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11/9/05 SA Statement regarding WFC’s trophies and the proposed statue
In June 2005 the MKDSA balloted our members, via a form included with their renewed membership cards, on the subject of Wimbledon FC’s trophies. The question posed was as follows:
"The trophies won by Wimbledon FC prior to the move to Milton Keynes are presently not on display. Would you consider it better to have them on permanent display in a neutral venue such as the National Football Museum so that they can be available for all supporters, both old and new, to view?"
Members were reminded to vote on this and several other subjects in the August edition of our newsletter. The result of this ballot is that 92% of those that voted agreed that the trophies should be moved to a neutral venue. A letter to this effect has been sent to the football club and we await their response.
In the last few days stories have been circulating in the media regarding placing a statue at the new stadium in Denbigh depicting a scene from Wimbledon FC’s past. As a committee we feel that it is at odds with the various decisions made by the club to change the clubs name, badge and traditional playing colours and our members democratic wish for the trophies won in the past to be moved to a neutral venue. We note that the club failed to engage the supporters’ on the name change and we have already written to them urging them to actively consult the supporters’ this time with regard to the wisdom of using Wimbledon FC’s iconic images for the proposed statue.
Moo!
The all new Moo! magazine is out on Monday and the
revamped official club publication has been ‘beefed
up’ to 32 pages and it has some corking features plus
some great pictures on the Dons players.
Ben Chorley gives his personal thoughts to the Dons
start to the season, Dean Lewington is under the
spotlight and there’s a special tribute to Izale
McLeod.
The Dons top stadium announcer and FM103 Horizon radio
presenter Trevor Marshall reveals his fantasy side.
Club historian Reg Davies takes a look back to the
days of Brylcream and for the girls there’s a superb
pull out poster of the dreamboat Dons legend Ben
Harding.
For those longing for the scribes of Scribbo, MOO! has
secured his services and he’s just as surreal as ever.
New boy on the block Simon Elvin reflects on that goal
in that game and also looks at some other classic late
goals in football folklore.
Proving Moo! is sensitive, top bird Sammy Jones, the
legendary Citizen reporter graces MOO! with a superb
insight as to how and why Football is the new Rock n
Roll.
Add the likes of the Supporters’ Association’s
excellent feature on its endeavours to set up an MK Dons
Trust; away day updates, plus the much-loved MOO!
regulars Little Jon and Mark Randle and you know it
makes sense to grab a copy.
Don’t milk it – Moo! it - grab a copy this Monday,
priced at £1 and remember it’s free to ALL season
ticket holders.
MKDSA member Geoff Twilley escorted a large group of French students to the first reserve match of the season. Geoff is the Area Co Ordinator for Euro Culture, and besides the job of finding host families for students, he also helps organise outings like todays. “Usually we would do something like visit the cinema” said Geoff, “but seeing that the reserve matches are now played on a Tuesday afternoon, it seemed like an ideal outing for the students” The 22 French students, together with supervisors and friends, certainly enjoyed their afternoon, and were quickly smitten with their fellow countryman. Julien Hornuss. Much to their delight they saw him put in an excellent performance, scoring 2 goals in the 4 – 1 win over visiting Barnet. Julien was happy to pose with the students for photos, and has probably never signed so many autographs at a reserve match before! Well done Geoff, and Euro Culture, for giving these youngsters the opportunity to watch MKDons, lets hope we see many more visiting this season.
01/07/05
A season of expectation, excitement and opportunity is about to begin for the young players at
Milton Keynes Dons Academy, as MKDSA discovered when talking to Academy Director, Mike Dove today.
Mike, who first met Pete Winkelman 8 years ago at a coaching course, is impressed by the commitment that Pete has shown to the Academy in spite of the turbulent times the Club has been through. The unwavering determination to maintain Academy status, and to provide the best possible indoor training facilities, has seen fruition in the recent erection of the Bubble at Woughton. The term Bubble hardly does justice to the facility, and to see it firsthand is a must for all MKDons supporters. It is a remarkably impressive structure and is much larger than you would expect from the photographs available on websites.
Mike was keen to emphasize that the Academy is an important part of the local community which will enable youngsters from the region to develop their skills, and hopefully use this as a stepping stone to further a career in first team football. Having also had experience as Football Development Manager at the Council, Mike is well aware that the potential for involvement with local schools, clubs and youth groups is a valuable asset and is eager for the Academy to be seen as fully accessible to all.
The Academy caters for under9’s to under 18’s age groups, and at present the under 18’s have 15 full time apprentices and additionally two 3rd years. There are individual coaches for each age group and the Academy operates a mentoring system which has proved to be extremely effective.
MKDSA were interested to learn from Mike that there is a close link with the Chairman of MK Referees, and regular visits by referees are made to the Academy to converse with the players. Attention is paid to educating the youngsters in order for them be aware of the reasons why a referee will award a free kick or corner in any particular situation, and gaining an insight into the way officials reach decisions is an important aspect in the development of Academy players.
As part of the commitment to involvement with the Community, the Academy are also active in promoting the Healthy Living campaign, and visits have been made to local schools throughout Milton Keynes to raise awareness of this issue. There is also the possible potential to make the excellent facility at Woughton available to local schools or youth football projects. This would, of course, be structured and organized through the Football in The Community Scheme.
MKDSA are often asked by our members how to apply for Trials with the Academy, and Mike welcomed the chance to explain how this works. Academy staff regularly attends matches at local schools, tournaments, Border Counties Youth and local clubs, and is constantly on the lookout for talented youngsters. Mike’s advice is to get involved with a local club and play regularly. Recommendations from local clubs are received by the Academy, and these are followed up. Any young player may also send in a CV, and these will be looked at, and invitations periodically extended to attend Open Trial Sessions.
Mike is pleased to welcome Adam Sinclair as newly appointed full time Assistant Academy Manager. Adam was previously with Aston Villa and is looking forward to his first season with MKDons. Simon Dwight, Head of Education and Welfare, Rebecca Brown, Chartered Physiotherapist and Mark Trowman, Academy Physiotherapist, together with the many excellent Academy Coaches complete the team.
