 | ||||
| Full name | Milton Keynes Dons Football Club | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | The Dons | |||
| Short name | MK Dons | |||
| Founded | 21 June 2004; 21 years ago[n 1] | |||
| Ground | Stadium MK | |||
| Capacity | 30,500 | |||
| Chairman | Fahad Al-Ghanim | |||
| Head coach | Paul Warne | |||
| League | EFL League Two | |||
| 2024–25 | EFL League Two, 19th of 24 | |||
| Website | mkdons.com | |||
 Current season | ||||
Milton Keynes Dons Football Club, usually abbreviated toMK Dons, is a professionalassociation football club based inMilton Keynes,Buckinghamshire, England. The team competes inEFL League Two, the fourth level of theEnglish football league system. The club was founded in 2004, followingWimbledon F.C.'s controversialrelocation to Milton Keynes from south London, when it adopted its present name, badge and home colours.[n 2]
Initially based at theNational Hockey Stadium, the club competed as Milton Keynes Dons from the start of the2004–05 season. The club moved to their current ground,Stadium MK, for the2007–08 season, in which they won the League Two title and theFootball League Trophy. After seven further seasons in League One, the club won promotion to theChampionship in 2015 under the management ofKarl Robinson; however, they were relegated back to League One after one season.
Milton Keynes Dons have built a reputation for youth development,[4] run 16disability teams and their football trust engages around 60,000 people; between 2012 and 2013 the club produced 11 young players who have been called into age group national teams and between 2004 and 2014 the club also gave first-team debuts to 14 local academy graduates, including theEngland international midfielderDele Alli.[5][6]
The club also operates a women's team,Milton Keynes Dons Women, who groundshare Stadium MK with their male counterparts, and currently play in the third tier of the English women's football pyramid.[7]
Milton Keynes, about 45 miles (72 km) north-west of London inBuckinghamshire, was established as anew town in 1967.[8] In the absence of a professional football club representing the town—none of the localnon-league teams progressed significantly through theEnglish football league system or "pyramid" over the following decades—it was occasionally suggested that aFootball League club mightrelocate there. There was no precedent in English league football for such a move betweenconurbations and the football authorities and most fans expressed strong opposition to the idea.[9]Charlton Athletic briefly mooted moving to "a progressive Midlands borough" during a planning dispute with their local council in 1973,[10] and the relocation of nearbyLuton Town to Milton Keynes was repeatedly suggested from the 1980s onwards.[11] Another team linked with the new town wasWimbledon Football Club.[12]
Wimbledon, established in south London in 1889 and nicknamed "the Dons", were elected to the Football League in 1977. They thereafter went through a "fairytale" rise from obscurity and by the end of the 1980s were established in the top division of English football, as well as winning the1988 FA Cup final.[13] Despite Wimbledon's new prominence, the club's modest home stadium atPlough Lane remained largely unchanged from its non-league days.[13] The club's then-ownerRon Noades identified this as a problem as early as 1979, extending his dissatisfaction to the ground's very location. Interested in the stadium site designated by theMilton Keynes Development Corporation, Noades briefly planned to move Wimbledon there by merging with a non-league club in Milton Keynes, and bought debt-riddenMilton Keynes City. However, Noades then decided that the club would not gain sufficient support in Milton Keynes and abandoned the idea.[12]
In 1991, after theTaylor Report was published recommending the redevelopment of English football grounds, Wimbledon left Plough Lane togroundshare atCrystal Palace's ground,Selhurst Park, about 6 miles (9.7 km) away.Sam Hammam, who then owned Wimbledon, said the club could not afford to redevelop Plough Lane and that the groundshare was a temporary arrangement while a new ground was sourced in south-west London. A new stadium for Wimbledon proved difficult to achieve.[13] Frustrated by what he perceived as a lack of support fromMerton Council, Hammam began to look further afield and by 1996 was pursuing a move toDublin, an idea that most Wimbledon fans strongly opposed.[14] Hammam sold the club to two Norwegian businessmen,Kjell Inge Røkke andBjørn Rune Gjelsten, in 1997,[15] and a year later sold Plough Lane toSafeway supermarkets.[16] Wimbledon wererelegated from thePremier League at the end of the1999–2000 season.[17]
