporation about the hypothesis of moving the club to the newfangled town, but the plan was never executed. [ 6 ] [ 7 ] still in south London, 1980–81 saw Wimbledon regain Third Division condition at the beginning attempt, at the end of an eventful temper which saw president Ron Noades walk out of the club to take over Crystal Palace, taking coach Dario Gradi to Selhurst Park with him. [ 4 ] At Plough Lane, assistant director Dave Bassett was promoted to coach. Under Bassett, Wimbledon were relegated in 22nd plaza. [ 4 ] Just before the survival battle was lost, hurt defender Dave Clement committed suicide. [ 8 ] Wimbledon once again recover Third Division status at the first time of asking, triumphing as Fourth Division champions in 1982–83, and in the next season the Wimbledon players continued to excel as they achieved a second promotion to the Second Division after finishing runner-up with 97 league goals. [ 4 ] 1984–85 was Wimbledon ‘s first season in the Second Division, and everyone at the club was prepared for farseeing and hard struggle to preserve this status. A 12th-place eat up was more than satisfactory for a clubhouse that was playing at this flat for the first gear clock. [ 4 ] The next year started well for Wimbledon as Middlesbrough were defeated 3–0 on the orifice day of the season – the team was soon looking like a rival for promotion. promotion in one-third place was sealed on the final day of the season with an away victory at Huddersfield Town. Thus, Wimbledon had reached the First Division, merely four years after playing in the Fourth Division and nine years after being elected into The Football League. [ 4 ]

The top trajectory [edit ]

many observers tipped Wimbledon to go straight binding down in 1986–87, but after losing the first game of the season away at Manchester City, Wimbledon won the adjacent four games to perch atop the league table on 1 September. Wimbledon finally finished sixth, before Dave Bassett moved on to Watford. [ 4 ] His successor was Bristol Rovers coach Bobby Gould. Dubbed “ The Crazy Gang “ because of the eccentric behavior of its players, fans and president, Sam Hammam, the club ‘s greatest moment came in 1988 when, identical a lot against expectation, the team won the FA Cup, beating submerge favourites Liverpool 1–0 with a goal from Lawrie Sanchez. 37,000 Wimbledon fans witnessed captain Dave Beasant becoming the first goalkeeper to save a penalty in an FA Cup final, stopping John Aldridge ‘s shoot. [ 9 ] The only downside of this triumph was the fact that the club would not be able to compete in the european Cup Winners ‘ Cup, as the ban on english teams from european rival following the Heysel Stadium Disaster was however in operation at this time. [ 10 ]
Just days after the FA Cup gloat, Wimbledon directors announced plans to build a raw all-seater stadium in the clubhouse ‘s home borough of Merton. In the season following the FA Cup gloat, Gould steered Wimbledon to a secure 12th-place end in the First Division, and in 1989–90 the side finished eighth. [ 4 ] Despite these successes, Bobby Gould was replaced by Ray Harford in 1990, who in the same year as Wimbledon ‘s FA Cup prevail had guided Luton Town to victory in the League Cup. Under Harford ‘s management, Warren Barton was purchased for £300,000 while Wimbledon had another potent season in 1990–91, finishing seventh. [ 4 ] nothing came of the plans for a new grind and at the end of 1990–91 the club ‘s board decided that Plough Lane was beyond renovation to meet the new FA predominate requiring all-seater stadiums. [ 11 ] Consequently, the club moved to Selhurst Park before the 1991–92 season, ground-sharing with Crystal Palace. Harford on the spur of the moment resigned in October 1991, to be replaced by Peter Withe. Withe lasted until just after the turn of the newly year, when Joe Kinnear was promoted from the role of young team bus, initially taking over as interim coach. After guiding Wimbledon to 13th stead in the First Division and booking a place in the inaugural FA Premier League, [ 4 ] Kinnear got the director ‘s job on a permanent basis. 1992–93 began as a contend for Wimbledon – the club were third base from bottom on Boxing Day. however, the team recovered well in the fresh class and finished 12th. [ 4 ] The following season was one of Wimbledon ‘s best seasons to date as the side finished one-sixth in the FA Premier League and reached the quarter-finals of the League Cup. [ 4 ] Wimbledon remained heavily to beat in 1994–95, finishing ninth in the league. [ 4 ] During the close season the Dons made their first and only appearance in a UEFA european rival, being required by the FA to enter the Intertoto Cup. however, after fielding an under-strength side containing reserves, youth team players and unsigned trialists in their group degree games, the club – along with Tottenham Hotspur – were banned from european rival for the trace temper. [ 12 ] not that it mattered ; after losing Barton to Newcastle, 1995–96 saw a drop to 14th. [ 4 ] Wimbledon made a very well startle to the 1996–97 campaign – after losing the first three fixtures, the players proceeded to win their adjacent seven and reach second place in the FA Premier League. There was enchant in early February when they eliminated Manchester United from the FA Cup – Wimbledon reached both the FA Cup semi-finals and the semi-finals of the League Cup. Wimbledon ‘s survive promise of qualifying for european contest immediately lay with a challenge for a top-five league finish, but the team could only manage eighth. [ 4 ]