The Under 18’s kick off their season’s fixtures with a visit to Manchester United, and full details of this and all other fixtures will be available on this website shortly. Asked to sum up his feelings, Mike said “I would invite you all to support the lads, either at matches, or come and have a look at the youngsters on a Sunday. Get involved. The Academy is our future, and the future looks great!”
Sentiments which MKDSA heartily endorse. COME ON YOU (young) MKDONS!
Look out on this website for more articles on the Academy and also the MKDons Centre of Excellence for Girls. Members of MKDSA will also have the opportunity to have their questions answered by Mike Dove, details will appear in our first member’s newsletter. MKDSA would like to thank Mike Dove for his time and look forward to bringing our members more information throughout the season.
24/06/05 Bubble Components have arrived.
12/6/05
158 Grounds in a week
On the 10th June 2005, two men set out to attempt to travel to 158 football grounds in the space of one (metric) week.
The Grounds....
Starting at Stafford Rangers' Marston Road ground on the 10th the tour will visit all 92 Premiership/Football League grounds plus all of the Nationwide Conference grounds plus all of the grounds that make up the conference's two feeder leagues (conference north and south).
The Reasons....
To support charity, STRIPES (the Stafford Rangers Independent Supporters Trust, which raises funds to assist the survival of Conference North club Stafford Rangers, MIND a charity that works to provide a better life for everyone with experience of mental distress and Macmillan cancer relief. It is hoped that through charitable donations they will be able to provide a significant donation to all three causes.
What it means to us
The lads arrive in Milton Keynes on the 14th and the Supporters Association are delighted that they have managed to secure over night accommodation provided free of charge by the Holiday Inn Express, Milton Keynes. Their arrival is fortuitous as Lee Scriven’s book is being released at the stadium that evening and the lads will be there to assist those attending in having lighter pockets (donations to these good causes will be most welcome). Lee has also agreed to give them a copy of his book signed by Danny Wilson and Pete Winkelman to use as they wish to raise money for the causes.
158 Ground Website
5/5/05
Book Launch for MK Dons Year Book 2004/2005
It’s Been Emotional
Tuesday 14 June: 6pm-8pm
National Hockey Stadium
The eagerly awaited MK Dons Year Book aptly named
‘It’s Been Emotional’ will be launched by Club Chairman
Pete Winkelman, Manager Danny Wilson and author Lee
Scriven at the National Hockey Stadium on Tuesday 14
June @ 6pm.
The book re-tells the fairy tale season where the
Dons, were just six minutes away from relegation
before scoring a sensational goal to pull off the
great escape and avoid the perils of relegation.
Lee Scriven’s book written in a diary style is aptly
named as it is an emotional rollercoaster ride through
the trials and tribulations of following football in
the 21st Century.
Every player, every goal, every ground, town and city
and even every pie is recorded in his unique style as
Lee travelled the length and breath of the county to
watch the Dons exploits.
As a result, It’s Been Emotional is not just a book on
football; through Lee’s experiences it provides a
definitive description on the culture of the game
outside the Premiership.
Lee Scriven said, ”I wanted to produce a year-book
that wasn’t just full of boring statistics and banal
one sided match reports. I really wanted to try and
capture the passion, frustrations and emotions
involved. As it turned out, it was a very emotional
year and I do believe the book reflects the season.”
With over 500 advance orders of a very limited print
run It’s Been Emotional looks set to become a real
collectors item, so hurry and grab one while you can.
The book launch is by invitation only - all MKDSA members will be sent an invite in the post in the next week.
It’s Been Emotional: £9.99. Available at the MK Dons
Shop, call 01908 607090. Orders can also be made at
[email protected]
17/3/05
NADS DDA Audit Review (MK Dons F. C.)
9th March 2005.
Disability Policy.
One of the main hopes of NADS is that each Club should have a specific disability contact point within the establishment and also a written policy document which covers areas such as 'who you will regard as disabled, the ticketing provision, car parking etc.,' as included in the FA report written by Richard Wood. NADS has a prepared pro-forma policy which sets out the areas that need to be covered and can be obtained via our website.
Each Club is different and so NADS does not wish to impose a strict policy document, but is happy to assess such a document or put Clubs in touch with your counterparts who have already gone down this route.
Ticketing.
Both Season tickets and Match Tickets are available at concessionary prices and are available from the Ticket Office which doubles as the Club Shop. This is not satisfactory on match days, however the Club has little alternative at the present time.
Applications for disabled spaces are taken at face value at present and assessed by the person dealing with the request. No proof of disability is asked for. This will need to be amended when the Club moves to Denbigh.
The Stadium capacity is 8300 and there are facilities for 26 wheelchair disabled and their carers to be seated in an elevated area at the front of the Main Stand, plus five home and five away spaces with no provision for carers. Better provision could be made to allow carers seating in the two 'end' positions.
Ambulant disabled are not specifically catered for, nor are there any facilities for the Blind, Partially Sighted or Deaf. These facilities MUST be made available at the new Stadium.
Signage
Signage to the Stadium from both the Ml Motorway and the A5 Trunk road are excellent However, traffic coming in to Milton Keynes from the M40 direction via Buckingham etc., would have difficulty finding the ground if attending for the first time or as a visiting Club supporter.
Signage to the Disabled Parking bays is poor and in addition, three of the disabled spaces are regularly blocked by the players coach of the visiting Club!
The Car Parking is part Club, part Council and without seeing the situation in action on a match day, I find it difficult to offer any constructive comments. Signage for Disabled Entrances is excellent, large correctly coloured signs give clear directions to disabled supporters.
Signage inside the ground is also very clear and correctly positioned. The Main Stand wheelchair disabled have their own entrance via a well provided, covered ramp. Signage to the Disabled Toilets and Catering points are also good.
Toilets.
All the disabled toilets, with the exception of the Portaloo (which should be removed), were totally satisfactory. The only reservation I have to make is that they do not have RADAR key admission, thus there are occasions when the toilets are used by able bodied supporters. NADS would request that they are stewarded, particularly at busy times.
There was also a request for the lighting to be checked before each match as recently there had been a toilet without proper lighting for three home games!