Starting in 1997,[18] a consortium led by music promoterPete Winkelman and supported byAsda andIKEA proposed a large retail development in Milton Keynes including a Football League-standard stadium.[19][20] The consortium originally proposed that the stadium be located at the National Bowl but later altered their proposal to change the site of the proposed stadium to Denbigh North, the same site as the mooted retail development.[21]
The consortium proposed that an established league club move to use this site;[19][20] it approached Luton, Wimbledon, Crystal Palace,Barnet, andQueens Park Rangers.[22] In 2001, Røkke and Gjelsten appointed a new chairman, Charles Koppel, who was in favour of this idea, saying it was necessary to stop the club going out of business.[23] To the fury of most Wimbledon fans,[24] Koppel announced on 2 August 2001 that the club intended torelocate to Milton Keynes. After the Football League refused permission, Wimbledon launched an appeal, leading to aFootball Association arbitration hearing and subsequently the appointment of a three-man independent commission to make a final and binding verdict. The league and FA stated opposition but the commissioners ruled in favour, two to one, on 28 May 2002.[25]
Having campaigned against the move,[24] a group of disaffected Wimbledon fans reacted to this in June 2002 by forming their own non-league club,AFC Wimbledon, to which most of the original team's support defected.[26] AFC Wimbledon entered a groundshare agreement withKingstonian in the borough ofKingston upon Thames, adjacent to Merton.[26] The original Wimbledon intended to move to Milton Keynes immediately but were unable to do so until a temporary home in the town meeting Football League criteria could be found.[27] The club remained at Selhurst Park in the meantime and in June 2003 went intoadministration.[28] With the move threatened and the club facing liquidation,[29] Winkelman decided to buy it himself.[20] He secured funding for the administrators to keep the team operating with the goal of getting it to Milton Keynes as soon as possible.[30] The club arranged the temporary use of theNational Hockey Stadium in Milton Keynes and played its first match there in September 2003.[31] Nine months later, Winkelman's Inter MK Group bought the club out of administration and announced changes to its name, badge and colours—the team was renamed Milton Keynes Dons Football Club.[32]
The first season for the club as Milton Keynes Dons was2004–05, inFootball League One, underStuart Murdoch, who had managed Wimbledon F.C. since 2002. The team's first game was on 7 August 2004, a 1–1 home draw againstBarnsley, withIzale McLeod equalising with their first competitive goal.[33] Murdoch was sacked in November[34] and replaced byDanny Wilson, who kept Milton Keynes Dons in the division on the final day of the season — largely due toWrexham's 10-point deduction for going intoadministration.The following season, Milton Keynes Dons struggled all year, and were relegated toLeague Two; Wilson, as a result, was sacked.[35]
Wilson's successor for2006–07 wasMartin Allen, who had just takenBrentford to the brink of a place in theFootball League Championship. Milton Keynes Dons were in contention for automatic promotion right up to the last game of the season, but eventually finished fourth and had to settle for a play-off place. They then suffered a defeat toShrewsbury Town in the play-off semi-finals. During the 2007 summer break, Allen left to take over atLeicester City.
For the2007–08 season, formerEnglandcaptainPaul Ince took over as manager. Milton Keynes Dons reachedthe final of theFootball League Trophy, while topping the table for most of the season. The final was played on 30 March 2008 againstGrimsby Town — Milton Keynes Dons won 2–0 atWembley to bring the first professional trophy to Milton Keynes. The club capped the trophy win with the League Two championship, and the subsequent promotion toLeague One. Following his successes, Ince left at the end of the season to manageBlackburn Rovers.
