Milton Keynes Dons F.C.
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| Milton Keynes Dons FC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Milton Keynes Dons Football Club |
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| Nickname(s) | The Dons | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Founded | 1889 (as Wimbledon Old Centrals FC) or 2004 (as Milton Keynes Dons) —see text for details |
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| Ground | National Hockey Stadium Milton Keynes |
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| Capacity | 9,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chairman |  Pete Winkelman |
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| Manager | Martin Allen |
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| League | League Two | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005-06 | League One, 22nd (relegation) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Milton Keynes Dons F.C. is a football club in Milton Keynes, England. As of the 2006–07 season, they play in Football League Two.
The club came into existence on 21st June 2004 after a name-change by Wimbledon F.C., which had relocated to Milton Keynes nine months earlier. It is officially recognised by The FA as the continuation of Wimbledon F.C., but most of that club's original fans no longer support it, having instead founded their own club, A.F.C. Wimbledon, in south-west London, which they regard as the legitimate successor to Wimbledon F.C.
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[edit] History
- 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 town. The town had five[1] non-league football teams, of which Milton Keynes City was the most advanced.
One option available to Winkelman would have been to invest in this club in the hope of repeating the success achieved (initially) by Max Griggs, founder of the Dr. Martens footwear manufacturer, who had financed the creation of Rushden and Diamonds from two small clubs in nearby Northamptonshire. However, Winkelman saw an opportunity to 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 town 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 town.
Since 1998, Winkelman had been approaching other clubs that were struggling financially, including Barnet, Luton Town and Queens Park Rangers, without success. However, in Wimbledon F.C., itself looking for a new home after years out of Wimbledon and in a crowded London market, he found a club willing to listen. He persuaded the directors that a move to Milton Keynes might give the club the new start it needed.
On May 28th 2002, the Football Association approved the move to Milton Keynes. Although there have been other such relocations in the UK, this one attracted particular criticism: those who interpreted the League decision as American-style "sports franchising" gave Wimbledon the disparaging title "Franchise F.C.". However, before the move itself took place (15 months later but nearly a year after the FA Commission's decision to approve the move on the 28th May 2002), Wimbledon went into financial administration with debts of more than £20 million. Part of the reason for the increasing debts was that football supporters were boycotting games following the controversial decision to allow the move to Milton Keynes.
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.
[edit] Change of name
In June 2004, despite the Football Association's "Independent Commission" recommendations, Winkelman announced that Wimbledon FC would change its name to Milton Keynes Dons FC, 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 as a nickname) in 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 by Winkelman in 2000.
[edit] Supporters club recognition
On 4 June 2005, at the 2005 Football Supporters Federation "Fans Parliament" (AGM), the FSF refused [2] MK Dons Supporters Club membership of the FSF, by 98 votes to 44 in a debate that, among other arguments, questioned the fact that the League had yet to introduce any new rules to prevent "franchising". In addition, the FSF membership agreed with the Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association that the Milton Keynes Dons Supporters Association should not be entitled to join until the history and honours of Wimbledon FC are returned to the London Borough of Merton and/or AFC Wimbledon.
Shortly afterwards, the Football League announced six new rules on club relocation.
At its AGM on 5 June 2006, the FSF again considered a motion[3] proposed by the FSF Council to allow MK Dons Supporters Association membership if the honours and trophies of Wimbledon F.C. are given to the London Borough of Merton and/or AFC Wimbledon.
In October 2006, agreement[4] was reached between the club, MK Dons Supporters Association, Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association and the Football Supporters Federation. Over 1000 AFC Wimbledon supporters voted for the return of the honours in a ballot organised by the Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association, with slightly over 100 Milton Keynes supporters voting in the ballot organised by the Milton Keynes Dons Supporters Association[citation needed]. The replica of the FA Cup plus other club patrimony gathered under the name of Wimbledon FC are to be returned to the London Borough of Merton. Ownership of trademarks and website domain names related to Wimbledon FC will also be transferred to the Borough. On receipt of the trademarks and domain names, AFC Wimbledon members believe[citation needed] that the Borough will immediately transfer their ownership to them.