Catering facilities.
There are no low level counters at any of the catering facilities, either inside the main stand areas or on the concourses. It was suggested that Stewards offer this facility to any requests from Disabled supporters as the areas are congested before the kick-off and at half time.
There is a nice facility available pre-match for both home and away disabled supporters in the Supporters Club bar.
Access.
All entry points and crowd flow routes in to the stadium are excellent, with level access on tarmacadum surfaces.
Other Points. (general)
The Football Club shares this ground with the National Hockey Association and as such has limited facilities within the ground.
There is no loop system installed anywhere in the stadium (Ticket office or Stands). There is no Disabled Supporters Association at present, but the Supporters Club were intending to invite a representative of the disabled supporters to be co-opted on to their committee, so the forming of a DSA could become a possibility, particularly if numbers increase when at the new stadium.
No provision is made for the Blind, Partially Sighted, Deaf etc., etc. Their position must be considered within the Disabled Policy Document.
The Club has an excellent website and this gives full information on all disabled issues. (Not everyone has access to such facilities)
I was delighted to note that the Club offers a concessionary price ticket (season and match day) to Disabled supporters and also allows carers to attend free, - well done MK Dons.
There is an adequate lift provision to the first and second floors which are all internal. There are no hospitality boxes at the NHS.
Help with parking is given upon request, it is limited, but available.
Away supporters travelling by coach go directly to their own entry points and have good entry and exit provision.
It would appear that very few disabled supporters attend away matches, no special facility is available at present.
The Club have had a 'table top' and part stand, Evacuation exercise.
And finally, I am pleased to report that the Club operates its own stewarding and stewards are all trained in accordance with the Football Leagues NVQ Level 5 training certificate. Although not delegated as such, the Stewards do operate in the same areas/roles at each match.
Despite poor Brenda arriving late due to her car breakdown, this was a pleasant visit to the NHS in Milton Keynes where the re-named MK Dons will be playing for the next two seasons. I found a very friendly atmosphere and a welcoming relationship evident between the Chief Executive and the supporters, players and staff . On behalf of NADS I wish the 'Dons' every success in the future and thank everyone who attended this audit review for their help.
Ted Gascoyne NADS Executive Committee.
Want to be involved? Follow this link
7/3/05
Today our very own Steve Manning (seen pictured in the centre of the back row ) was at the launch of Coca-Cola’s biggest ever UK domestic football promotion offering millions of football fans the chance to 'Win a Player' (The winning club can choose to buy one or more players for the 05/06 season with the prize fund), worth up to £250,000, for their club and £10,000 for themselves! The promotion, runs for 80 days from March 8th.
The Coca-Cola 'Win a Player' promotion encourages fans to come together in support of their football club. Fans can enter via text (see promotional packs for details. Text messages charged at 10-12p dependent on network provider) or online (www.coca-colafootball.co.uk) once a day, every day, for as long as the promotion runs.
The winning fan will be awarded the unique and enviable experience of presenting their much-loved football club with a cheque to be spent on a new player, or players, to the value of £250,000.
The lucky winning fan and club will be announced live on Sky Sports during the Coca-Cola Championship PLAY OFF FINAL, held at the Millennium Stadium, on 30th May 2005.
The promotion also offers fans the chance to win 1 pair of Football League/Scottish Premier League match tickets (2005/2006 season) every hour of every day for the duration of the promotion.
Steve had a great day talking to like minded supporters and urges you all to enter this great competition that can both benefit you AND our club. The question is if we had the money who would you like to see purchased? Email your suggestions to
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09/02/2005
Paul Mitchell to stay for another month
Wigan midfielder Paul Mitchell will be staying with the Dons for another month. Tough tackling Mitchell was originally due to stay for one month when he became Danny Wilson’s first addition to the squad in December. This was extended for another month and the win against Bradford was meant to be his last match for the Dons. He has become a firm favourite with the Dons fans and you can regularly hear the chant ‘sign him up’ after every tackle he makes.
Wigan manager Paul Jewell has gone on record to say that he would like Mitchell to gain some valuable first team experience. The 23 year-old will now be available for the home match on Saturday against Huddersfield and important games against Walsall, Hull, Wrexham and Stockport.
28/01/2005
Hurry, Hurry, Hurry read all about it in this Month's super soar-away sensational mavellous MOO!
The Soul man Marvellous Malvin bares his soul in a great interview revealing what's it's like to be a singing superstar.
Other features include.
Well Dodgy: A look back at some of Football's controversial games.
It Could Only ' Appen at 'Artlepool: A hilarious tale of pigeons, pies and Palmer playing up front.
I Nearly Died at Doncaster: A revealing look back at the Dons festive games.
42 Reasons: A spooky tale of strange coincidence regarding the number 42.
Dig the New Breed: A look at the top class Academy protégés.
Tsunami night: Fantastic picture of the Soul man Malvin in action.
Goal Posts: Make them bigger please.
It's Like Watching Brazil Only It's Windy: The Dons look the part.
The Fabulous Baker Boy: Dodgy haircut but safe hands.
Plus a full colour picture of ERICA wearing a Dons shirt straddling a Concrete Cow!
Only a £1 available from the Club Shop, Supporters Club Stadium bar.
20/12/04
Members of ROOF ( Romanian Orphans Out into Families) whichis a Milton Keynes based Charity supporting children in the SOS Copiii Orphanage in the village of Santana in Western Romania got new support for 'TheDons' on their recent visit to the Orphanage. Scarves donated by the Club arenow proudly worn by the children as winter temperatures plummet to -20 degrees.The children were eager to hear about the Club and have asked that they getregular news about the team.
ROOF has, in the past 12 years provided care and support to over 150 children from the Orphanage helping them to have a better life and be better prepared for work once they reach the age of 18yrs and have to leave the Orphanage. For more information about ROOF contact us via and we will put you in touch.
7/12/04
Wilson gets Dons job
Pete Winkleman has appointed former Bristol City and Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Wilson as the new Dons manager.
Wilson comes in after the Dons parted company with Stuart Murdoch in early November. Jimmy Gilligan had been made caretaker manager with Steve Palmer as his assistant. Jimmy now becomes assistant to Danny, Steve's position with the club currently remains unclear.
