London: Wimbledon seek support to return home

source: StadiumDB.com; author: michał

London: Wimbledon seek support to return home This club is a great example that football isn't just about business. Reborn thanks to supporters it went up five leagues and needs a larger stadium. As there's a chance to take over their historical home, AFC Wimbledon campaign for support.

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The famous FC Wimbledon was among Premier League sides and fighting for the FA Cup back in 1990s, but was destroyed not long after that. Reborn with the effort of loyal fanbase it began from the very bottom, in 9th league. 11 years on they're still a community-ran club and got back to the top four divisions and need to grow.

The club enjoys significant turnouts even though they play outside of London, in Kingston-upon-Thames. Their Kingsmeadow ground doesn't even hold 5,000 people with its very modest stands, but despite the distance (a few km from the old home) and conditions average crowds are constantly in excess of 4,000 per game. Kingsmeadow hasn't got more potential, but the Merton district council in London opened a “call for sites” regarding Wimbledon's old stadium at Plough Lane.

Interested entities are to express interest in taking over the run-down site and AFC Wimbledon showed their idea of building their new stadium at the historical site. Now analysis is being done to determine whether such development is possible and its outcome is expected in spring of 2014.

Bring the Dons Home

Expecting the project to be viable AFC will still have to compete with other parties to retake what used to be theirs. To have a greater starting position a campaign has been launched to “Bring the Dons Home”. Within days it gathered almost 4,000 support 'clicks' and the number is growing steadily.

Clicking the link or banner above you may take part in the campaign and read more about it. In short, the aim is to build a new stadium for 11,000 people initially and 20,000 in the end, when demand increase comes. Financing is to come from the fan community that re-established the club, from naming rights contract and the support of Galliard Homes, a developer partnering Wimbledon and hoping to build up to 600 homes as part of the wider neighbourhood regeneration .

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