AFC Wimbledon going home

[mnb089mnb]

No mention of the elephant in the room as usual.

Good luck. Not sure if there's a good outcome for Ks here. Could be a few years before Wimbledon move, maybe a sensible solution will emerge in that time.

 

[JonnyWomble]

Tonight feels just as good as a promotion, just imagine how it will feel when the grounds actually built!

 

[oakroader]

over ground,under ground wombling free....YAHOO!!!

 

[Sergei from IT]

Good to see it happen at long last.

Good Luck

 

[Bobbin']

Brilliant news.

As a fan of a club who can relate to this, no better feeling in football.

Congratulations lads.

 

[Paddy]

bit quite in here... how did the Merton council meeting go?

*edit*

Ignore. Must. Turn. Page.

 

[iWomble]

No mention of the elephant in the room as usual.

You're not wrong. That Khosla was an absolute bastard.

 

[The Paranoid Pineapple]

Good luck. Not sure if there's a good outcome for Ks here. Could be a few years before Wimbledon move, maybe a sensible solution will emerge in that time.

Thank you. I'm similarly pessimistic (as you might have gathered), not least because our board have already set summer 2017 as a target date for moving. Time doesn't seem to be on our side even though staying at Kingsmeadow until a more permanent solution presents itself very much seems to be the fans favoured option. Time will tell I guess...

 

[Paddy]

http://twohundredpercent.net/?p=28543

Little article that sums things up pretty nicely.

 

[Wombletom]

Excellent follow up piece. Although I expect some Kingstonian fans won't like it.

http://twohundredpercent.net/?p=28564

 

[Paddy]

Excellent follow up piece. Although I expect some Kingstonian fans won't like it.

http://twohundredpercent.net/?p=28564

It's a well written & thought out piece from someone who I don't personally know, but I know his name & that he (like everyone else) wants to see the end of this current mess & for Kingstonian to prosper.

His views, however, are his views & are neither right nor wrong but how he feels on the situation. As he points out in the article it is not a view held by all/most/some. Some of the article I agree with, but some of it I disagree with, like the interpretation that Norbiton isn't Kingston. Well, it is as all addresses in Norbiton state 'Kingston upon Thames' in them.

The article I posted, of which this one is a follow up too, is probably more in tune with how the majority of the K's fan base feel about this no-win situation (well, no-win for us... you & Chelsea did alright out of it).

I'm not as anti-AFCW as I come across, I am just pro-Kingstonian, massively. I have a couple of Womble supporting friends, one that actually hold the same views as I do regarding the situation but ultimately understands, as I do, you did what you had to do for you.

For me, personally, I will stand by my club & support them wherever they end up but the importance of Kingstonian playing in Kingston upon Thames (or the suburb of Norbiton which is part of Kingston upon Thames) is as important as AFC Wimbledon playing in Wimbledon, something I'm certain you can't disagree with.

 

[Wombletom]

Paddy...I'm sure you're well aware of my views on the whole situation.
I was always firmly in the camp of hoping we'd be able to 'give' the ground back to Kingstonian. Or at least allow you to play there alongside our reserves.

But things don't always pan out the way we want them.

 

[Slow Train to Anfield]

Paddy - great post which should have ended a paragraph earlier.

 

[Paddy]

Paddy - great post which should have ended a paragraph earlier.

Having read back... the 80 miles away comment probably undermines my post, so I've removed it. Apologies... it's in my nature to be a passive aggressive ball bag sometimes

 

[The Paranoid Pineapple]

Interesting to get a different perspective from our side of the fence, but I feel it's a rather flawed article.

I find some of the criticism of the Ks fans rather strange. I can accept the suggestion that the supporters haven't always been the most organised bunch, something that has made it difficult to get a coherent message across, but it's very difficult to know how they should have responded to this crisis. When the board (who come in for a surprising lack of criticism) have already announced their intentions without consulting the fans, it doesn't really leave supporters with much room to operate. I'm also not sure how much your average Joe can realistically be expected to know all about the intricacies of the arrangement between Ks and Wimbledon so I don't much care for the condescending tone he adopts towards those that "erroneously claimed the freehold was being sold" and those who "had surprising difficulty with the Kingsmeadow lease obligation".