Wilson has recently been linked with the vacant manager jobs at Wycombe, Gillingham and Oxford. He has been a free agent since his departure from Bristol City back in June.
Wilson's contract was ended at Aston Gate despite getting the club into the play-offs for two seasons running and the most recent of the two was back in May when his side were narrowly beaten 1-0 in the play-off final against Brighton.
Wilson played for a number of clubs including Bradford, Luton, Sheffield Wednesday and played internationally for Northern Ireland. In his playing days he won the league cup and promotion with Luton and Wednesday. He began his managerial career at Barnsley, where he was appointed player-manager back in 1994 when Viv Anderson moved to Middlesbrough to become Bryan Robson's assistant. When he took over the club was 18th in the league and within 3 seasons he lead them to promotion to the dizzy heights of the premiership. In 1997 Wilson won the prestigious LMA Manager of the Year award. In 201 games in charge of Barnsley he won 74, lost 72 and drew 55.
After a brief season in the top league Barnsley were relegated the following season, but Wilson returned to the premiership with Sheffield Wednesday. Of the 80 games that he was in the top job the club only managed to win or draw 50% of these. His managerial days at Hillsborough were brought to a premature end.
It was not long before he was back in management. He took over at Bristol City. In 4 years in the managers' chair he enjoyed a numbers of successes. He not only made the play-offs twice but also enjoyed success in the LDV Vans Trophy. His managerial record at Aston Gate speaks for itself; he managed the club for 226 games and won 107 times, drew 55 times and only lost 64 matches.
Despite all the successes he was sacked back in June 04. After taking the job he told Bristol City's official site "promotion to the First Division remains the main objective" with this in mind it and the fact the club had failed to win promotion it would seem the club decided to try and refresh things.
Danny Wilson is a well-respected manager that has a proven record. He takes charge for the Dons match on Saturday against Wrexham.
6/12/05
Bradford away is now 8th February 7.45pm
The Dons Coca-Cola League 1 visit to Valley Parade on Saturday 8th of January has now been postponed due to the FA Cup 3rd round tie against Barry Fry’s Peterborough. The Dons will now visit Valley Parade on the 8th February in a 7.45 evening kick off.
Keep your eye on the official site www.mkdons.com for more information
5/12/04
MK Dons to meet Peterborough Utd in next round of the FA Cup
We will face the Posh in the Third round of the FA Cup. The last time we met each other was in the Carling cup which we won with a comfortable 3-0 scoreline.
Peterborough have just begun to get a few good results with wins against Tranmere, Port Vale and most recently knocking bath out of the FA Cup to face us in the next round.
We face the Posh this Tuesday at the NHS in our first encounter with them in League One, so we should get a good look at how they may have improved since the last time we met.
Our game against Peterborough will be played on the weekend of Saturday, 8th January, with the actual date and ticket prices yet to be decided.
Come On You Dons!
4/12/04
Reports are not true
There have been reports by BBC 3 Counties on Saturday morning that Danny Wilson will be appointed the new MK Dons manager on Monday. While we appreciate Wilson would be an excellent choice for the job, the Supporters Association is aware that he is one of the front runners for the Dons top job. No decision on a new manager has been made by the football club as yet.
We will bring you any further information as soon as it is available.
1/12/2004
Murdoch back in football
Former Dons manager Stuart Murdoch is currently working for non-league Scarborough as a scout for games in the south of England. Murdoch, who was released from managerial duties last month, is keen to get back into management. He has been link with a number of managers’ jobs including Oxford, Wycombe and Mansfield.
Scarborough have recently acquired a new trialist with a famous brother. Graham Carrick, younger brother of Tottenhams midfielder Michael, will spend 2 weeks with the club. It is not clear whether Stuart arranged this.
MANAGERS POLL....MICKEY ADAMS CLEAR FAVOURITE.
Following our recent poll held on this website for the Dons New Manager the results are as follows:
The top votes are as follows:
Winner - Mickey Adams - 33.33%
Second - George Graham - 7.5%
Joint Third - Dave Bassett and Bruce Rioch - 5.5%
22 different managers were voted for from a wide selection quoted on the web or voters own choice.
These results have been sent to Peter Winkleman who has expressed an interest in the view from the fans on this matter.
Dave Bassett rules himself out the running
The Dons search for a new manager will continue after Dave Bassett ruled himself out of the running for the Dons job. The 60-year old former Leicester director of football and Dons and Sheffield United manager is available again after recently parting company with Leicester City. Barnsleyfc.co.uk quoted Bassett as saying on reports linking him with the Dons job 'there's nothing in it'
There has been a host of applications for the vacant managers job that include current caretaker manager Jimmy Gilligan, David Pleat, Ricky Hill, Bruce Rioch and India’s head coach Stephen Constantine to name a few. Bruce Rioch & Glen Roeder are the bookies joint favourite to get the job.
The Supporters Association would like to know who you, the fans, would like to see get the job. Please complete the form below.
Who do the Dons Fans want for their new Manager?
With time moving on, there has been plenty of speculation on who will be our new manager but no one has yet been put forward as a real candidate for the job, let alone appointed.
With the Chairman indicating that he wants the fans input into all decisions that he makes, we have put together a list of names that could be available or looking for a move. We would like all Dons fans to put forward who they would like to see appointed so that we can the put the results forward to Peter Winkleman so that he can hear the views from the fans.
Choose from the names below, or send in your own choice of suitable candidates:
Bobby Gould
George Graham
Dave Bassett
Ian Britton
Mickey Adams
Bruce Rioch
Glen Roeder
Alan Cork
David Pleat
John Gregory
Roy Evans
Dave Watson
Terry Fenwick
Trevor Francis
Eric Black
Jan Molby
Ricky Hill
Jimmy Gilligan
Stephen Constantine
Jimmy Quinn
Eddie Gray
Mark Wright
Danny Wilson
Graham Rix
Dave Jones
John Aldridge
Nigel Spackman
Paul Bracewell
Tony Adams
Phil Thompson
Gerard Houlier
Gordon Strachan
Early Learners
Warren Barton
Dean Holdsworth
Paul Gascoigne
Robbie Earle
Rob Lee
VOTING CLOSED....