delegating and move [edit ]

[13] just before relegation,[4] while Hartson remained with the side until February 2001.[14]John Hartson (left, pictured in 2007) and Egil Olsen (right, seen in 2010) joined the club as player and manager respectively in 1999 and were involved during the 1999–2000 season, Wimbledon’s last in the Premier League. Olsen left the side in May 2000,just before relegation,while Hartson remained with the side until February 2001. The 1997–98 season looked highly promising for Wimbledon as former on as Christmas, as the team were regularly in the top five. however, the slope ‘s form in the second half of the season was less impressive, and the club dipped to 15th place in the final examination board – the lowest finish so far for Wimbledon in the top flight. [ 4 ] A like pattern followed in 1998–99 – a dear starting signal followed by a slump. As deep on as mid-march, the team were on the periphery of a UEFA Cup stead. The club record sign of West Ham United striker John Hartson boosted hopes of achiever for Wimbledon, but a atrocious run of kind in the concluding weeks of the season saw the side dip to 16th in the concluding table. [ 4 ] Wimbledon again reached the League Cup semi-finals that season – losing to eventual winners Tottenham Hotspur. [ 4 ] Joe Kinnear stepped down deoxyadenosine monophosphate coach in June 1999 due to ill health, and was succeeded by norwegian coach Egil Olsen. Wimbledon reached the quarter-finals of the League Cup, but the team ‘s league form slowly deteriorated during the second half of the season. Olsen left in early on May with the golf club threatened by relegation. Long-serving coach Terry Burton took over, [ 13 ] but on 14 May 2000, 12 years to the day after the FA Cup acquire, the side was relegated from the top fledge after 14 years after a 2–0 frustration at Southampton and 1–0 winnings for Bradford City over Liverpool. [ 4 ] Burton remained director of Wimbledon for two seasons in the second tier before he was sacked at the end of 2001–02 after the golf club had narrowly missed out on the promotion play-offs two seasons in a rowing. [ 4 ]

move, rename, and foundation of AFC Wimbledon [edit ]

In August 2001, the club announced its intent to relocate to Milton Keynes. [ 15 ] Despite confrontation from Wimbledon fans, [ 16 ] The Football League, and The Football Association, [ 16 ] they were given permission to do so on 28 May 2002 after a 2–1 vote by the three-person, independent committee appointed by the F.A. [ 16 ] [ 17 ] The approval of the decision to move the club caused supporters who were against the move to found a raw golf club, AFC Wimbledon, to which many Wimbledon fans switched their commitment ; [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 18 ] gates at the new club were over 3,500, compared with 2,500 or less for the relocate club. [ 2 ] Goalkeeping coach Stuart Murdoch was promoted to coach, [ 19 ] and as attendances plummeted, [ 20 ] Murdoch ‘s team finished 10th in the league during the club ‘s last wide season at Selhurst Park. [ 4 ] Wimbledon entered administration in June 2003, [ 21 ] and played their first base match in Milton Keynes in September. [ 22 ] Although herd attending the club ‘s games at its new base were bigger than those at Wimbledon, the administrator in accusation of the club ‘s fiscal affairs sold any musician who could command a transfer fee and Murdoch ‘s team finished at the bed of the league. [ 4 ] [ 23 ] The baseball club were brought out of administration at the end of the 2003–04 season, [ 24 ] and subsequently renamed “ Milton Keynes Dons “. [ 1 ] [ 24 ]

