Wimbledon F.C.

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Wimbledon F.C. crest
Wimbledon F.C. crest

Wimbledon F.C. was the original name of a football club that played in south London. Founded in 1889, the club spent most of its history in non-league football, before a rapid ascent to the top flight of English football in the late 1970s and early 1980s, staying in the old First Division and then the Premiership from 1986 until 2000. In 1988, Wimbledon beat champions-elect Liverpool 1-0 in the FA Cup final becoming the only football club in the country to have won both the professional and amateur versions of the Cup, having won the FA Amateur Cup back in 1963.

The club decided to move from their Plough Lane home in 1991, following the Taylor Report, which recommended that all top-flight clubs play in all-seater stadiums. Wimbledon began to 'temporarily' ground-share with local rivals Crystal Palace, an arrangement that ended up lasting over 10 years. In 2003, the club relocated sixty miles north to Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire citing financial reasons, and was relaunched the following year with new club colours and a new badge as Milton Keynes Dons. The move was unpopular with the club's established fan base, and supporters responded by forming a new club, AFC Wimbledon, which they saw as the direct continuation of the sporting representation of the people of Wimbledon.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Amateur beginnings

Wimbledon Old Centrals F.C. were formed in 1889, taking their name from Old Central School on Wimbledon Common, where players had been pupils. Old Central School was a school on Wimbledon Common, founded in 1758. It closed in the early 1960s when its role was taken over by Bishop Gilpin School, a new school on a different site in Wimbledon.The original octagonal school building from 1758 was still standing in 2006 and in use as part of a private school, The Study. Early matches were played on the Common, and players used the Fox and Grapes public house, which is in the same road as the school, as the team's headquarters and changing room. The Old Centrals' name was changed to Wimbledon Football Club in 1905. The club continued to play on Wimbledon Common until 1912, when they moved to Plough Lane, their home for the next 79 years. They became one of the best known amateur clubs in the country, winning the Isthmian League title eight times, and lifting the FA Amateur Cup in 1963, beating Sutton United F.C. 4-2.

At the insistence of patriarch chairman Sydney Black, the club turned professional the following year, entering the Southern League, where they had continued success.

In 1975, the club became nationally famous during a spectactular FA Cup run. They were the first non-league team that century to beat a First Division team at its own ground, when they defeated Burnley F.C. in the third round. In the fourth round they held the reigning First Division Champions, Leeds United F.C., to a draw at Elland Road, with goalkeeper Dickie Guy saving a penalty, before narrowly losing to an own goal in the replay at Selhurst Park, in front of over 40,000 spectators.

On the strength of three successive Southern League championships, and also the fame derived from their FA Cup heroics, they were finally elected to the Football League in 1977, after several failed attempts. They were then promoted or relegated every season from 1979 to 1984, before rapidly reaching the First Division in 1986. They finished sixth in their first ever top division season, and early in 1986-87 had topped the league.

[edit] FA Cup win

Dubbed "The Crazy Gang" because of the eccentric behaviour of their players and fans (and, indeed, the chairman, Sam Hammam), their greatest moment came in 1988 when, very much against expectation, they won the FA Cup beating the strong favourites Liverpool 1-0, with a goal from Lawrie Sanchez. Wimbledon captain Dave Beasant became the first goalkeeper to save a penalty in an FA Cup final, stopping a controversial spot-kick (Clive Goodyear had clearly played the ball from John Aldridge). The only downside of this triumph was the fact that they would not be able to compete in the European Cup Winners Cup, as the ban on English teams in European competitions - arising from the Heysel disaster - was still in operation at this time.

[edit] Move to Selhurst Park

Just days after winning the FA Cup, the club's directors announced plans to build a new all-seater stadium in its home borough of Merton. But, ultimately, nothing came of these plans and at the end of the 1990–91 season Wimbledon decided that its cramped Plough Lane ground was beyond redevelopment to meet the (then) new FA rule requiring[1] "all seater" stadiums. Consequently, the club moved into Selhurst Park stadium (in the London Borough of Croydon), ground-sharing with Crystal Palace, where it remained for the next twelve years.