17/11/04
The Coca-Cola league one tie with Luton at the National Hockey Stadium on Saturday is now all ticket. No tickets will be available on the day. Luton has sold out of their allocation. Any Dons fans that require a ticket you must buy this before Friday.
Tickets will only be sold to fans who have a purchase history with the club or supporters with MK addresses who provide two separate forms of verifiable identification
More information can be found on the official Dons site at MKDons.com
16/11/04
The Mk Dons FA Cup 2nd round match against Cambridge City will now take place on Friday 3rd December at 7.45pm.
The match has been rearranged due to local team Histon also having a FA Cup tie at home on the Saturday and the authorities did not want the game to take place on the same day.
All parties have agreed to the new date. The winners will receive £24,000 prize money and join either Scunthorpe or Wrexham as being the first teams through to the lucrative 3rd round.
Tickets will cost £15 for all seats in the stand, £10 for adults standing and £5 for senior citizens and children standing.
11/11/04
Report in Construction News magazine
Alfred McAlpine will not build the new home of Milton Keynes Dons Football Club after eight months of turbulent negotiations with the League One outfit finally disintergrated this week. Both client and contractor were considering a cost plan which had been revised for the sixth time after McAlpine's estimate came in £9 million over the clubs budget. Mk Dons formally known as Wimbledon expected the project to be completed for £35 million. But Alfred McAlpine said "The project is simply not affordable and we see no other solution.We are not pulling out but the way it appears now is that MK Dons will have to find a new contractor to build the stadium. We will be looking to ensure the club reimburse us for the detailed designs and work we have put out to date." The source added "The project was ambitious with MK Dons being relegated to Division One. But it doesn't make it any less disappointing that it now appears over"
The Supporters Association are aware that other construction companies have been involved with the negotiations concerning the construction project and will update further after seeking more information from the football club.
9/11/04
The MK Dons held the ‘Mascot Idol’ auditions at the National Hockey Stadium on Monday night. The contestants who entered had to go through a number of tests such as dribbling a ball around a course, dancing and entertaining the crowd. They were judged by a panel that included Dons chairman Pete Winkleman and our very own Mark Payne. After seeing each of the potential mascots the panel had to decide on the winners. The contestants wore a bear costume to protect the actual Donny & Mooie suits.
The Winners, who cannot be named, so we will call them Donny & Mooie, will make their debuts against Luton on the 20th November.
8/11/04
STATEMENT FROM THE SUPPORTERS ASSOCIATION
The Supporters Association would like to thank Stuart Murdoch for all the efforts he has put into trying to make a success of the team, especially the efforts put in since the tumultuous move to Milton Keynes and the problems of administration. Stuart’s professionalism throughout this period along with his ability to promote the right player at the right time from the youth team earned him considerable respect both inside the club and in the world of football as a whole.
This season should have been the season Stuart was rewarded for his exceptional loyalty to the club that he so dearly loves, unfortunately for one reason or another the teams results on the pitch have not matched the clubs ambitions or the supporters expectations. There comes a time when difficult decisions have to be made and we agree this is the right time to do so.
Today brings to an end the tenure of Stuart’s reign as the manager of our great club and we wish him well for the future. As a Supporters group we feel the decision taken today is the correct one for the club, and look forward to a new manager being appointed on a permanent basis. We feel that a club in our position requires a proven manager with the necessary motivational skills to bond our extremely talented players into a team capable of winning promotion from this division and doing justice to our new stadium.
We look forward to working with the board in the managerial selection process. We call on the club to ensure it works with the Supporters Association to receive its important input throughout the next steps in the clubs journey.
4/11/04
The Milton Keynes Dons Supporters Association are pleased to announce that we have been accredited as members of the National Association of Disabled Supporters (NADS).
Our efforts to represent all of our supporters in a professional manner have been greatly enhanced by joining NADS as they are endorsed by the FA and the Football League as the official voice of disabled supporters. NADS are currently undertaking an audit of all Premiership and League grounds and providing impartial assistance and advice to clubs in order to ensure that the facilities provided match up as a bear minimum to the legal requirements. They also provide advice on new stadium builds and are currently assisting with the new Wembley National stadium, from the disabled supporters’ viewpoint.
Our association will make full use of NADS considerable experience to assist us in ensuring that both our disabled supporters and our visiting disabled supporters have a positive experience whilst visiting our temporary home at the NHS and more importantly, that the facilities provided for them at our new stadium exceed their expectations.
http://www.nads.org.uk/
DURBAR F.C. WINNERS OF THIS YEARS MILTON KEYNES COMMUNITY CUP.
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Pictured above are Durbar F.C. and manager Kamal Miah receiving their winners cup from Dons star Gary Smith. The winning team was also presented with a framed photo of themselves by Paul Wright from the MK Dons Supporters Association.
Also in the picture are MK Council's Michael Greenfield, Millenium Volunteer's Gin Corrado and Dennis Woolford from Football in The Community, who organised the event.
Open Letter to all Chairs of Supporter Trusts in England, Scotland and Wales from the MK Dons Supporters Association.
As you may or may not be aware, the MK Dons Supporters Association has been endeavouring to work with Supporters Direct for over 6 months to establish the MK Dons Trust, and become a full member of Supporters Direct.
We are aware that the approach has resulted in some controversy, and a wide variety of views being established as to whether this should happen or not. We have decided that the time is now right for us to put forward our position, explain a few of our views on the events gone by, and set out the future direction we would like to take the MK Dons Trust.
The Past
We feel that it is important for a differentiation to be made between the fans of football in Milton Keynes and the events over which we have had no control, which resulted in Wimbledon FC moving to our town and becoming MK Dons. There is a widespread condemnation of “franchising” throughout football, and this is not an opinion where you see any variation of opinion in MK. We firmly believe that the right place for a club is in the conurbation where it was established. When Wimbledon was allowed to move out of its community hub, to Selhurst Park and then stay there for a decade, it is clear to us that these links had been weakened, contributing to the clubs destiny.