Club identity [edit ]



The kit wear in the 1988 FA Cup Final The club ‘s dub was the Dons, though the club were besides much referred to in the media as the Wombles from the mid-1970s onwards. Following the FA Cup victory in 1988, the condition Crazy Gang besides started to be applied ; in the first place to the players, though over time to the club as a whole. [ 25 ] The baseball club introduced a character mascot in 2000, a Womble named Wandle the Womble. however, following the move of the clubhouse in 2003, the owners of the Wombles brand refused to renew the license agreement in protest at the motivate. Three years later, a deal was agreed that saw a like character named Haydon the Womble appear at AFC Wimbledon. [ 26 ] The semblance most associated with the club were blue and yellow. [ 25 ] The club ‘s first colours were dark blue blue and white, [ 25 ] though the kit changed several times soon after the clubhouse ‘s basis, between combinations of : brown and blue striped shirts with united states navy blue shorts ; green and white striped shirts with united states navy blue shorts ; greens shirts and bootleg shorts ; white shirts with navy blue shorts, and last park and blacken striped shirts with blacken shorts. [ 25 ] Royal blue shirts with navy bluing shorts and socks were finally settled upon in 1918, initially bearing a “ W ” ( for Wimbledon ) in the center of the chest. [ 25 ] Wimbledon players then regularly wore royal blue shirts with black shorts and socks until a shift in the 1950s saw the shorts change from black to white. [ 25 ] A combination of blue shirts, blue shorts and white socks was introduced in 1966, [ 25 ] before being abandoned a year by and by in party favor of an all-blue kit. [ 25 ] The white socks returned in 1970. [ 25 ] A blue and yellow combination was first used in 1975, [ 25 ] but was replaced after a year with an all-white kit trimmed with gloomy, [ 25 ] and this was the kit in which the cabaret played its first temper in the Football League. In 1978, Yellow shirts, gloomy shorts and jaundiced socks were adopted, [ 25 ] before the club made the change to an all-blue strip with yellow markings in 1981. [ 25 ] The kit undergo alone minor changes until 1993, [ 25 ] when a dark, deep dark blue blue sky replaced the royal blue shade that had been used for the previous twelve years. [ 25 ] Wimbledon wore these colours for the remainder of their history. As for change colours, a red kit, with black trim, was a frequent choice in the 1990s. The club had a green away kit for the 2000–01 season. [ 25 ]
[27] Wimbledon ‘s concluding proposed logo, adopted before the 2003–04 temper but not used on playing kit The first crown the clubhouse wear was the emblem of the Municipal Borough of Wimbledon. This emblem appeared on Wimbledon shirts from the deep 1920s until the mid-1950s, when no badge was worn. [ 25 ] The coat of arms returned in the early 1970s, [ 25 ] before the cabaret adopted its own badge on election to The Football League in 1977. [ 25 ] The crest was very like to the badge most normally associated with the club – the difference being the inclusion of white preferably than yellow. Yellow replaced white in 1981, and this logo was used until 2003. [ 25 ] After the club ‘s resettlement to Milton Keynes was confirmed in May 2002, the College of Arms informed the golf club in August 2002 that its continue practice of the Borough arms was illegal. A surrogate, given the green light on 12 April 2003, featured a stylize eagle ‘s head – an component from the Wimbledon arms – drawn in navy aristocratic and yellow outline, the yellow forming a conventionalized render of the letters “ MK ” ( for Milton Keynes ). [ 27 ] Despite being officially adopted in April 2003, the logo ‘s habit was inconsistent : the baseball club formally announced that it would be used “ on all club kit, trade and literature from the starting signal of [ the 2003–04 ] season ”, [ 27 ] including on a new flannel away kit and on an amend adaptation of the former season ‘s base outfit, [ 28 ] but this did not occur ; both the home and away colours from 2002–03 were retained for the follow year with the municipal arms still salute. furthermore, the honest-to-god crest continued to appear on official clubhouse statements towards the end of the 2003–04 season, making the status of the new badge equivocal. [ 29 ] [ 30 ]

mascot [edit ]

