“Where were you when you were us?” was the chant that resoundingly echoed around South-West London last Tuesday night.
15 years ago the Football Association approved the relocation of Wimbledon F.C from the London borough of Merton, 70 miles up the M1 to Milton Keynes, making this rivalry one of the most emotive in English football. It is also a pertinent reminder, not only of the insidious corporatisation of football, but of the responsibility of those who love the game to stand up against it.
This was no usual football match. The front of the matchday programme omitted all reference to Milton Keynes, the board members of Milton Keynes were shunned and recognition of the word ‘Dons’ in their name was refused, even by the scoreboard. These seemingly petty provocations were in fact a war-cry on behalf of all football fans.
The supporters of the old Wimbledon, betrayed by the owners of their club, have avenged this injustice, through the formation of AFC Wimbledon, a fan-owned club, which at the time was denounced by the F.A as being “not in the wider interests of football.” The club has since experienced a meteoric rise through the leagues, maintaining the ‘one member one vote’ system. Tuesday was the first meeting between Wimbledon and MK in London, with the hosts emerging as the 2-0 victors. Their victory over ‘the franchise’ must be understood as a victory for football.
The footballing world is in crisis. The tyranny of billionaire owners, absurd transfer fees and spiralling debt has turned fans into lucrative customers and their once-proud clubs into toys for the rich. The collapse of Sepp Blatter’s corrupt dictatorship as president of FIFA merely revealed the tip of the iceberg: money is destroying the beautiful game.
Whether this be the Arsenal shareholder Stan Kroenke’s remark that the willingness of supporters to travel far and wide for their team demonstrated “customer loyalty”, enabling the Gunners to maintain the highest season-ticket prices in the Premier League; the mismanagement of sides like Leeds United and Portsmouth that precipitated their falls from grace; or even the increasing success of many franchise teams, including Red Bull Leipzig who have undermined the principle of sustainability at the heart of German football. From Leipzig to Leeds, money talks.
In this dire state that modern football finds itself, both financially and ethically, it is refreshing to witness fans taking a stand against corporate despotism. Indeed, AFC Wimbledon are blazing a trail through the footballing wilderness, demonstrating that clubs can be run successfully, sustainably, and most importantly for their local community.
This worldwide confrontation between commercial interests and supporters was played out in microcosm by two mid-table League One sides in South-West London.
For the first time since the formation of AFC Wimbledon, in 2002, the ‘real’ Dons defeated their bitter rivals Milton Keynes in a league fixture, at their West London home ground, Kingsmeadow.
The intense animosity between the two clubs demanded a footballing spectacle on the pitch, but fans were disappointed by nervous, lethargic performances from both sets of players in the first half. At half-time the talking-points were few and far-between.
As the whistle signalled the start of the second-half, Wimbledon emerged the dominant team; buoyed by a fervent home crowd, they were the first to every ball and produced a dynamic display. This second-half dominance was finally translated onto the scoreboard, as Dons midfielder, Jake Reeves, struck just after the hour mark. Moments later, forward Lyle Taylor slotted in a second. Wimbledon goalkeeper James Shea then produced some smart saves, allowing the Dons to see out the match comfortably and secure a 2-0 win. The home fans were jubilant: their club sat six points ahead of the franchise they hate so vehemently.
The success of AFC Wimbledon is hugely encouraging for the many of us who have become increasingly disillusioned by the modern game. Here is an example of a club once decimated by debt and corporate greed, now run by a dedicated contingent of supporters, rightly claiming their league position over those who have tried to buy it. Clubs across the globe should learn from this ‘pub team’ and realise that supporters are its lifeblood.
After the final whistle and the jubilant fans had left their seats, there remained unfurled in the home end a banner which read “In The Wider Interests Of Football”, parodying the now-infamous remark of the F.A. from fifteen years before.
Wimbledon is the people’s answer to modern football.
