Who Are Ya? - AFC Wimbledon (#3)

Thank you to AFC Wimbledon supporter Mark for answering these questions!

Thank you to AFC Wimbledon supporter Mark (from 9yrspodcast) for answering these questions!

How Long Have You Supported AFC Wimbledon?

I’ve supported AFC Wimbledon since inception(2001). I was a Wimbledon FC fan since ’95. I’ve only been attending games at AFC Wimbledon for 4 years as I used to live in Berlin and couldn’t easily attend games.

Last Season’s League Finish?

We finished 15th in our inaugural season in League 1.

What Do You Think Of Your Manager?

Neal Ardley is Wimbledon through and through. He played for Wimbledon FC back in the 90’s. This is his first managerial role and to be in the job for almost 5 years is no mean feat. He kept us in the professional leagues in his first season and slowly built from there on in. I have nothing but respect for him.

Hopes/Expectations This Season?

To avoid relegation. We have hit quite the slump since March last year. Our stats don’t lie: we are awful going forward at the moment. However we are solid defensively.

One(s) To Watch?

George Long in goal. On loan from Sheffield United. A superb shot stopper. Harry Forrester on loan from Rangers, if employed in the right position in the correct formation is clearly a Championship quality player. Lyle Taylor is the fan’s favourite striker: he will run his legs into the ground every match.

Top Six Predictions?

As of writing and in no particular order: Bradford, Scunthorpe, Fleetwood, Blackburn, Shrewsbury & Wigan.

Bottom Four Predictions?

Milton Keynes, Gillingham, Oldham & Plymouth.

Thoughts on Lincoln City?

Huge respect for you lot. How you’ve turned the club around since being in non-league and THAT FA Cup run last season shows that with the right management and passion, anything is possible.

Score Prediction?

A single goal will settle it.

Random Fact About Your Club?

Theresa May is apparently an AFC Wimbledon fan. (I shudder at that).

What are your proudest and most embarrassing moments as an AFC Wimbledon Supporter?

Proudest: reformation after having a club being taken away from us and it only taking 9 years to get promotion from the lowest league into the professional leagues again.

Embarrassing: having to accommodate Milton Keynes when they visit.

Do you have a Supporters Trust and what role do they play at the Club?

Our club is owned by the Supporters Trust. This was put in place to ensure that no sugar daddy can ever buy the club and move us away (again). All information can be found under http://thedonstrust.org/.

Which was your favourite match involving AFC Wimbledon?

A toss-up between promotion at Wembley versus Plymouth or our 2-0 win against them last season.

Which was your least favourite match involving AFC Wimbledon?

Most recently, our last 8 matches with the exception of our victory against Rotherham have been my least favourite. Wimbledon prides itself on being in the face of opposition & having a go. If we lose 4-0 but put in an effort, then most fans will be able to at least say, “Oh well, at least we tried.” At the moment this isn’t the case.

Uncle Bulgaria: centre-forward, or better on the wing?

I think he’d be better on the wing cleaning up the trash that fans leave behind. But our mascot Haydon the Womble would give him a run for his money.

Do you feel like the old Wimbledon, or are you always conscious of it being a new club?

I can’t consider AFC Wimbledon to be the ‘old’ Wimbledon. We had to start again and we did. Credit given to those behind the scenes to start it all off, ergo we are a new club.

Where are you with the new stadium plans?

We are waiting for the Section 106 plans to be signed off by all parties. Once this is done the greyhound stadium can be turned to dust. And that can’t happen soon enough. We’re hoping to be in and playing football back in Plough Lane by 2019/20. How good does that sound? It’s only been 26 years since Wimbledon has played football in Wimbledon.

Who Are Ya? – AFC Wimbledon (#1)

Who Are Ya? – AFC Wimbledon (#2)