Ince's replacement was formerChelsea playerRoberto Di Matteo, taking his first role as a manager. In the2008–09 season, they missed out on an automatic promotion spot by two points, finishing third behindPeterborough United andLeicester City. They were knocked out of the play-offs byScunthorpe United, who defeated MK Dons bypenalty shootout at Stadium MK. Di Matteo left at the season's end forWest Bromwich Albion.[36] A year after leaving, Ince returned as manager for the2009–10 season.[37] He resigned from the club on 16 April 2010, but remained manager until the end of the season.[38]
On 10 May 2010,Karl Robinson was appointed as the club's new manager, with formerEngland coachJohn Gorman as his assistant. At 29 years of age, Robinson was at the time of his appointment the youngest manager in theFootball League.[39] In his first season in the club Milton Keynes Dons finished fifth in2010–11 League One. They facedPeterborough United in the play-off semifinals. Although they won the first leg 2–1, a 2–0 defeat at London Road meant they missed out on the play-off final, losing the Semi-Final 3–2 on aggregate goals.
The 2011–12 season brought similar results to the previous season with the Dons finishing fifth in2011–12 League One facingHuddersfield in the play-offs. Losing the first leg 2–0 followed by winning 2–1 atThe Galpharm saw Milton Keynes Dons lose 3–2 on aggregate against the eventual play-off winners. The away leg was John Gorman's last match in football after announcing his retirement a few weeks beforehand. Gorman's replacement was announced on 18 May 2012 as being ex-Luton managerMick Harford along with new part-time coachIan Wright.
Milton Keynes Dons experienced their best ever FA Cup campaign in the2012–13 season by beating a spiritedCambridge City (0–0 and 6–1), League Two fierce rivalsAFC Wimbledon (2–1), ChampionshipSheffield Wednesday (0–0 and 2–0) and Premier LeagueQueens Park Rangers (4–2) to reach the fifth round of the competition for the first time in their history. Their record-breaking run ended in the fifth round at Stadium MK on 16 February 2013, losing 3–1 to Championship sideBarnsley. After being in the top five for most of the season, the club finished the2013–14 League One season in tenth place.
The 2014–15 season began well. The highlight event of the season's first month was being drawn againstManchester United in the League Cup second round, having dispatched AFC Wimbledon in the first. The Dons recorded a shock 4–0 victory over Manchester United in front of a sell out crowd at Stadium MK.[40] A few weeks later, the Dons recorded their record win, a 6–0 thrashing ofColchester United at home.[41] That record did not last long as it was broken once again with a 7–0 demolition ofOldham Athletic on 20 December 2014.[42] Just over a month later, on 31 January 2015, the Dons recorded a joint record 5–0 away win againstCrewe Alexandra, earning a short-lived top spot.[43] On 3 May the club secured promotion to the Football League Championship for the first time, beatingYeovil Town 5–1 and leapfroggingPreston North End (who lost 1–0 atColchester United) on the final day of the season.[44]
The Dons started life in the Championship by beatingRotherham United away 4–1 on the opening day of the season and gaining seven points from a possible 12 in their first four games. They were not able to sustain this form throughout the season – the Dons did not win any of their final 11 games and they returned to League One after finishing 23rd in the Championship.[45]
On 23 October 2016, Karl Robinson left the club by mutual consent, following a 3–0 home defeat bySouthend United the previous day, which had extended the Dons' winless run to four games and left them 19th in the League One table.[46]
Robbie Neilson joined MK Dons as manager fromScottish Premiership clubHeart of Midlothian in his nativeScotland,[47] with his first official game in charge coincidentally anFA Cup tie against Karl Robinson's new clubCharlton Athletic.[48] Neilson's reign started off well, with his second game in charge a win over AFC Wimbledon,[49] and in late January 2017 alocal derby win againstNorthampton Town.[50]