[edit] 1990s: the 'Crazy Gang' in the Premiership

Bobby Gould, manager of the FA Cup winning side, remained in charge until the summer of 1990 when he was replaced by Ray Harford, who in 1988 had guided Luton Town to victory in the League Cup. In 1990–91, Wimbledon finished an impressive seventh in the First Division, and with the ban on English clubs in European competition now lifted, Wimbledon fans hoped that Harford could guide the club to a European place for the first time ever — Wimbledon could not compete in the 1988–89 European Cup Winners Cup because of the ban on English teams following the 1985 Heysel disaster.

Harford resigned in the autumn of 1991 to be replaced by Peter Withe, who remained in charge until the end of the season but was dismissed having proved highly unpopular with both players and fans. Wimbledon finished high enough in 1991–92 to become founder members of the new Premier League, and Joe Kinnear was appointed manager at the start of 1992–93. Wimbledon continued their strong form under Kinnear – the club's best seasons were 1993–94, 1994–95 and 1996–97, when Kinnear guided the club to respective sixth, ninth and eighth place finishes - during these seasons they often finished above bigger clubs like Arsenal, Tottenham, Everton and Liverpool. There were many quality players in the side, such as Robbie Earle, Vinnie Jones,Dean Holdsworth, Warren Barton, Ben Thatcher and Oyvind Leonhardsen. Wimbledon came close to domestic trophy success in 1996–97, when they reached the semi finals of the FA Cup and League Cup, knocking out the holders of each Cup on the way and losing to the eventual winners in both competitions.

At the end of the 1998-99 season, following a heart attack, Joe Kinnear resigned for personal reasons after seven years as Wimbledon manager. In the previous two seasons Wimbledon had finished just above the Premiership relegation zone, and the recent club record £7.5million signing of West Ham United striker John Hartson had done little to address matters. Wimbledon had by now been taken over by a Norwegian consortium led by Kjell Inge Røkke, who appointed Egil Olsen as manager. Olsen had taken the Norwegian national team to the World Cup tournaments of 1994 and 1998, and his new employers were hopeful that he could be a success at Wimbledon too. However, the transition proved to be the beginning of the end for the club.

[edit] Relegation from the Premiership

On the last day of 1999-2000 season, Wimbledon lost to Southampton whilst their nearest league rivals Bradford achieved a surprise win over Liverpool, meaning that the club were finally relegated from the top division of English football after 14 years. Olsen had been dismissed two games earlier, to be replaced by team coach Terry Burton.

Burton remained manager of Wimbledon for two seasons in Division One until he was controversially sacked at the end of 2001–2002 after the club had narrowly missed out on the promotion playoffs two seasons in a row. Notable players on the clubs' books during these years included former Ireland captain Kenny Cunningham, current West Ham Utd captain Nigel Reo-Coker and current Watford midfielder Damien Francis and current Charlton Athletic defender Ben Thatcher. After Burton's dismissal, goalkeeping coach Stuart Murdoch took over as manager.

[edit] Move to Milton Keynes

Wimbledon's comparatively low attendances, and the large number of rival clubs in London, had meant that Wimbledon could not enjoy the high gate receipts received by many other Premiership clubs. With the team homeless after the closure of Plough Lane, throughout the 1990s the club's directors mooted the idea of moving away from London entirely to a more profitable location, much to the anger of the fans. Dublin, Belfast and Cardiff were considered as potential new homes, before the directors settled on Milton Keynes (which had a number of non League Football teams) as the best opportunity.

Such a move (over 60 miles) was unprecedented in English (though not British) football. The club's fans saw the move as akin to the American sports "franchise" system, a concept unknown in English football; the traditional view of a football club is that it is an important part of the community and local fabric, rather than simply a business. Despite the ongoing and highly vehement opposition of the club's fans, and many other clubs' fans who held sympathetic views, on May 28, 2002 the club was given permission by the FA to relocate to Milton Keynes. The affair caused Wimbledon F.C to be nick-named pejoratively as "Franchise F.C."

Many of the club's fans, angered at the move and the removal of their team, founded their own club AFC Wimbledon, in 2002. Despite having to start at the 8th level of the football pyramid, AFC Wimbledon enjoys very sizeable support from former Wimbledon F.C. fans. The club currently plays in the Isthmian League Premier Division, having already achieved two successive promotions in its short history.