We do believe that when all avenues have been explored, it is a better outcome for the club to survive in Milton Keynes, than die in London. These were the 2 options available. Now that the club is in our community, we will support it and endeavour to keep it alive. This is very much in line with the view shared by both the FA and Supporters Direct, who both view MK Dons as a continuation of Wimbledon Football Club.
The Present
We feel we have a unique perspective on what it is like when a club goes through the turmoil that Wimbledon went through. It gives us a view of the damage that could be done to our game, and the pain it can cause. We feel this perspective is one which has not been heard much, but we are keen to contribute to the debate, and share our experiences. This may sound like poacher turned gamekeeper to some. It isn’t. We want to support the next group of fans that finds themselves in a similar situation, should it be Gillingham, Brighton, Wrexham, whoever. Even better would be to stop it ever being an option again through serious lobbying and action. We want to contribute to that effort.
The Future.
We are no different to any other trust in our opinion of how they should work with the club they are aligned to, and will actively work to gain recognition, participation, and ultimately a stake in the club for its supporters.
Because of our unique position, we understand that Supporters Direct is unable to fund the establishment of the MK Dons Trust. As the FA view the MK Dons as a continuation of Wimbledon FC, Supporters Direct believe that we are not eligible to further funding, beyond that given the establish the Dons Trust, now aligned with AFC Wimbledon. We do not intend to pursue this any further at the moment.
We will meet the necessary expenses to establish the MK Dons Trust from our own resources. We have asked Supporters Direct to give us access to their model paperwork for the procedural and legal requirements to do this though, as we believe the best practice that they have established is obviously the most appropriate path for us to take.
We have also asked Supporters Direct to accept the MK Dons Trust (when it is established) as a full member of the organisation. At this level we feel that as football fans we have as much to offer as any other Trust that is part of the movement. We want to constructively contribute to the debates and actions that affect the game we all love. We want to support the national organisations of the game such as Supporters Direct and the Football Supporters Federation, not only bringing the voice and unique experiences to the table, but to help make our game the best it possibly can be for everyone who supports it.
Our request.
We believe that the time is right for the fans of MK Dons to be properly represented in Supporters Direct. For the reasons we have outlined, we request that you support our request for membership, and grant us access to the tools to help us be an effective trust for our fans, and to be able to contribute to Supporters direct in the most effective way possible.
Should you have discussions about MK Dons and Supporters Direct, we would appreciate you making a clear mental division between the fans of the club who believe the club should live, albeit in Milton Keynes, and the contentious issues of its past.
We would like to Thank you for your time. Should you wish to contact us, you can do so either via e-mail at . If you wish, we would be happy to schedule a phone call with you to discuss the issues and our request further. We also plan to be at the Supporters Direct conference on Thursday in London, and would be happy to chat with you then.
MK Dons Supporters Association
MILTON KEYNES COMMUNITY FOOTBALL CUP
A great day of football was had by all during this years MK Community Football Cup. The event took place at Leon School and Sports College on Sunday 17th October and was organised by the Milton Keynes Council with help from Football in the Community and The Milton Keynes Dons.
The standard of football from all teams was very good and all matches were played with a good sporting spirit. It was a very good turn out for the games with 8 Teams taking part this year. The Supporters Association were asked to marshal the games and a big thank you goes out to Brenda Vidal, Ian Steele, Mark Payne and Paul Wright for all their efforts. Not forgetting of course John Samuel, who did a fantastic job as one of the referees for the day.
The teams were split into groups for the first of 3 games each for the league stages. The teams then went on to play in the knock-out stages once the league tables had been established. Then followed the Semi-Finals and then Final and 3rd Place Play-off.
GROUP 1
PUNJAB UTD "A"
ITALIANS R US
FC DURBAR
AFRICAN UTD "B"
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GROUP 2
AFRICAN UTD "A"
MK DONS COACHES
PUNJAB UTD "B"
FC MESSENGERS
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LEAGUE STANDINGS AFTER FIRST GROUP STAGES.
GROUP 1
1st FC DURBAR
2nd ITALIANS R US
3rd AFRICAN UTD "B"
4th PUNJAB UTD "A"
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GROUP 2
1st AFRICAN UTD "A"
2nd MK DONS COACHES
3rd FC MESSENGERS
4th PUNJAB UTD "B"
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KNOCK OUT STAGE - QUATER FINALS.
FC DURBAR vs PUNJAB UTD "B"
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AFRICAN UTD "A" vs PUNJAB UTD "A"
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ITALIANS R US vs FC MESSENGERS
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MK DONS COACHES vs AFRICAN UTD "B"
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SEMI-FINALS
FC DURBAR v ITALIANS R US
(1 - 0)
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PUNJAB UTD "A" vs AFRICAB UTD "B"
AFRICAN UTD "B" WIN 2-3 ON PENALTIES
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3rd PLACE PLAY-OFF
ITALIANS R US vs PUNJAB "A"
(PUNJAB "A" WIN 2-3 AFTER PENALTIES)
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FINAL
FC DURBAR vs AFRICA "B"
(FC DURBAR WIN 1 - 0)
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2004 COMMUNITY FOOTBALL CUP WINNERS
FC DURBAR
FINAL STANDINGS:
WINNERS FC DURBAR
RUNNERS UP AFRICAN UTD "B"
3rd PUNJAB UTD "A"
4th ITALIANS R US
October sees Milton Keynes Council celebrating Black History Month and on Sunday members of the Supporters Association will be helping out the organisers of the Milton Keynes Community Football Cup. One of our committee members will also be ref for the day and others will be generally helping out to make sure the day runs smoothly. The Supporters Association will be handing out the latest 'Kick It Out' poster and leaflet before the Brentford game on Saturday
There is more information on:
http://www.black-history-month.co.uk & http://www.askmk.com/mkdons/
This is the second Milton Keynes Community Football Cup, which is part of a wider programme of activities across the city linked to ‘Kicking Racism out of Football’, http://www.kickitout.org
The Milton Keynes Community Football Cup will be played on Sunday 17th October on the Astroturf at Leon School and Sports College. Kick off time will be 11:00am and the proceedings should finish around 3:30pm. Feel free to come along and show your support.