Thefollowing season started badly; however, on 30 December 2017 the team was noted[51] for a remarkable 1–0 derby win againstPeterborough, playing with 9 men for 68 minutes after controversial refereeing decisions[52][53] and 13 minutes of added time.[54] Neilson left by mutual consent on 20 January 2018 after a run of one win in eleven league games with the club 21st in the table;[55] he was sacked the same day as his last game, a disappointing away 2–1 derby defeat against relegation rivalsNorthampton Town.[56]
Under Neilson's successor,Dan Micciche, the club continued to struggle in the relegation places. Following a run of poor results with only three wins in sixteen matches in charge, Micciche left the club on 22 April 2018, with assistant managerKeith Millen taking over as a caretaker.[57] On the penultimate weekend of the season another defeat relegated them to League Two (leaving them seven points from safety with one game to play).[58]
FormerExeter City managerPaul Tisdale was appointed in June 2018 after 12 years at his previous club.[59] After a season where the Dons were tipped to be favourites for promotion, the club spent most of the season around the automatic promotion and play-off places. Going top after a 2–0 win overMacclesfield Town in November,[60] the club sunk to 8th in February[61] before being one win way away from automatic promotion against play-off hopefulsColchester United in the penultimate game. The Dons lost 2–0[62] which led to a "winner takes all" game against 3rd placedMansfield Town, who were separated by goal difference, to determine who was promoted.[63] MK Dons won 1–0 in front of nearly 21,000 fans meaning they returned toLeague One at the first attempt.[64]
Following a poor start to the2019–20 season in which the Dons achieved only one point from a possible 27, the worst run of results in the club's history, Tisdale's contract with the club was mutually terminated on 2 November 2019 following a 1–3 home defeat to fellow relegation-threatenedTranmere Rovers.[65] The next day,Russell Martin was announced as the new permanent first-team manager; he had joined as a player earlier in the year.[66]Fixtures were suspended on 13 March 2020 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic,[67] and the clubs later voted to end the season prematurely with immediate effect on 9 June 2020, with the final table decided upon by an unweighted points-per-game system resulting in the club finishing the season in 19th place,[68] thus avoiding relegation.
TheDons went into the final weekend of the2021–22 League One season with a chance of gaining automatic promotion to the Championship, and even had a slim chance of becoming Champions if they won by a big score and other results went their way. They comfortably beatPlymouth Argyle 5–0,[69] but bothWigan Athletic and Rotherham United won their games against Shrewsbury Town andGillingham, respectively, to claim the two automatic promotion berths.[70][71] TheDons finished third[72] and faced Buckinghamshire rivals Wycombe Wanderers in theplay-offs. Despite theDons havinghome advantage in the second leg of their semi-final, Wycombe won 2–1 on aggregate to reach the final at Wembley.[73]
MK Dons suffered relegation to League Two in the2022–23 League One season.Liam Manning was replaced as manager in December 2022,[74] but successorMark Jackson registered just six wins in 25 games and was sacked after the side were relegated following a final day 0–0 draw atBurton Albion.[75]
On 27 May 2023, MK Dons appointedGraham Alexander as their new head coach.[76] After an eight-match winless run, Alexander was sacked with MK Dons in 16th place.[77] On 17 October 2023, MK Dons announced that they had appointedGateshead managerMike Williamson as their new head coach.[78] He led MK Dons to a 4th-placed finish, where they facedCrawley Town in the play-off semi-finals.[79] Crawley won 8–1 on aggregate, inflicting the largest play-off defeat in EFL history on the club.[80] This was the sixth time MK Dons had competed in the play-offs without reaching a final.[80]