2002-03 was Wimbledon F.C.'s last full season at Selhurst Park. With most fans having by now deserted the club in protest, the average attendance at Selhurst Park fell to around the 2000 mark - the majority of these being away fans. Murdoch's team still managed to secure 10th place in Division One, the strike partnership of Neil Shipperley and David Connolly managed a total of almost 50 goals between them. After further delays, they began playing in Milton Keynes early in the following season. However, before the move itself took place (nearly a year after the FA Commission's decision to approve the move on the 28 May 2002), Wimbledon F.C. 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.

2003-04 was a disastrous season for Wimbledon FC. After the move to Milton Keynes, attendances improved only marginally. But, with the Administrator selling off the best players, nothing could disguise poor league form which saw the club relegated in bottom place after 33 defeats - the joint second record for the most league defeats in English football history. Only Doncaster (34 defeats) have lost more games in a league season (when they were relegated to the Conference in 1998).

After the end of the season, the owners of Wimbledon F.C finally cut all existing ties to the team's original home town, renaming them the Milton Keynes Dons.

For the club's subsequent history, please see Milton Keynes Dons F.C. For continuing football in Wimbledon, see AFC Wimbledon.

[edit] Honours

[edit] Grounds

[edit] League history

1919-1921 Athenian League
1921-1964 Isthmian League
1964-1965 Southern League First Division
1965-1977 Southern League Premier Division (old First division renamed)
1977-1979 Football League Fourth Division
1979-1980 Football League Third Division
1980-1981 Football League Fourth Division
1981-1982 Football League Third Division
1982-1983 Football League Fourth Division
1983-1984 Football League Third Division
1984-1986 Football League Second Division
1986-1992 Football League First Division
1992-2000 FA Premier League (founder members)
2000-2003 Football League First Division

[edit] Managers in the Football League

  • Allen Batsford (1977-78) - Wimbledon's first manager in the Football League, having previously won the Southern League three seasons in a row with the Dons and an FA Amateur cup with Walton & Hersham
  • Dario Gradi (1978-81) - Guided Wimbledon to their first promotion, from the old Fourth Division. Gradi was formerly assistant manager to Allen Batsford
  • Dave Bassett (1981-87) - Previously Wimbledon's captain and then Dario Gradi's assistant, Bassett was arguably the club's must successful manager during their time as a Football League club, guiding the club to promotions from the old Fourth Division to the First within five years
  • Ray Harford (1990-91) - Took Wimbledon to seventh place in the league in his only season as manager, before leaving to take over as assistant manager at Blackburn Rovers
  • Peter Withe (1991) - Managed the Dons for just 105 days in the club's first season at Selhurst Park
  • Joe Kinnear (1992-99) - Formerly assistant manager at Wimbledon, took the club to their highest Premiership finish in 6th place, as well as reaching both the FA Cup and League Cup cup semi-finals in 1997
  • Egil Olsen (1999-2000) - Managed Wimbledon for most of their final Premiership season, though differences between the management and players lead to the side being relegated in 2000
  • Terry Burton (2000-2002) - Took charge of Wimbledon for the last two matches of their final Premiership campaign and then the following two seasons in the First Division, only just missing out on the playoffs on both occasions
  • Stuart Murdoch (2002-2004) - Formerly Wimbledon's goalkeeping coach, Murdoch managed the club during their final two seasons as Wimbledon F.C. and their first few months as Milton Keynes Dons F.C.