I don't think many would agree with his views on Kingsmeadow. Despite it not having always been our home, a number of fans will have known no other (I was four years old when Ks moved from Richmond Road).
I particularly disagree with the below passage:

More disturbing is the opposition to taking Kingstonian out of the town. Reaction to Ks rumoured potential move to South Chessington (near the railway station serving Chessington’s World of Adventures) has led to a belief that Wimbledon’s move to their home borough resulting in Kingstonian having to leave theirs. But while Chessington is at the very south of the borough (in the phallic looking sticky-out bit of south-west London) it is within it and only three miles from Kingston town. One fan, clearly unaware that I live in Hook, in the Chessington postal district, said he wouldn’t watch Ks in Chessington, which was especially odd as Ks don’t currently play in Kingston town (NORBITON Sports Ground, remember?).

Chessington’s status as an unwanted location (hinted at in fan Jamie Cutteridge’s well-written, if flawed, article in the latest When Saturday Comes) is predicated on Ks being the town’s club, not the borough’s. The many Hook and Chessington-based Ks fans would object to that concept.

Why is this "disturbing"? I grew up, spent my childhood, in the town of Kingston. I feel absolutely no connection whatsoever to Chessington. I can count on one hand the number of times I've been there (in essence a few trips to the World of Adventures and that occasion when I drunkenly fell asleep on a nightbus). Chessington's status as an unwanted location is predicated on Ks being the town's club not the borough's because Kingstonian IS the town's club. The Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames wasn't in existence when Kingstonian came into being - places like Ham, Teddington, Hampton Wick, all of which fall outside that arbitrary line on a map which marks the borough's edge, are much closer to Kingstonian's traditional home than sodding Chessington. If the idea that it doesn't matter where we are so long as we're in the borough seems baffling to me, the line about Norbiton seems plain disingenuous. It's a bloody suburb of Kingston within walking distance from the town centre. Not remotely the same thing.

But I believe Wimbledon have given Ks the opportunity of a future by the way in which they have framed the Kingsmeadow sale.

A very charitable interpretation. "We're giving you a splendid opportunity to find a new home (but in order to do so will deprive you of your perfectly good existing one)!" Can't think of anything that might go wrong...

 

[LadyWomble]

I find some of the criticism of the Ks fans rather strange. I can accept the suggestion that the supporters haven't always been the most organised bunch, something that has made it difficult to get a coherent message across, but it's very difficult to know how they should have responded to this crisis. When the board (who come in for a surprising lack of criticism) have already announced their intentions without consulting the fans, it doesn't really leave supporters with much room to operate.

Don't want to labour the point and apologies if I've raised it before but we - in the form of Dons Trust board members - talked on numerous occasions to members of various Ks fan groups in addition to umpteen meetings with your owners. Not sure which fan groups or who specifically and I've heard feedback wasn't communicated to vanilla Ks fans. That latter point could just be malicious bull of course. At the risk of stating the bleeding obvious and hopefully not being patronising, one unified Ks group to represent the fans is surely desirable in dealing with your current board, Kingston Council, etc.

 

[mnb089mnb]

I think this situation is a lot more complex than Wimbledon shafting Ks, or Ks fans being disorganised. Much more.

However, I do think that Wimbledon now need to be looked at as "just another club". They're not special, part from in the eyes of their own support, but we all think our club is special, don't we?

Wimbledon are just another club. They're no more principled than Dagenham and Redbridge, or even MK Dons these days. Nowt wrong with that particularly, as that's how most football clubs are run.

 

[Kiwi Womble]

We'll just keep the addition funds being offered, K's can fend for them selves like any other club? Why are we responsible for K's ? Hell, if this is how it's works I want someone to give me a free football ground! Not only is there no thanks for the free money, we're getting blasted for not giving more! Makes me think this club is supported solely by gen y ers expected everything to be given to them

 

[The Paranoid Pineapple]

You do realise we didn't make any money from the sale of a ground that you're now flogging to an oligarch, right? Just checking...

 

[Kiwi Womble]

But how is that our fault? You are now getting funds you have no entitlement too but it's not good enough. We did what we could at the time which was to keep you on as tenants for a very small fee. Do you realise how ungrateful and entitled you make your whole club sound? Nothing is good enough for you

Question, how many grants have been applied for or fund raising events have you had over the last 13 years so you could buy back kingsmeadow?

Just listening to you has changed me from "we can't do anything that screws K's" to close to not giving a damn

 

[mnb089mnb]

Some of these arguments get dangerously close to what people were saying when Wimbledon moved to MK btw.

 

[Kiwi Womble]

what i'm saying is we're trying to give K's the helping hand we weren't, but it just doesn't seem like that's enough.