On 9 August 2024, the owner, Pete Winkelman, sold the club to a Kuwait-based consortium, with Fahad Al Ghanim becoming the club's new chairman, representing the first change in ownership since the club's inception.[81] After four losses in the opening six games, including a 3–0 defeat to arch-rivalsAFC Wimbledon,[82] Mike Williamson was appointed as the manager ofCarlisle United on 19 September, with the Cumbrians meeting the release clause in his contract.[83] MK Dons appointed Williamson's replacement, theCrawley Town bossScott Lindsey, on 25 September 2024.[84] Lindsey's contract was terminated on 2 March 2025, with the club in 17th place, following a run of just two wins from 14 league games.[85] On 15 April 2025,Paul Warne was announced as the Head Coach on a 'long term' deal with just 4 games remaining of the2024–25 EFL League Two season.[86]
| Season | Kit manufacturer | Main sponsor | Back of shirt | Sleeve | Shorts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004–2005 | A-line | Marshall Amplification | |||
| 2005–2006 | |||||
| 2006–2007 | Surridge Sports | ||||
| 2007–2008 | Nike | ||||
| 2008–2009 | |||||
| 2009–2010 | DoubleTree by Hilton | ||||
| 2010–2011 | ISC | ||||
| 2011–2012 | |||||
| 2012–2013 | Vandanel | Case Security | |||
| 2013–2014 | Sondico | ||||
| 2014–2015 | Suzuki GB[87][88] | ||||
| 2015–2016 | Erreà | ||||
| 2016–2017 | |||||
| 2017–2018 | |||||
| 2018–2019 | |||||
| 2019–2020 | |||||
| 2020–2021 | |||||
| 2021–2022 | |||||
| 2022–2023 | Castore[89] | eEnergy[90] | |||
| 2023–2024 | |||||
| 2024–2025 | Stadium Support Services Ltd[91] | ||||
| 2025–2026 | Reebok[92] | Equity Energies | |||
Source:Historical Football Kits
The club's first stadium was theNational Hockey Stadium, which was temporarily converted for football for the duration of the club's stay. Their lease on the venue ended in May 2007.
On 18 July 2007, the club's new 30,500 capacity stadium,Stadium MK inDenbigh hosted its first game, a restricted-entrance event against a youngChelsea XI.[93] The stadium was officially opened on 29 November 2007 byQueen Elizabeth II.[94] The stadium features an open concourse at the top of the lower tier, an integrated hotel with rooms looking over the pitch and conference facilities. The complex was to include a 3,000 capacity indoor arena, where theMK Lions basketball team would be based, but completion of this arena was delayed due to deferral of proposed commercial developments around the site.[95]
In May 2009, the stadium was named as one of 15 stadia put forward as potential hosts for theEngland 2018 FIFA World Cup bid, which would include increasing capacity to 44,000,[96] however England's bid was later unsuccessful. In recent years Stadium MK has played host to the2014 FA Women's Cup final, threeRugby World Cup 2015 fixtures[97][98] and four matches (including a semi-final) of theUEFA Women's Euro 2022.[99]
On 4 June 2005, at the 2005Football Supporters' Federation "Fans' Parliament" (AGM), the FSF refused the Milton Keynes Dons Supporters Association (MKDSA) membership of the FSF in a debate that, among other arguments, questioned why the Football League had yet to introduce any new rules to prevent the"franchising" of other football clubs in the future.[100][101] In addition, the FSF membership agreed with the Wimbledon Independent Supporters' Association (WISA) that the MKDSA should not be entitled to join the FSF until they give up all claim to the history and honours of Wimbledon FC. With this in mind, the FSF began discussions aimed at returning Wimbledon FC's honours to theLondon Borough of Merton.
Shortly afterwards, following heavy criticism for allowing the move, the Football League announced new tighter rules on club relocation.[102] At its AGM on 5 June 2006, the FSF again considered a motion[103] proposed by the FSF Council to allow Milton Keynes Dons Supporters Association membership if the honours and trophies of Wimbledon FC were given to theLondon Borough of Merton. In October 2006, agreement[104] was reached between the club, the Milton Keynes Dons Supporters Association, the Wimbledon Independent Supporters' Association and the Football Supporters Federation. The FA Cup trophy plus all club patrimony gathered under the name of Wimbledon Football Club would be returned to the London Borough of Merton. Ownership of trademarks and websitedomain names related to Wimbledon would also be transferred to the borough. As part of the same agreement it was agreed that any reference made to Milton Keynes Dons should refer only to events subsequent to 7 August 2004 (the date of the first league game of Milton Keynes Dons).