From 2000 to June 2003, the master Wimbledon F.C. had used a Womble mascot named “Wandle”, named after the local anesthetic River Wandle, as a cabaret mascot. however, in faint of the controversy over the moving of the baseball club to Milton Keynes, the license to use the character was withdrawn by the Wombles ‘ godhead, Elisabeth Beresford as a protest. [ 31 ]

stadium [edit ]

Wimbledon originally played on Wimbledon Common, using the Fox and Grapes populace house in Camp Road as the team ‘s headquarters and changing room. The club moved to Plough Lane in September 1912. During the 1930s and 1940s, crowd of between 7,000 and 10,000 were not uncommon at the footing. Wimbledon ‘s highest attendance at the ground came on 2 March 1935, when 18,080 people were attracted to an FA Amateur Cup affiliation against HMS Victory. Floodlights were first used on 3 October 1960 in a London Charity Cup equal against Arsenal. The Plough Lane grind remained relatively basic, and by the time the cabaret had risen to the First Division the stadium had not changed greatly from Wimbledon ‘s late non-league days. At the time of the club ‘s acceptance into The Football League in 1977, applicants had only to meet minimal stadium criteria, and once in the League these lapp criteria sufficed careless of whether the club subsequently found itself in the Fourth or First Division. however, following the Hillsborough disaster and the subsequent Taylor Report, the football authorities introduced far stern safety rules, which gave top-flight clubs specific deadlines by which to redevelop terrace grounds or to build new all-seater stadiums. The board of the club decided that Plough Lane could not be made to comply with these new requirements economically and, in 1990, they announced plans to temporarily groundshare with Crystal Palace at their Selhurst Park stadium. Given the placement of the Plough Lane ground, at the articulation of two major roads and beside the River Wandle, major renovation of the locate as a modern all-seater stadium might have been difficult, though not impossible. The club ‘s dining table of directors maintained that it had “ searched thoroughly with Merton Council ” for a web site in or around Merton on which to build a new stadium, looking at “ 14 unlike sites over a time period of five years ”, in addition to commissioning feasibility studies for redeveloping both Plough Lane and the neighbor locate at Wimbledon Stadium. Despite this, nothing always became of the board ‘s continual promises to redevelop the site or to build a raw anchor within the borough, and the cabaret remained as tenants at Selhurst Park for twelve years. [ 32 ] Wimbledon ‘s first peer at the National Hockey Stadium in Milton Keynes was played on 27 September 2003. [ 22 ] The cabaret remained there for the rest of its concluding season, and the ground became the first home of Milton Keynes Dons .

Supporters [edit ]

due to Plough Lane ‘s meek capacity and Wimbledon ‘s unprecedented rise from non-League football to the First Division in under ten years, the golf club had a much lower level of confirm than its top-flight rivals. During Wimbledon ‘s foremost season in The Football League, Wimbledon ‘s average attendance was only 3,135 – however, by the club ‘s appearance in the top flight nine years late the average attendance had risen by 149 % to 7,811. Attendances did not immediately change a lot following the move to Selhurst Park in 1991 – however, the larger capacity gradually started to be used. average crowd peaked at 18,235 in 1998–99, and during the future season, the team ‘s final year in the FA Premier League, home crowd averaged 17,157. With delegating, attendances dropped to an average of only 7,897 during 2000–01 as organized garter boycott of matches in protest at the proposed resettlement took effect. Wimbledon averaged 6,961 during the final examination season before the club ‘s resettlement to Milton Keynes was confirmed. [ 33 ] Following the sanctionative of the be active, most of the team ‘s support left, in particular protest at the club ‘s move, to follow AFC Wimbledon, [ 2 ] [ 3 ] the new cabaret founded by Wimbledon supporters. [ 2 ] [ 3 ] During the 2002–03 season, AFC Wimbledon ‘s first and Wimbledon ‘s final full temper in south London, average crowd at the fresh club were actually higher than those at the original baseball club. [ 33 ] Attendances during the 2003–04 season, Wimbledon ‘s last, were higher than those at AFC Wimbledon : Wimbledon averaged 4,751 at the National Hockey Stadium, compared to AFC Wimbledon ‘s 2,606. [ 33 ] The club had two main supporters organisations– the long established official Wimbledon F.C. Supporters Club, which was tied to the baseball club, and the more radical Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association ( WISA ) which was founded in 1995. [ 34 ] The WISA was instrumental in the organization of the assistant boycott at Selhurst Park, and in the formation of The Dons Trust in March 2002. [ 34 ] This trust, created in separate to oppose the resettlement to Milton Keynes, [ 35 ] helped the WISA to found AFC Wimbledon months after its own institution. [ 34 ] [ 35 ] Both the WISA and The Dons Trust from this target became consort to AFC Wimbledon, while the official Wimbledon F.C Supporters Club became defunct following the move. [ 34 ] [ 35 ]