Local teams representing Africa, Bangladesh, Italy, and the Sikh community will be among those taking part, along with the MK Dons Coaches team who will also be supporting the event.
The photo above is from last year’s tournament won by African Utd.
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE NHS TONIGHT!…
Lee Scriven from the MKNews has said that there will be an announcement at the Carling Cup game between the MKDons and Cardiff tonight.
The statement was made on BBC3 Counties Radio 104.5FM during the Morning Show with Big George.
Lee stated “There will be an Historic announcement at the game tonight, it will be something that will make the nationals in the morning!…I cannot give you anything concrete to go on at the moment, all will be revealed tonight” he then added “I cannot be moooved to tell you any more than that”
So if you want to be first with the news then get down to the Stadium tonight to see the Dons take on current Championship League strugglers Cardiff.
Clowns, Jokers, Chickens and Dogs at the NHS last Saturday!
No we are not talking about any of the players on the pitch, but the MKDons Supporters Association dressed up for a collection in aid of the Children of the Beslan tragedy in Russia.
On Saturday 11 September we held a ‘bucket collection’ at the home game against Doncaster to raise funds for the special appeal set up by the Sun newspaper in conjunction with aid agencies to help the children of Beslan in Russia.
“The terrible atrocity last week really moved many people and we felt that we wanted to do something to help them at this terrible time” explained Chairman of the Supporters Association Roger Widdecombe.
The Really Great news is that with the help of both the Home and Away fans at the NHS on Saturday, we managed to raise a total of £623.47 which is fantastic and this money will be used to help fund the work going on to help the children and their families in Beslan.
The Milton Keynes Dons Supporters Association would like to say a Very Big Thank You to all the MKDons and Doncaster Fans who gave so generously for the collection, all our wonderful collectors on the day and to the Milton Keynes Dons Football Club for kindly allowing us to hold our collection at the game. This money has now been banked with the appeal set up by the Sun newspaper.
THE MK DONS SUPPORTERS ASSOCIATION
1000th MEMBER!
GEMMA RICHARDSON
This is Gemma Richardson who has become our 1000th Supporters Association Member.
Gemma aged Six is seen here with one of her MKDons Hero's Dean Lewington. We also understand that Jamie Mackie has a special place in her heart as well!
Gemma's entire family are Dons supporters and are all members of the Supporters Association, including Gemma's Grandparents.
Pictured below with Gemma is her brother Joe, also a Dons Fan!
The Supporters Association is very please to be able to bring you its first pictures of the Pre-enabling work underway at Denbigh, the forthcoming home to the MK Dons. We had always hoped things would finally start getting done in August, and are glad to share these pictures with a whole 4 days to go !
As things start to really get moving we look forward to bringing you further pictures and keeping you up to date with progress as best we can.
All in all double congratulations for the Dons, with their first win as MK Dons and the first piece of real activity on site, in the same week. A historic time for
Milton Keynes and all Dons fans.
New Chairman for the Milton Keynes Dons Supporters Association
Milton Keynes Dons Supporters Association are sorry to announce that due to excessive work commitments, Damon Le Geyt has decided to step down as Chairman of the Milton Keynes Dons Supporters Association.
Following a Committee meeting to elect a new Chairman and other positions, we are delighted to inform you that Roger Widdecombe has now been elected for this position with Mark Payne elected as Vice Chairman.
Following his election Mr Widdecombe said “ I am delighted to have been elected as the new Chairman of the Milton Keynes Dons Supporters Association having been a member of the original Committee last year when the football club, and what was the Supporters Club, were very new and establishing themselves.
As a resident of Milton Keynes for many years, I now consider this to be my hometown, and was delighted when the Dons came to our new city last season. Over the past few years, I have had considerable experience and involvement with local groups and committees and I would like to use this experience to help the Milton Keynes Dons Supporters Association work with and assist Pete Winkleman and the Milton Keynes Dons Football Club to the very best of our ability - and work together to ensure the club has a great future here in Milton Keynes!
Thank you so much for your help and support.
Roger
Roger Widdecombe
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Milton Keynes Dons are out of Administration
01.07.2004
The dons came out of admin at 11:54pm last night.
The club can now start to look forward to the oncoming season without the shackles of admin keeping them back.
This now leaves it clear for the club to announce sales of new season tickets etc and the release of the new kit details.
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FOOTBALL LEAGUE CONFIRMS TRANSFER OF SHARE
InterMK are pleased to announce that the Football League have today issued their final approval of the voluntary arrangement (CVA) and confirmed the transfer of the Wimbledon FC League share to Milton Keynes Dons Ltd, bringing certainty to a future for the football club in Milton Keynes.
After the troubles of the past year, the club can now, at last, look forward to a period of stability at it’s new home in Milton Keynes. We would like to praise the work of all the staff and players of the club, who have worked under tremendous strain to get the club in a position where it can now move ahead.
We would also like to thank Andy Hosking and Nick Wood, partners in Grant Thornton, for their efforts over the past year of Administration. Without their valued input there is no doubt that the club would not have survived this incredibly difficult period.
Peter Winkelman, Chairman of Milton Keynes Dons FC said: “It’s been a long road to get here, but I’m delighted that we have finally cleared all the hurdles and secured a future for football in Milton Keynes.
“I would like to thank all the supporters, both old and new, who have stuck by us through this difficult period. We now have the chance to look forward and begin to start repaying their faith with an exciting 2004/05 campaign.”
Stuart Murdoch, first team manager, said: “This is a huge relief to myself, the coaches and the players. There have been times when we’ve wondered whether there would actually be a future for us at all.
“There is a lot of work to be done, but now that we are out of Administration, the future will lie in our own hands and I’m relishing the opportunity of the forthcoming season.”
Milton Keynes Dons will hold a press conference in due course.
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FOOTBALL LEAGUE GRANT PERMISSION FOR NAME CHANGE
21.06.04
InterMK are pleased to announce that The Football League have granted permission for Wimbledon FC to change its name to Milton Keynes Dons FC in time for the publication this week of the 2004/05 fixture list. The Club’s name will officially change once the formalities regarding the share transfer have been completed and approved by The Football League.