As a result of this deal, the FSF announced that the supporters of Milton Keynes Dons would be permitted to become members of the federation, and that it would no longer appeal to the supporters of other clubs to boycott Milton Keynes Dons' matches.[105] On 2 August 2007, Milton Keynes Dons transferred ownership of all Wimbledon Football Club trophies and memorabilia to the London Borough of Merton.[106]
AFC Wimbledon
Due to their shared ancestry inWimbledon F.C., there is an unavoidably acrimonious rivalry withAFC Wimbledon[107] since therelocation of Wimbledon F.C. to Milton Keynes;[108]
The first fixture between the two clubs took place on 2 December 2012 in the second round of the2012–13 FA Cup, where they were drawn to play each other at Stadium MK. Milton Keynes Dons won the match 2–1, with a winner scored ininjury time byJon Otsemobor and later dubbed by MK Dons fans as "The Heel of God" (a reference toMaradona's "Hand of God").[109]Kyle McFadzean's opening goal for MK Dons in the second match between the two clubs, a 3–1 Milton Keynes win in thefirst round of theLeague Cup in August 2014,[110] was also scored with his heel, and was consequently labelled "Heel of God II".[111] Two months later, in theFootball League Trophy Southern section second round, AFC Wimbledon defeated MK Dons 3–2 with a winning goal byAdebayo Akinfenwa.[112]
On 10 December 2016, the sides met for the first time in a competitive league fixture following MK Dons' relegation from theChampionship and AFC Wimbledon's promotion fromLeague Two the previous season. Milton Keynes Dons won 1–0, withDean Bowditch scoring the only goal of the game with a 63rd-minute penalty.[113] The first visit of MK Dons to AFC Wimbledon's home ground for a League One match on 14 March 2017 resulted in a 2–0 victory for AFC Wimbledon. The 2018–19 season saw AFC Wimbledon remain in League One, in a higher league than MK Dons for the first time.[114]
In 2017, AFC Wimbledon, in theclub's programme for their home game against the Dons, played on 22 September, failed to recognise their opponents by their full name for the second successive season. AFC Wimbledon's officialTwitter feed also referred to their opponents as "Milton Keynes" throughout their match coverage. AFC Wimbledon were subsequently threatened by the EFL with disciplinary action,[108] and eventually charged with breaching EFL regulations.[115] The charges were dropped.[116] AFC Wimbledon were forced to refer to MK Dons by their full name ahead of the 2019–20 season, after the EFL stepped in to mediate.[117]
Peterborough United
MK Dons have a rivalry withPeterborough United,[118] since the two clubs have vied head-to-head for promotion to theChampionship in recent years.[119] A rivalry also exists betweenMK Lightning andPeterborough Phantoms inice hockey that pre-dates the football rivalry.[120]
Northampton Town
Northampton is geographically the closest urban area to Milton Keynes with a professional football team,Northampton Town, the two places separated by a little over 20 miles (32 km).[121] Former MK Dons Supporters' Association Chairman John Brockwell had stated that the fans were looking forward to hosting Northampton Town, the club that, geographically at least, are their nearest rivals.[122] Although Peterborough United have been traditionally Northampton's main rivals, the "Cobblers" spokesman has stated, in 2008, that, "with MK Dons now on the fixture list, it gives [Northampton] supporters the chance to develop another rivalry."[122]
In January 2016 police arrested a Milton Keynes fan for setting offpyrotechnics in the away end, and two Northampton fans and three more Milton Keynes fans were ejected from the ground.[123] In 2018, before the 30 January 3pm kick-off in the League One game between the two clubs, Northamptonshire Police arrested seven travelling supporters of the Dons, with one Northampton fan also arrested.[124][125] Four arrests were forpublic order offences, one forcriminal damage, one forpitch encroachment, one forobstructing the police, and one foraffray.[124]