Rivalries [edit ]

During much of Wimbledon ‘s amateur and later semi-professional history, a potent local anesthetic competition existed with neighbouring Tooting & Mitcham United F.C. From the mid 1980s, the baseball club ‘s chief rivals were considered by fans to be mate south London clubhouse Crystal Palace ( who were their landlord from 1991 to 2003 ) and west London-based Chelsea ; however, neither of these rivalries was badly reciprocated. Wimbledon were in the like class as Palace for a total of 11 seasons between 1984 and 2004, and in the lapp division as Chelsea for all but one season between 1986 and 2000. [ 36 ]

Records and statistics [edit ]

The phonograph record for most appearances for Wimbledon was held by Roy Law, who turned out for the clubhouse 644 times between 1958 and 1972 ; [ 37 ] Law ‘s 433 league appearances was besides a record. [ 37 ] Wimbledon ‘s all-time top goalscorer was Eddie Reynolds, who scored 340 goals in 329 matches between 1957 and 1966. [ 38 ] The closest to Reynolds ‘s record was Ian Cooke, who notched 297 between 1964 and 1977 ; [ 39 ] Cooke besides made the second highest full act of appearances for the team, having appeared 615 times in a Wimbledon shirt. [ 39 ] The records for most appearances and goals for Wimbledon in The Football League were both held by Alan Cork. Cork scored 145 league goals for the club in 430 matches. [ 40 ] Cork besides held the criminal record for most Football League goals in a season, with 29 during 1983–84. [ 40 ] Wimbledon ‘s most capped player was Kenny Cunningham, who was capped 16 times for the Republic of Ireland during his time at the golf club. [ 41 ] Wimbledon ‘s most expensive sign was John Hartson, for whom the golf club paid West Ham United £7.5 million on 15 January 1999. [ 41 ] [ 42 ] The highest fee that the club received was the £7 million Newcastle United parted with to sign Carl Cort on 6 July 2000. [ 41 ] [ 43 ] Wimbledon ‘s best win was a 6–0 league victory over Newport County on 3 September 1983, [ 41 ] while the worst kill was an 8–0 League Cup frustration at Everton on 29 August 1978. [ 41 ] Wimbledon ‘s longest unbeaten league run was 22 matches between 15 January and 14 May 1984 ; [ 44 ] the longest league run without a acquire, 14, was set between 19 March and 28 August 2000. [ 44 ] Wimbledon ‘s longest run of league wins was seven, set between 9 April and 7 May 1983 and matched from 4 September to 19 October 1996. [ 44 ] Wimbledon ‘s longest run of league defeats was the eleven matches lost in a row from 10 January to 27 March 2004. [ 44 ] Wimbledon ‘s highest attendance, 30,115, was set on 9 May 1993 for the FA Premier League match against Manchester United at Selhurst Park but their official home attendance phonograph record is 18,080 v HMS Victory in an FA Amateur Cup tie on 9 March 1935 at Plough Lane due to Selhurst Park being borrowed from Crystal Palace FC. [ 41 ]

european criminal record [edit ]

1Both base matches in this rival were played at Brighton and Hove Albion ‘s Goldstone Ground, as Selhurst Park was unavailable. [ 45 ]

Players [edit ]

First team police squad [edit ]

The squad given here is made up of the players registered to the club on the date of Wimbledon F.C.’s final league match (Wimbledon 1–0 Derby County, 9 May 2004). Updated 9 May 2004.[46]

bill : Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality .

celebrated erstwhile players [edit ]

For a list of all former Wimbledon players with a Wikipedia article, see class : Wimbledon F.C. players

Managers [edit ]

prior to the appointment of H. R. Watts as first team coach in 1930, a committee would deal with first team affairs, such as choosing the team on a matchday. [ 47 ] Doc Dowden was appointed coach in 1946, [ 48 ] and stayed in the situation until leaving at the end of the 1954–55 season. [ 49 ] Les Henley arrived in his space as first team bus, [ 49 ] and stayed at the club for sixteen years in which the club progressed vastly, winning the FA Amateur Cup deoxyadenosine monophosphate well as three Isthmian League championships before turning professional and moving to the Southern League. [ 50 ] [ 51 ] however, in 1971 Henley was replaced by Mike Everitt, who arrived as player-manager. After two seasons, Everitt left to manage Brentford and Dick Graham arrived as a substitution. Graham remained until March 1974, and a surrogate was not appointed until July of that year, when Allen Batsford was made director. Batsford led Wimbledon to The Football League, but resigned entirely center through the first League season. [ 51 ] Dario Gradi was made coach three days by and by, [ 51 ] but after three seasons he excessively resigned. [ 52 ] His replacement was Dave Bassett, who took Wimbledon to sixth in the First Division before moving to Watford. [ 52 ] Bobby Gould spent three years as director before being replaced by Ray Harford, who spent precisely over a temper with Wimbledon. After Harford, Peter Withe had a while as coach lasting only three months. Joe Kinnear was brought in during January 1992, and managed the golf club until leaving in 1999 due to ill health. A season was spent under Egil Olsen in which the team was relegated from the FA Premier League before Terry Burton was made coach. [ 13 ] Burton ‘s Wimbledon narrowly missed the play-offs twice in a row before he was sacked. Stuart Murdoch managed Wimbledon for the club ‘s final examination two seasons. [ 19 ] [ 53 ]

Statistics apply to competitive league and cup matches only. Wartime matches excluded.

Name
Nationality
From
To
Matches
Won
Drawn
Lost
Win %
Notes

H.R. Watts
England
1930
1946
[47][48]
Doc Dowden
England
1946
August 1955
375
186
64
126
49.6
[48][49]

England
August 1955
5 April 1971
869
468
156
235
53.9
[49][51]

England
5 April 1971
6 August 1973
120
49
26
45
40.8
[51]

England
18 August 1973
16 March 1974
45
16
14
15
35.6
[51]

England
July 1974
2 January 1978
231
131
51
49
56.7
[51]

England
5 January 1978

Read more: Sevilla FC

24 January 1981
171
63
47
61
36.8
[51]

England
31 January 1981
17 June 1987
303
144
74
85
47.5

England
26 June 1987
18 June 1990
142
57
43
42
40.1

England
18 June 1990
7 October 1991
56
20
17
19
35.7

England
7 October 1991
19 January 1992
17
1
9
6
5.9

Republic of Ireland
19 January 1992
9 June 1999
364
130
109
125
35.7

Norway
9 June 1999
1 May 2000
43
11
12
20
25.6
[13]

England
1 May 2000
25 April 2002
108
39
39
30
36.1
[13]

England
25 June 2002
7 August 2004
101
30
17
54
29.7
[19][n 3]

Honours [edit ]

Wimbledon were a successful cabaret even before election to The Football League, winning eight Isthmian League titles ( including three in a row from 1962 to 1964 ) and three consecutive Southern League titles ( from 1975 to 1977 ). Having besides won the FA Amateur Cup in 1963, the function of Southern League titles prompted Football League election in 1977. [ 4 ] even at the higher level, Wimbledon continued to collect honours ; the most noteworthy being the FA Cup victory in 1988, which made Wimbledon lone the third clubhouse to have won both the FA Cup and its amateurish equivalent. Despite fleet success in The Football League, the club ‘s rapid ascent combined with short spells in the Second and Third Divisions meant that the team only won a alone divisional championship within the League – the Fourth Division deed of 1982–83. [ 4 ]

Notes and references [edit ]

Footnotes
References