[edit] Famous players

  • Flag of England Johnny Haynes - Played for Wimbledon in the Isthmian League as a schoolboy before signing proffessionally for Fulham F.C. in 1952.
  • Flag of England Neal Ardley - Played as a right-sided midfielder during the 1990s and early 2000s, earning caps for the England U-21 side
  • Flag of England Warren Barton - Signed from Maidstone United in 1991 and became England's most expensive defender on his £4million move to Newcastle United in 1995
  • Flag of England Dave Beasant - Captain and goalkeeper in the 1988 F.A Cup triumph, played in all four Football League divisions with the club
  • Flag of England Alan Cork - Wimbledon's record scorer with 145 goals between 1977 and 1992, also collected an F.A Cup winner's medal in 1988
  • Flag of England Carl Cort - Young striker who debuted for the club in 1997 and was later sold to Newcastle United for £7million
  • Flag of Republic of Ireland Kenny Cunningham - Signed from Millwall in 1994 and became a regular Republic of Ireland international, later captaining the side
  • Flag of England Laurie Cunningham †- England international and former Real Madrid winger
  • Flag of England Keith Curle - Played for Wimbledon between 1988 and 1991 before a move to Manchester City
  • Flag of Jamaica Robbie Earle - Midfielder signed from Port Vale in 1991 who spent nearly a decade with the club, becoming captain, before a ruptured pancreas ended his playing career. Captained and scored for Jamaica in their 1998 World Cup campaign
  • Flag of Nigeria Efan Ekoku - Nigerian striker signed from Norwich in 1994, remained with the club until 1999, when he moved to Swiss side Grasshoppers
  • Flag of England John Fashanu - Striker signed in 1986 who played in the 1988 F.A Cup triumph and remained at Wimbledon until 1994. Became the club's first full England international in a 0-0 draw with Chile in May 1989
  • Flag of Jamaica Marcus Gayle - Attacking midfielder who was on Wimbledon's books between 1994 and 2001. Best remembered for his winning goal against Manchester United in the FA Cup in 1997
  • Flag of England Dickie Guy - Popular goalkeeper who played every game of non-league Wimbledon's 1975-76 FA Cup run, saving Peter Lorimer's penalty for Leeds in a Fourth Round 0-0 draw. Now club president of AFC Wimbledon
  • Flag of Wales John Hartson - Welsh striker who cost a club of record £7.5 million from West Ham United in 1999
  • Flag of Wales Glyn Hodges - Became the first full international to play for Wimbledon in 1984, earning appearances for Wales
  • Flag of Iceland Hermann Hreiðarsson - Icelandic international played for Wimbledon in the Premiership
  • Flag of Northern Ireland Michael Hughes - Played for Wimbledon during their final two seasons as a Premiership club. Northern Ireland international
  • Flag of Wales Vinnie Jones - Controversial, tough-tackling midfielder who had two spells with Wimbledon - during the first he was an F.A Cup winner
  • Flag of England Roger Joseph - Longstanding Wimbledon defender who also went on to play for AFC Wimbledon
  • Flag of Norway Øyvind Leonhardsen - Norweigian international winger who joined from Rosenborg in 1994. Sold to Liverpool in 1997
  • Flag of England Chris Perry - Talented defender and Wimbledon fan who joined Tottenham in 1998
  • Flag of Republic of Ireland Terry Phelan - Left back in the 1988 F.A Cup triumph
  • Flag of Northern Ireland Lawrie Sanchez - Scored the goal to win Wimbledon promotion to the old First Division in 1986, then scored the only goal in the 1988 F.A Cup final. Northern Ireland international
  • Flag of England John Scales - Helped Wimbledon beat Liverpool in the 1988 F.A Cup final and was transferred to the Merseyside club six years later
  • Flag of Netherlands Hans Segers - Kept goal for Wimbledon between 1988 and 1996
  • Flag of Scotland Neil Sullivan - Wimbledon's regular goalkeeper in their final four Premiership seasons, gaining many international appearances for Scotland in the process
  • Flag of England Flag of Wales Ben Thatcher - £1.5million signing from Milwall who played for Wimbledon in their final four Premiership seasons before being sold to Tottenham Hotspur
  • Flag of England Nigel Winterburn - Helped Wimbledon reach the First Division in 1986. Sold to Arsenal, where he became an England international
  • Flag of England Dennis Wise - Left-winger in Wimbledon's 1988 F.A Cup success. Signed from Southampton
  • Flag of Wales Eric Young - Centre-back in 1988 F.A Cup success
  • Flag of England Ian Holloway - Was Wimbledon's most expensive signing at the time in 1985

[edit] Wimbledon Old Players Association

Currently 87 former Wimbledon FC players and managers have joined the Wimbledon Old Players Association[2], an organisation set up to enable ex-players and managers of Wimbledon (both Wimbledon F.C. and AFC Wimbledon) to get in touch with one another, and keep them in touch with events happening throughout the community. WOPA members include Neal Ardley, Dave Beasant, Efan Ekoku, John Fashanu, Marcus Gayle, Dickie Guy, Roger Joseph, John Scales, Hans Segers, Neil Sullivan and Dennis Wise, among others. WOPA organises the Wimbledon team for the annual Masters football tournament.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

  • Wimbledon at the Football Club History Database

[edit] References

  1. ^ in the light of the Hillsborough disaster
  2. ^ Wimbledon Old Players Association Website
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