AFC Wimbledon

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AFC Wimbledon is a semi-professional English football team representing the area of Wimbledon and London Borough of Merton in London, though they currently play their games in nearby Kingston upon Thames. They spent their first seasons in the Premier Division of the Seagrave Haulage Combined Counties League but are to be promoted to the Isthmian League First Division for the 2004/2005 season after winning the CCL championship with seven games left to play with a 0-3 away victory at Walton Casuals on April 13, 2004. On April 30, 2004 they completed a "Double" by winning the CCL's Premier Challenge Cup; on May 8, they completed an undefeated season in league competition (42 wins and 4 draws).

The club was founded in 2002 when The Football Association allowed the owners of what was then Wimbledon F.C to relocate to the town of Milton Keynes on the far side of Buckinghamshire. Although the old team was unable to move for more than a year, their traditional local support dried up almost immediately. The Wombles mascot and Wimbledon heraldic badge were denied to them. Finally, in 2004, Wimbledon F.C. renamed themselves Milton Keynes Dons, leaving AFC Wimbledon the sole bearer of the 'Wimbledon' name.

All organized supporters' groups that had followed the old club switched allegiance to AFC Wimbledon, and the club has consistently drawn greater attendances, playing in a small regional league, than the old club, playing much better-known and better-supported opposition in the First Division of the Football League. Supporters of other clubs around the country have generally united in a boycott of Wimbledon F.C. (often mocked as "Franchise F.C.") in a protest against the club's relocation which is perceived as a move totally alien to the traditions of the English game.

In their first competitive season AFC Wimbledon started slowly, but won their last 11 league games to finish the season in third place, narrowly missing promotion to the Ryman Isthmian League. In their second, they were unbeaten, winning 42 games and drawing four. They won their first 21 league games before a draw on 10 January 2004, giving them 32 consecutive wins in league games over two seasons. By this time, AFC Wimbledon was the only club in England at any level to maintain a perfect league record for the current season, and all others not to have lost had drawn more times. A 2-1 victory over second-place AFC Wallingford on May 8 2004, which completed the Dons' undefeated season, was their 62nd consecutive unbeaten league game over two seasons. Withdean 2000, 2002/2003 CCL champions, delivered AFC Wimbledon's last league defeat on Saturday 22 February 2003.

Controlled by the Dons Trust, a supporters' group, AFC Wimbledon launched a share issue in 2003 to finance the acquisition of the Kingsmeadow ground, which they intend to operate as "The Fans' Stadium". The club hopes to play there until they can obtain a ground in Wimbledon proper, where no "Wimbledon" team has played since the closure of Wimbledon F.C.'s Plough Lane ground in 1991.

AFC Wimbledon is also affiliated with the former Wimbledon F.C. women's team. AFC Wimbledon Ladies play in the regionalized second level of the English women's football pyramid. The Wimbledon women refused to move to Milton Keynes with the men, and changed their affiliation to AFC Wimbledon following the 2002-03 season.

The "AFC" in the club's name stands for "Association Football Club", the normal meaning for this abbreviation in a football context. However, the alternate meaning "A Fan's Club" is promoted to memorialize the intent of the Wimbledon supporters who formed the club.

Their main sponsors are Sports Interactive, the former developers of Championship Manager and now developers of Football Manager.

Table of contents

1 External links

1.1 Official sites
1.2 Unofficial sites