DawlishBouy
Active member
- Joined
- May 30, 2020
- Messages
- 1,861
MK Dons isn’t a new club. It is simply Wimbledon AFC with a new name. That is the only basis for them having a right to be in the Football League.
Well no, all the trophies including the 88 FA Cup 'belong' to MK.Which is to all intents what did happen.
MK Dons is a new club, Wimbledon died and AFC Wimbledon was born and had to start lower down the pyramid.
Instead of working a club up the pyramid, Winkleman bought up Wimbledon and moved the Club lock stock and barrel to MK as a short cut into the Football League, ie treating it as a "Franchise". There was no rule in force to prevent it at the time, but it was seen as so undesirable that the practice was banned. Every small town club in the country would be at risk otherwise. Ice Hockey in North America is the classic example, where Canadian towns and cities have had their teams bought up and relocated to large US cities, leaving fans "high and dry".Which is to all intents what did happen.
MK Dons is a new club, Wimbledon died and AFC Wimbledon was born and had to start lower down the pyramid.
Further taking the thread off topic. The AFL was formed around then and they wanted to expand beyond Victoria and to some extent the South Australian leagues to become national.As an aside, the Sydney Swans are a top flight Australian Rules team. They were founded in the late 1800’s in Melbourne. They moved to Sydney in 1982 which caused much animosity at the time (not that I was here to witness it). They moved for an “untapped” market in Sydney. It’s an 11 hour drive from Melbourne !
Some of the Swans supporters still have South Melbourne embroidered into their Sydney Swans shirts 40 years laterFurther taking the thread off topic. The AFL was formed around then and they wanted to expand beyond Victoria and to some extent the South Australian leagues to become national.
You mean like the same as every other owner who buys a club?Instead of working a club up the pyramid, Winkleman bought up Wimbledon and moved the Club lock stock and barrel to MK as a short cut into the Football League, ie treating it as a "Franchise". There was no rule in force to prevent it at the time, but it was seen as so undesirable that the practice was banned. Every small town club in the country would be at risk otherwise. Ice Hockey in North America is the classic example, where Canadian towns and cities have had their teams bought up and relocated to large US cities, leaving fans "high and dry".
I never knew that, so technically Wimbledon have never reached the first division but MK Dons have, that's unrealWell no, all the trophies including the 88 FA Cup 'belong' to MK.
I blame Sir Henry Norris.Indeed. Even worse in the USA where the franchises are moved around outrageously. The LA Dodgers were originally the Brooklyn Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants the NY Giants, their owners was allowed to move the franchises from NY to LA in 1958. Slightly further than Wimbledon to Milton Keynes or Melbourne to Sydney.