Wycombe Wanderers
Wycombe Wanderers are the only other professional team inBuckinghamshire, so games between the two teams are labelled "the Bucks derby".[126][127]
Through the work of its charity, Milton Keynes Dons SET (Sport and Educational Trust), the club works locally in the fields of education, social inclusion, participation and football development.[128] It works with schools, has 14 disability teams playing in regional or national competitions, works with BME (black and minority ethnic) community groups and runs many activities for women and girls.[128]
Milton Keynes Dons' work in the community has been recognised by the award of theFootball League Awards Community Club of the Season for the South East & East in both 2012 and 2022,[129] and in the award of an honorary doctorate to chairman Pete Winkelman by theOpen University in June 2013.[130] The club have also been awarded Family Excellence status by theEFL every year since the award's inception in 2008, recognising continuing improvement and best practice in family engagement.[131]
.jpg)
StrikerSam Baldock was the first notable academy graduate who, after making 102 appearances, moved on toWest Ham United for a seven-figure sum. He later became captain ofBristol City and also played forDerby County. As of February 2015[update],Daniel Powell,Tom Flanagan andGeorge Baldock, brother of Sam, all played regularly for the MK Dons first team.
On 2 February 2015, Milton Keynes Dons academy graduate and first team midfielderDele Alli was sold toPremier League sideTottenham Hotspur for a fee in the region of £5 million.[132] Alli became the first Milton Keynes Dons academy graduate to make a full England senior team debut, on 9 October 2015.[133]
Kevin Danso is a graduate of the academy[134] who went on to play forAustria and became the youngest player to make a league appearance inFC Augsburg's history, when making hisBundesliga debut.[135][136]
Other notable youth graduates who have gone on to play at a higher level includeGeorge Williams,Brendan Galloway,Scotland internationalLiam Kelly and England youth team internationalSheyi Ojo.
On 9 August 2016, in a first-roundEFL Cup match againstNewport County, managerKarl Robinson selected a first-team squad composed of 13 academy graduates and players, giving eight of those players their full debuts for the club includingBrandon Thomas-Asante. The game ended with a 2–3 away win for the club.[137]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
Mark Wright finished the 2007–08 season as the club's top goalscorer, helping the Dons win both the League Two title and theFootball League Trophy.Jon Otsemobor made 44 appearances for the club and scored the winning goal in the first match againstAFC Wimbledon with a back-heel that was later dubbed the "Heel of God".[139]
Milton Keynes Dons were former Premier League playerJimmy Bullard's last club before his retirement from football, making only three appearances for the club.[140] SimilarlyDietmar Hamman made 12 appearances as a player-coach before retiring.[141]
Notable players loaned from other clubs were strikersPatrick Bamford, who scored 18 goals in 37 games,Benik Afobe, who became the league's top scorer in just six months, andÁngelo Balanta, whose loan spell lasted three years.[142] FormerIreland internationalClinton Morrison[143] and formerPremiership playersPaul Rachubka andJames Tavernier also had short loan spells with the club.
Alan Smith, most known for his time atLeeds United andManchester United, joined the club on loan, signing fromNewcastle United before making the move permanent totalling 67 appearances for the club. Other international players who have worn the Dons shirt includeTore André Flo,Ali Gerba,Michel Pensée,Cristian Benavente,Richard Pacquette,Keith Andrews,Russell Martin,Tom Flanagan,Drissa Diallo,Pelé andOusseynou Cissé.Joe Walsh,Brendan Galloway,Jordan Houghton, Connor Furlong,Gboly Ariyibi,Gareth Edds all represented their countries at youth level.