If the membership of the Federation approves, the agreement anticipates that the FSF will accept MKDSA into membership and withdraw the request that fans boycott matches involving MK Dons.
[edit] New stadium
The club's current home stadium is the National Hockey Stadium, which is beside Milton Keynes Central railway station and which has been temporarily converted for football.
In February 2005, the club's contractors started work on a new stadium and arena complex at Denbigh North near Bletchley railway station, provisionally called Denbigh Stadium. The complex will combine a 22,000 seat outdoor stadium (with provision to upgrade to 30,000[5] at a later date) 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 on schedule to be completed by December 2006, though the date of its official opening has yet[6] to be decided. The latest information is the stadium will host the first game of the 2007/08 season. There are plans to use the stadium as a centrepoint for the 40th Birthday celebrations of Milton Keynes which are currently still being planned.
[edit] 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.
[edit] League history
The club spent most of the 2004–05 season in the League One relegation zone; Stuart Murdoch was dismissed in November with relegation looking certain. He was replaced by former Bristol City manager Danny Wilson, who was given the seemingly impossible aim to save the team from relegation. Wilson managed to restore the team's home form and they escaped relegation on goal difference, above Torquay; had Wrexham not gone into administration and had ten points deducted (finishing 22nd), then MK Dons would have been relegated instead.
The 2005–06 season was another tough one for Wilson's men. They failed to record a league win until their eleventh game of the season. A brief run of good form saw them climb to mid-table, but another decline soon set in and they spent the first three months of 2006 at the foot of the table. Three wins in a row gave fans hope of another "great escape", but they were relegated to the Coca-Cola League Two after failing to win their final game of the season, finishing two points adrift of safety.
Since the club began playing in Milton Keynes, they have dropped to two divisions below where they were when they last played in London (as Wimbledon). Along with Swindon Town they became the first former Premiership sides to drop into the lowest tier of the Football League when relegated in May 2006. Danny Wilson was sacked just after the end of the season and was replaced by Martin Allen on 21st June 2006.
[edit] Current squad
The following list shows players who have been given a first team squad number for the 2006/7 season or who have made a first team appearance. It is correct as of 13 November 2006:
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[edit] Out on loan
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[edit] Managers
- Troy Frisby (1999-2002)
- Stuart Murdoch (2002–2004)
- Jimmy Gilligan (2004)
- Danny Wilson (2004–2006)
- Martin Allen (2006-)
[edit] Other clubs that have moved towns
- Livingston F.C., which is the re-incarnation of Meadowbank Thistle after it moved from Edinburgh to Livingston.
- Gateshead F.C., twice the re-incarnation of South Shields F.C. after moves between the two towns.
- Airdrie United F.C., the controversial re-incarnation of Clydebank F.C. following the bankruptcy of Airdrieonians F.C..
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ See Sport in Milton Keynes#Football
- ^ http://www.fsf.org.uk/media/pdfs/annual-reports/annual-report2005.pdf , Motion 1 on pages 6; minutes at http://www.fsf.org.uk/media/pdfs/annual-reports/annual-report2006.pdf (pages 44/45)
- ^ http://www.fsf.org.uk/media/pdfs/annual-reports/annual-report2006.pdf Motion 6 (pages 6)
- ^ "Accord on history and honours of Wimbledon FC" - WISA website
- ^ http://www.miltonkeynestoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=415&ArticleID=1226960
- ^ http://www.mkcitizen.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=415&ArticleID=1327628
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Accrington Stanley | Barnet | Boston United | Bristol Rovers | Bury | Chester City | Darlington | Grimsby Town | Hartlepool United | Hereford United | Lincoln City | Macclesfield Town | Mansfield Town | Milton Keynes Dons | Notts County | Peterborough United | Rochdale | Shrewsbury Town | Stockport County | Swindon Town | Torquay United | Walsall | Wrexham | Wycombe Wanderers edit |
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