I've had my vent, i wish K's all the best and hope we can keep some relationship going, like the annual friendly. I always thought of K's as a sister club, screwed over by their owner like we were and we needed each other, right place right time, just really disappointed to hear thats not the case

 

[Wombletom]

My take on the mater is....
It's always been the stated aim of AFC Wimbledon to return to Merton, the spiritual home of the old Wimbledon FC. Surely Kingstonian knew the day would come, they've had 13 years to prepare for this. Why leave everything to the last minute?
What have they been doing for the last 13 years, in preparation for this day?

 

[The Paranoid Pineapple]

But how is that our fault? You are now getting funds you have no entitlement too but it's not good enough. We did what we could at the time which was to keep you on as tenants for a very small fee. Do you realise how ungrateful and entitled you make your whole club sound? Nothing is good enough for you

Question, how many grants have been applied for or fund raising events have you had over the last 13 years so you could buy back kingsmeadow?

Just listening to you has changed me from "we can't do anything that screws K's" to close to not giving a damn

Here we go again. The expectation of gratitude, when you've done extremely well out of what was a really shitty situation for Ks, is downright weird. I don't have a particular axe to grind against Wimbledon, I'm happy if you get to move back to Plough Lane, but that, I'm afraid, is not my primary consideration. My sole concern is that Ks continue to exist and have somewhere, ideally in the town, that they can call home. Some Wimbledon fans think they have a moral obligation to ensure that's the case. I'm sorry if you're not one of them.

PS I don't think you can be that invested in the future of Ks if my ramblings on an internet forum are enough to shape your view of the whole club (not even sure what's prompted this, no one said a thing about Wimbledon not giving Ks enough money).

 

[Kiwi Womble]

Just to be clear, you believe the status quo should continue and is the fairest option for all involved?

 

[womble76]

http://twohundredpercent.net/?p=28543 two very good articles on this site. This link takes you to the most recent one. Its done by the old head of the K's trust. I don't think many K's fans on here would agree with it but its interesting reading.

 

[Paddy]

I think it's fair enough for K's fans to not be all smiles & sunshines in this situation, Kiwi. We've lost our home, which may not have been 'our home' since 2002 but was still our home, our board have (stupidly) announced they don't want to be there & a move is the best thing for the club without consulting the fans (sound familiar?) & there's no concrete plan in place, or even a less solid plan, to speak of.

I'm sure you were angry & upset when you moved out of Plough Lane, or when the FA Commission accepted the move to MK. It's only natural for people to lay blame where they can. Unfortunately for yourselfs you are part of the situation, so partly to blame (along with Chelsea, our board & our small fan base for not being more proactive) even if it is not your fault & you are doing the 'right thing' by us with a donation.

& as a side note, if PP's posts are enough to turn you off K's, one could only imagine what your post itself is doing to turn people off AFCW.

 

[Meadow]

I think it's fair enough for K's fans to not be all smiles & sunshines in this situation, Kiwi. We've lost our home, which may not have been 'our home' since 2002 but was still our home, our board have (stupidly) announced they don't want to be there & a move is the best thing for the club without consulting the fans (sound familiar?) & there's no concrete plan in place, or even a less solid plan, to speak of.

I'm sure you were angry & upset when you moved out of Plough Lane, or when the FA Commission accepted the move to MK. It's only natural for people to lay blame where they can. Unfortunately for yourselfs you are part of the situation, so partly to blame (along with Chelsea, our board & our small fan base for not being more proactive) even if it is not your fault & you are doing the 'right thing' by us with a donation.

& as a side note, if PP's posts are enough to turn you off K's, one could only imagine what your post itself is doing to turn people off AFCW.

I can't disagree with that. I thought we'd keep hold of KM for our ressies and youth, not realising how much we'd need to raise to build the new stadium. I do feel guilty about voting for the sale, but my club comes first. Making a 'substantial donation' is right thing to do, despite the sour grapes from some our cyber warriors.

 

[Paddy]

I can't disagree with that. I thought we'd keep hold of KM for our ressies and youth, not realising how much we'd need to raise to build the new stadium. I do feel guilty about voting for the sale, but my club comes first. Making a 'substantial donation' is right thing to do, despite the sour grapes from some our cyber warriors.

You & Tom are pretty much the reason why I'm posting on this thread using my head & not my heart on the subject since about half way through last page.

 

[iWomble]

But how is that our fault? You are now getting funds you have no entitlement too but it's not good enough. We did what we could at the time which was to keep you on as tenants for a very small fee. Do you realise how ungrateful and entitled you make your whole club sound? Nothing is good enough for you

Question, how many grants have been applied for or fund raising events have you had over the last 13 years so you could buy back kingsmeadow?

Just listening to you has changed me from "we can't do anything that screws K's" to close to not giving a damn