Milton Keynes Dons F.C.

Milton Keynes Dons F.C. is a football club in Milton Keynes, England. As of the 2006–07 season, it plays 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 legally the continuation of Wimbledon F.C., but most of that club's original fans no longer support it, having instead founded their own club, AFC Wimbledon, in south-west London, which they regard as the legitimate successor to Wimbledon F.C.

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 already had a football team, Milton Keynes City, who were playing in the Spartan South Midlands League, the eighth level of English football.

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 franchised 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, 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.

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.

Supporters club recognition

On 5 June 2005, at the 2005 Fans Parliament^*, the MK Dons Supporters Club was again refused membership of the national Football Supporters' Federation (FSF), by 98 votes to 44. However, an informal indication was given that the FSF might be less hostile (though not necessarily favourable) if two conditions were met — although meeting them is not within the MK supporters' power, they might be able to influence the Board:

The history and honours of Wimbledon FC are returned to the community of Wimbledon and/or AFC Wimbledon (as per the amended motion approved by the Fans Parliament). This includes all honours won by the club before the 28th May 2002.

The Football Association amend their rules to prohibit clubs being moved out of their natural Community.

Only one of the Football League's six new rules would explicitly oppose similar relocation of another club.

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 an (initially) 22,000 seat outdoor stadium 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^* 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.

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.

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). They will also be joined in League Two by also-relegated Swindon Town. These two teams will become the first former Premiership sides to drop into the lowest tier of the Football League. Danny Wilson was sacked just after the end of the season and was replaced by Martin Allen on 21st June 2006.

Current squad

As of 12 July 2006:

Managers

Stuart Murdoch (2002–2004)
Jimmy Gilligan (2004)
Danny Wilson (2004–2006)
Martin Allen (2006-)

External links

Milton Keynes Dons' official site

Notes

Since 2004/05, the First Division is called the Football League Championship.

''"Conference notes that Milton Keynes Dons FC and their supporters continue to claim the history and honours of Wimbledon Football Club, which were won prior to the transfer of that Club’s league place in May 2002 to Milton Keynes.
''We note the campaign of the Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association to return the honours to their rightful owners, the Community of Wimbledon and/or AFC Wimbledon, and mandate the FSF Council to support this campaign.
We support the position that these honours cannot legitimately be claimed by a town that had no connection with the Club who won them. We further agree that until this matter is resolved no further application by the Milton Keynes Dons Supporters Association will be considered." Proposed by Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association.
Source: MK-News.co.uk, June 2006
With provision to upgrade to 30,000 at a later date. See ^*

English football clubs | Milton Keynes Dons F.C. | Milton Keynes | Planned or proposed stadiums | Sport in Milton Keynes

Milton Keynes Dons F.C. | Milton Keynes Dons Football Club | 밀턴 케인스 던스 FC | Milton Keynes Dons FC | Wimbledon F.C.

Gourt Home::Gourt :: Milton Keynes Dons F.C.