AFC Wimbledon

[adamrobertk]

Just checking out some football sites [url]www.afcwimbledon.co.uk[/url] The story of AFC Wimbledon In the summer of 2002, an FA Commission granted permission for a group of businessmen to relocate Wimbledon FC Ltd to Milton Keynes, 70 miles from its history, home and community. Initially devastated at the loss of their club, within a matter of weeks the supporters took a fresh approach by creating their own team. Backed by the Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association (WISA) and the Dons Trust, AFC Wimbledon was born. Just six weeks later, having obtained a ground, senior status and many hundreds of season ticket applications, the Dons played their first friendly on Wednesday 10th July against Sutton United at Gander Green Lane, in front of a staggering crowd of over 4,500. By then the Dons had already been elected into the Combined Counties League and had appointed former Dons full-back Terry Eames as manager. The opening day of the season saw the CCL's attendance record smashed as 2,449 people squeezed into Sandhurst Town's Bottom Meadow ground to see the Dons celebrate their first competitive game with a 2-1 win thanks to goals by Kevin Cooper and Keith Ward. Days later, the "house full" signs were hung out at Kingsmeadow, but the first home game ended in disappointment for the bumper crowd as Chipstead won 2-1. It was early inconsistency as the new squad settled which ultimately cost the Dons promotion in that inaugural season as, despite an impressive late unbeaten run, they ended up finishing third behind eventual champions Withdean 2000 and AFC Wallingford, amassing a total of 111 points. But 2003-04 was a different story. It wasn�t until January that the Dons dropped any league points, by which stage they were already well clear of AFC Wallingford and odds-on for promotion and the Combined Counties League title. By the end of the season, the biggest question was whether the players would manage to go through the entire season unbeaten. The answer was an emphatic yes as they finished with 42 games won and just four drawn, chalking up a record 130 points and a staggering goal difference of +148. And, to complete a fantastic Combined Counties League double, the Dons also lifted the Premier Challenge Cup, coming from behind to beat North Greenford United 4-1 at a packed Woking stadium. The summer of 2004 saw the Dons back in the Isthmian League for the first time since 1964. If the future holds half as much adventure as those 40 years of absence did, the Dons could be all set for another amazing journey and FC United [url]http://www.fc-utd.co.uk/mission/manifesto.php[/url] Football Club United of Manchester The Manifesto: Who We Are and What We Mean FC United of Manchester is a new football club founded by disaffected and disenfranchised Manchester United supporters. Our aim is to create a sustainable club for the long term which is owned and democratically run by its members, which is accessible to all the communities of Manchester and one in which they can participate fully. Although driven by very different circumstances, FC United of Manchester takes as its inspiration a number of supporters’ groups who have gone down this route, including AFC Wimbledon, who have offered unstinting support. FC United of Manchester is intended to create a football club which addresses the concerns which many Manchester United fans have had over the last decade or more with how the club and football have developed, culminating in the club’s takeover by Malcolm Glazer. We will follow the best traditions of Manchester United’s past by developing policies which encourage youth participation in terms of both playing and supporting. FC United of Manchester will be formed as a member-owned, democratic, and non-profit making entity on the Industrial and Provident Society company model. The EGM will focus on the election of a board of directors by the members, and the direction of the club over the coming season. We have ambitious and long term plans. Above all we want to be seen as a good example of how a club can be run in the interests of its members and be of benefit to its local communities. However, we are a new club and will require patience in order to reach our goals. With the help of all our members and supporters we are confident we can achieve them. Seven core principles of how the club will operate are set out below, and once agreed by the membership, will be protected by all elected Board members: The Board will be democratically elected by its members. Decisions taken by the membership will be decided on a one member, one vote basis. The club will develop strong links with the local community and strive to be accessible to all, discriminating against none. The club will endeavour to make admission prices as affordable as possible, to as wide a constituency as possible. The club will encourage young, local participation - playing and supporting - whenever possible. The Board will strive wherever possible to avoid outright commercialism. The club will remain a non-profit organisation. only in europe. Pledge ur support to these teams