| Name | Nationality | Position[n 3] | Milton Keynes Dons career | Apps | Goals | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dele Alli |  England | Midfielder | 2011–2015 | 88 | 24 | |
| Sam Baldock | England | Forward | 2006–2011 | 102 | 33 | |
| Dean Bowditch | England | Winger | 2011–2017 | 185 | 37 | |
| Samir Carruthers |  Ireland | Midfielder | 2013–2017 | 117 | 6 | |
| Luke Chadwick | England | Midfielder | 2008–2014 | 210 | 17 | |
| Gareth Edds |  Australia | Midfielder | 2004–2008 | 122 | 10 | |
| Stephen Gleeson | Ireland | Midfielder | 2009–2014 | 174 | 16 | |
| Willy Guéret |  France | Goalkeeper | 2007–2011 | 135 | 0 | |
| Antony Kay | England | Defender | 2012–2016 | 142 | 6 | |
| Mathias Kouo-Doumbé | France | Defender | 2009–2013 | 121 | 11 | |
| Peter Leven |  Scotland | Midfielder | 2008–2011 | 113 | 22 | |
| Dean Lewington | England | Defender | 2004–2025 | 791 | 21 | [n 4] |
| David Martin | England | Goalkeeper | 2004–2006 2010–17 | 274 | 0 | |
| Izale McLeod | England | Forward | 2004–2007 2013–2014 | 165 | 62 | |
| Sean O'Hanlon | England | Defender | 2006–2011 | 157 | 15 | |
| Clive Platt | England | Forward | 2005–2007 | 102 | 27 | |
| Darren Potter | Ireland | Midfielder | 2011–2017 | 228 | 9 | |
| Daniel Powell | England | Forward | 2008–2017 | 228 | 37 | |
| Ben Reeves |  Northern Ireland | Midfielder | 2013–2017 | 102 | 22 | |
| Jordan Spence | England | Defender | 2013–2016 | 100 | 2 | |
| Aaron Wilbraham | England | Forward | 2005–2011 | 178 | 50 | |
| Shaun Williams | Ireland | Defender | 2011–2014 | 108 | 19 | |
| George Williams | England | Defender | 2016–2021 | 142 | 4 |
|
|
Source:[148]
Football staff
| Senior management
|
League
Cup
Source:MKDons.com
The club founded awomen's association football team in 2009. They operate as part of the club with an identical badge and strip, and as of the2018–19 season, the team shareStadium MK as their home stadium with their male counterparts, one of the first clubs in the country to do so.[152] They compete in theFA Women's National League South.
A club statement read: '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.'
And, on behalf of both clubs, the FSF respectfully requests that, with immediate effect, our media colleagues now refer to MK Dons in relation ONLY to matches played since their first Football League fixture was fulfilled against Barnsley on August 7, 2004.
Thus the spectre of Luton moving to Milton Keynes has been raised regularly over the years, but the opposition of either the fans (vehement) or the Football League (ironic, given that it was on the basis of a club moving out of its area) always came to the rescue.
The proposal has met with considerable opposition, and not just from the WFC fans. ... [M]ost of the hundreds (over 600) of communications we have received have argued against the proposal. They have generally been from individual WFC fans. 57. Supporters' associations and individual fans from many other clubs and people from as far afield as the United States, Australia (Wimbledon Supporters Downunder), Russia and Norway have also expressed similar views. ... The fans are not of the opinion that a club in Milton Keynes is better than no club at all.;"Dons get Milton Keynes green light".BBC Sport. 28 May 2002. Retrieved31 August 2009.
Ten miles from Selhurst Park, in Kingston upon Thames, the following Saturday, the streets around the tidy little Kingsmeadow football ground are filling up an hour before kick-off. It is here that Wimbledon fans, fed up with the direction in which the owners were leading the object of their love, have set up a football club of their own. ... Early in 2001, Wimbledon's owners announced that they intended to move the club to the Buckinghamshire new town. The fans were adamant that it should remain in their community. 'They wanted to steal our club,' says Kevin Rye, of the Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association (Wisa). 'Nick it and move it 70 miles north. That's what it is: nothing short of theft.'
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