In order for The Football League to allow the Club to relocate, it was required to accept the conurbation of Milton Keynes as its new home. The FA Commission also recommended that the Club should always retain a link with its former identity. We feel that the name ‘Milton Keynes Dons FC’ will represent the past, present and future of this proud football Club and place the Club at the heart of its new community.
It had always been our intention to hold a ballot of our supporters on this issue once we had completed the purchase of the Club. Unfortunately, the much-publicised delays to the Company Voluntary Arrangement have not enabled us to formalise our consultation with supporters and stakeholders in Milton Keynes before the preparation of the 04/05 fixture list.
We hope that the Club’s fans, both old and new, embrace this new name as we look forward to the Club emerging from Administration and kicking off an exciting new season in Coca-Cola Football League One.
InterMK will make a further statement in due course regarding season tickets for the 04/05 season and future plans for Milton Keynes Dons FC.
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NEWS OF THE WORLD ARTICLE
20.06.2004
The News of the World newspaper has today printed an article stating that the name of Wimbledon FC has been officially approved and changed to Milton Keynes Dons.
The supporters club have urgently set up a meeting with InterMK this afternoon to verify the truth behind this statement.
We will report back as soon as we have the facts .
ADMINISTRATION - LATEST INFORMATION
15.06.2004
The Supporters club have been in consultation with InterMK today regarding the issue of Administration. We can announce that the Supporters Club are very confident that the Football club will be out of administration within the next two weeks. This will allow the club to start making progressive steps in re-building for the future.
We would urge The Football League to give permission for the club to leave administration at the earliest time, so that the club does not become disadvantaged in the run up to the new season.
STUART MURDOCH LEARNING A FEW LESSONS.
07.06.2004
Stuart is currently at Warwick University doing a course for managers running football clubs with very little funds.
He is with other representitives from Bradford, Wycombe and Leeds.
This shows the continual dedication already shown by Stuart to help support Wimbledon FC for the seasons to come.
LATEST NAME CHANGE INFORMATION!
02.06.2004
The supporters club have had brief discussions with Peter Winkleman with regard to the rumours surrounding the name change issue.
We can state that at this moment in time the name change issue will be addressed and resolved before the season tickets go on sale.
This of course has to happen very soon.
There is to be an opinion vote on what the name is to be. This will be open to all season ticket holders, fans that have bought home stand tickets, all supporter club members, stewards and staff of the ground and the players and staff of Wimbledon FC.
This will ensure that every founder member of the supporters club will get to put their views across to Peter Winkleman on this very sensitive issue.
Your opinions do matter and your votes are crucial in ensuring that the name that is finally chosen is influenced by the fans of the football club.
More information on how to vote will be posted as soon as we are informed.
The supporters club also appreciate that as of the 31st of May the Supporters Club memberships have expired. This membership will of course be extended until the name change issue is resolved. Then new / renewal of memberships can then take place.
PETER WINKLEMAN ON BBC 3 COUNTIES RADIO.
28.05.2004
Peter Winkleman spoke with Toby Friedner of BBC 3 Counties Radio this morning after yesterdays announcement that the Inland Revenue will not be continuing their appeal at the high courts.
Peter said "I am very grateful to the Inland Revenue for not continuing their appeal", "We are almost there but with all that has happened in the past we are just putting the champagne on ice for now"
Peter continued "We have to get approval from the Footbal League and go through the process of transferring shares etc"
Peter also said "We have been through 12 months of administration and after all that has happened I now believe in the impossible!"
Peter quoted that "Wimbledon FC and Milton Keynes have a huge amount of ambition now." He went on to say "Milton Keynes is one of the most ambitious places in the country!"
At the end of the interview Peter then confirmed to Toby...
"There will be spending money for the club next season and Stuart will be buying new players!"
OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM GRANT THORNTON.
27.05.2004
We are pleased to announce that we have today received notification from the Inland Revenue that they will not be taking their objection further by way of an appeal to the House of Lords.
This means we are now in a position to complete the transfer of the Club to the Milton Keynes consortium subject to the final approval of the Football League Board. We expect to be advised by the League of a date in due course.
We are greatly relieved to see this matter finally brought to a successful conclusion and would like to thank all those involved with the club, its fans and Peter Winkleman for his commitment and perseverance. We also wish to express our appreciation to the Inland Revenue for their pragmatic settlement.
We would like to take this opportunity to wish the Club well in the future.
LET THE CELEBRATIONS BEGIN!!
WIMBLEDON HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE GREEN LIGHT TO EXIT ADMINISTRATION!
27.05.2004
Information has been released that the Inland Revenue will Not be continuing their appeal against Wimbledon FC.
This now gives Wimbledon and Peter Winkleman the the green light to come out of administration and take the club onto a brighter future!
More info to follow!!
27.05.2004.
PLAYERS GET FIT AT WILLEN LAKE.
STUART MURDOCH TOOK HIS SQUAD TO WILLEN LAKE TODAY AS PART OF THEIR PRE-SEASON TRAINING.
MOST OF THE SQUAD AND COACHING STAFF WERE THERE LOOKING VERY FIT AND POSITIVE FOR NEXT SEASON.
Date: 25/05/2004.
A bit more information on the Court Announcement:
The time is now confirmed as 10:15 - Court 71 at the High Court.
Date: 25/05/2004
The latest information form the appeal courts is that an announcement of the judgement will be made 28th May (Friday).
This is to be confirmed.
The High Court appeal hearing from the Inland Revenue was thrown out in just three minutes earlier today.
Although the IR can appeal to the House of Lords this is thought to be unlikely to occure and leaves the road open for Wimbledon FC to come out of administration. Watch this space for updates as soon as we can bring them to you
Brian has received this response from Supporters Direct
Dear Brian,
Just to clarify my phone call of today I want to thank you very much
for being patient with us. I would be grateful if you could contact
Phil Tooley who will be able to assist you in trying to answer any
questions you have about our organisation and the formation of a
Supporters' Trust.
I have also cc'd this e-mail to him.
Many thanks,
Katie
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