Franchise FC - day of reckoning

[MK Gull]

On the 18th March, an offer of 8p in the pound (£2m out of the £25m they owe) will be made to creditors of the MK Dons, thanks to Asda who have apparently got planning permission now for the supermarket that will form the basis of the 'stadium'. (I still can't stop hating Asda...)

Grant Thornton, the administrators, say

'If the creditors accept the proposed CVA then Wimbledon FC will pass to the new owners on 18 March 2004.

'If the proposal is not acceptable to creditors then we will have no option but to place the club in liquidation.'

I hope they refuse the offer, but realistically it's probably the best they're going to get, and the corpse of Wimbledon will limp on for a while longer.

 

[perseus]

This is worse than asset-stripping!?

 

[Curious Orange]

Wimbledon still lives, they just aren't a football league team.

 

[Gosling]

As I understand it:

* the leader of the Council, Andrew Judge offered WFC all of the logistical help necessary to relocate back to Merton and this DID include a number of preliminary site proposals

* there was no formal contact between Koppel and Merton. Indeed, Koppel started an undignified war of words in order to spin people into believing that MK was the only answer

* Koppel arranged a kangaroo-court style meeting with the Haydons Road Residents (area of the old Plough Lane) and actually put it to the HRRA that WFC should not return to Merton. Residents agreed and Koppel was then quoted as saying that 'even the people of Merton don't want WFC back'

* The Council's own feasibility survey found that 89% of Merton residents wanted a) WFC back in Merton and b) were happy to support the Council in actively seeking the club's return (including the re-development of the space behind the David Lloyd centre in Raynes Park)

* Koppel then claimed - after it had become clear the only obstacle blocking WFC's return to Merton was, alas, Charles Koppel - that Andrew Judge was only paying fake lip service to WFC's return in order to remain in his girlfriends good books (Judge's girlfriend has been a WFC fan for over 20 years)

When that avaricious a-hole Koppel moved the club formerly known as Wimbledon to MK he abandoned the only stable asset the club had - its fans. It is very similar to your situation a few years ago (although I wouldn't necessarily say worse though). They also abandoned all their heritage. The team and its fans based in Milton Keynes can hardly claim to be FA Cup winners.

AFC is Wimbledon now, and the positive reaction your guys got for NFD shows that their fans have sympathy for your plight.

As a matter of fact I have sympathy for those few fans who still schlepp up to MK from south London, but I can't see that carrying on for long. I for one hope Koppel falls flat on his ass.

 

[Beach Hut]

Bastards this should never happen

 

[Fran Hagarty]

I spoke to one AFC Wimbledon fan yesterday who also goes to Milton Keynes to watch the original "Wimbledon" (Franchise MK). He certainly seems to be in the minority though!

 

[Balti Pie Man]

My dad lives about half a mile away from the hockey stadium and even he can't be bothered to go along and see them.

Should be good for next season though IF we don't get promoted.

There are a few Wetherspoon pubs on the way to the ground!

 

[MK Gull]

Or we could all go to AFCW that weekend, rather than put any money into Winkelman's coffers?

 

[Bwian]

Or we could all go to AFCW that weekend, rather than put any money into Winkelman's coffers?

That HAS to be the preferred option-especially after the support they gave us yesterday (NFD).

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

AFC Wimbledon are all that matter. They're also a blueprint for ourselves if the unthinkable happens (NSC Brighton anyone?) Franchise MK and Milton Keynes deserve each other. Let them rot

 

[Balti Pie Man]

I agree about AFC Wimbledon but Milton Keynes isn't a bad place.

Great bunch of Brighton fans in Milton Keynes by the way! Always have a good get together in the summer over a pint or two.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I agree about AFC Wimbledon but Milton Keynes isn't a bad place.

Great bunch of Brighton fans in Milton Keynes by the way! Always have a good get together in the summer over a pint or two.

Yeah, on reflection, you're probably right about Milton Keynes. More right than me, that's fo' shure, seeing as how I never been there No offence to the MK Albion faithful intended. But - hey! - never let the facts get in the way of an ill-considered sweeping generalisation aye?

 

[Soton Seagull]

Koppel has the same footbal acumen as Archer did. Long live AFC.

 

[Lady Bracknell]

The whole sorry story of Franchise MK is utterly shameful. But, out of their undeserved misfortune, comes the cautionary tale of what can happen when corporate fatcats treat football as a commodity that can be transported around the country at will.

Because there are feckwits and NIMBYs out there who, before the MK debacle, might have suggested that the Albion could find a perfectly acceptable home at the arse end of an industrial estate in Basingstoke, say. No offence intended to Basingstoke, here, of course!

Every club has its geographical home and that home is where the heart of the club and its future must live.

 

[Fran Hagarty]

The AFCW Commercial Director told us yesterday that they hope to arrange a pre-season friendly with us. If it happens I hope we can send a good contingent of fans. In the Combined Counties League they don't get very high away attendances! It's a great club and very friendly As Verily I say Unto Thee mentioned, for those who like to socialise before or after the match, Kingsmeadow there is a bar - in fact two! In the restructuring of the Pyramid, AFCW, who have lost only one match in the League this season, will be in the new Southern League which will apparently be more competitive than the league they are in now.

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

Are AFC planning to stay at Kingsmeadow and possibly develop it as they progress, or do they still hope to go back to Merton one day? I was quite surprised they didn't share with Tooting and Mitcham, whose ground is located in the Wandle Valley, just south of Mitcham station. As for no site being available in Merton, surely that site would have been available when Wimbledon were in the Premiership?

 

[Gosling]

Every club has its geographical home and that home is where the heart of the club and its future must live.

Mind you, Arsenal did it... I keep teasing a Tottenham mate, by saying that in about 20 years they'll have dropped the Tottenham from their nam and become simply "Spurs", before relocating to a more affluent area south of the river.

 

[Gosling]

The AFCW Commercial Director told us yesterday that they hope to arrange a pre-season friendly with us.

Please let me know if this happens.

 

[Thimble Keegan]

I hope Franchise die.

Albion & England forever.

Thimble Keegan
Worthing BHA

 

[Juan Albion]

As a former paid-up Plough Lane regular (from the days when they would never have been considered to be any thing like a conflict of interest for a mighty Albion fan) I find this whole thing very sad.