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| Full name | Wimbledon Football Club |
|---|---|
| Nicknames | The Dons,The Wombles,The Crazy Gang |
| Founded | 1889 (as Wimbledon Old Centrals)[n 1] |
| Dissolved | 21 June 2004[n 2] |
| Ground | Plough Lane (1912–1991) Selhurst Park (1991–2003) National Hockey Stadium (2003–04) |
| 2003–04 | First Division, 24th of 24 (Relegated) |
Wimbledon Football Club was an Englishfootball club formed inWimbledon, southwestLondon, in 1889 and based atPlough Lane from 1912 to 1991. Founded as Wimbledon Old Centrals,[n 1] the club were anon-League team for most of their history. Nicknamed "the Dons" and latterly also "the Wombles", they won eightIsthmian League titles, theFA Amateur Cup in 1963 and three successiveSouthern League championships between 1975 and 1977, and were then elected tothe Football League. The team rose quickly from obscurity during the 1980s and werepromoted to the then top-flightFirst Division in 1986, just four seasons after being in theFourth Division.
Wimbledon's "Crazy Gang"—so-called because of the boisterous, eccentric behaviour of the players—won theFA Cup in1988, beating that season's League championsLiverpool, and thereby became one of only three clubs to have won both the FA Cup and its amateur counterpart.[n 3] In 1991, following the publication of theTaylor Report recommending all-seater grounds for top-flight clubs, Wimbledon left Plough Lane togroundshare with nearbyCrystal Palace atSelhurst Park—an originally temporary arrangement that ended up lasting over a decade. The team remained in the First Division and its successor theFA Premier League until they wererelegated in 2000.
In 2001, after rejecting a variety of possible local sites and others further afield, the club announced its intention tomove 46 miles (74 km) north toMilton Keynes inBuckinghamshire. The idea of Wimbledon leaving south London was deeply unpopular, both with the bulk of the club's established fanbase and with football supporters generally, but an independent commission appointed bythe Football Association granted permission in May 2002. A group of supporters, appalled by the decision, responded by forming a new club,AFC Wimbledon, to which the majority of Wimbledon FC fans switched allegiance. The move went ahead and Wimbledon FC played home games in Milton Keynes in the 2003-2004 season;Milton Keynes Dons F.C. would compete in the Football League from 2004 onwards.[4][5][6]
Wimbledon Old Central Football Club formed in 1889, taking its name from theOld Central School onWimbledon Common where players had been pupils. The club's first match was a 1–0 victory over Westminster, and it took only seven years for success to come to Wimbledon as they won both the Clapham League and the Herald League in1895–96. Wimbledon won the Clapham League again in1900–01, as well as two minor trophies. At a meeting convened on 1 May 1905, the decision was taken to drop "Old Central" from the club's name, and under its new name Wimbledon Football Club won the South London Charity Cup the same year; however, excessive debts caused the club to fold in 1910. A year later, the club was restarted under the name Wimbledon Borough, though 'Borough' was dropped from the team's name after barely a year. They continued to play on Wimbledon Common and at various other locations in the Wimbledon area until 1912, when the side settled atPlough Lane. Wimbledon joined theAthenian League for1919–20, and finished as runners-up in their second season in the new division.[7] The club then joined theIsthmian League and began to prosper, winning four Isthmian League titles during the 1930s and reaching theFA Amateur Cup final in1934–35. The club reached another FA Amateur Cup final in1946–47 and twice finished as runners-up in the league over the next few seasons.[7]
Wimbledon won the Isthmian League for the fifth time in1958–59 before starting a period of domination that saw three successive championships:1961–62,1962–63 and1963–64. Wimbledon also lifted the FA Amateur Cup in 1962–63, beatingSutton United 4–2; the club's all-time top goalscorer,Eddie Reynolds, scored all four Wimbledon goalswith his head, and in doing so became the only player to have headed in all four of his side's goals in aWembley match – as of 2025, still a unique feat.[8] Following these successes, the decision was taken for the club to turn professional for the1964–65 season and to enter theSouthern League. Wimbledon's success continued in their new league, and the team finished as runners-up at the first attempt. Wimbledon became nationally famous during anFA Cup run during the1974–75 season; entering the competition at the first qualifying round, Wimbledon defeatedBracknell Town, thenMaidenhead United,Wokingham Town,Guildford & Dorking United,Bath City andKettering Town to find themselves in the third round proper. They then became the firstnon-League team of the 20th century to beat aFirst Division side away from home by defeatingBurnley atTurf Moor. Their good form continued in the fourth round, as the team held the reigning First DivisionchampionsLeeds United to a 0–0 draw atElland Road.GoalkeeperDickie Guy saved a penalty fromPeter Lorimer to earn a replay, which was narrowly lost 1–0 by anown goal in front of over 40,000 spectators atSelhurst Park. After winning the Southern League three times running, from1974–75 to1976–77, Wimbledon were elected tothe Football League in place ofWorkington for the1977–78 season.[7]
The1977–78 season was a satisfactory Football League debut for Wimbledon, who finished 13th in theFourth Division.[7]Allen Batsford had resigned as manager on 2 January 1978 to be succeeded byDario Gradi, who guided the club to promotion in1978–79.[7] Wimbledon's first stay in theThird Division was not a successful one. The team struggled, and wererelegated in bottom place, winning just 10 league games all season.[7] Following relegation,relocation to Milton Keynes was considered – chairmanRon Noades entered talks with theMilton Keynes Development Corporation about the possibility of moving the club to thenew town, but the plan was never executed.[9][10]
Still insouth London,1980–81 saw Wimbledon regain Third Division status at the first attempt, at the end of an eventful season which saw chairman Ron Noades walk out of the club to take overCrystal Palace, taking manager Dario Gradi toSelhurst Park with him.[7] AtPlough Lane, assistant managerDave Bassett was promoted to manager. Under Bassett, Wimbledon were relegated in 22nd place.[7] Just before the survival battle was lost, injured defenderDave Clement committedsuicide.[11] Wimbledon once again regained Third Division status at the first time of asking, triumphing as Fourth Division champions in1982–83, and inthe next season the Wimbledon players continued to excel as they achieved a second promotion to theSecond Division after finishing runners-up with 97 league goals.[7]
1984–85 was Wimbledon's first season in the Second Division, and everyone at the club was prepared for long and hard struggle to preserve this status. A 12th-place finish was more than satisfactory for a club that was playing at this level for the first time.[7] The next year started well for Wimbledon asMiddlesbrough were defeated 3–0 on the opening day of the season – the team was soon looking like a contender forpromotion. Promotion in third place was sealed on the final day of the season with an away victory atHuddersfield Town. Thus, Wimbledon had reached theFirst Division, only four years after playing in the Fourth Division and nine years after being elected into The Football League.[7]
Many observers tipped Wimbledon to go straight back down in1986–87, but after losing the first game of the season away atManchester City, Wimbledon won the next four games to perch atop the league table on 1 September. Wimbledon eventually finished sixth, before Dave Bassett moved on toWatford.[7] His successor wasBristol Rovers managerBobby Gould. Dubbed "The Crazy Gang" because of the eccentric behaviour of its players, fans and chairman,Sam Hammam, the club's greatest moment came in 1988 when, very much against expectation, the team won theFA Cup, beating overwhelming favouritesLiverpool1–0 with a goal fromLawrie Sanchez. 37,000 Wimbledon fans witnessedcaptainDave Beasant becoming the firstgoalkeeper to save apenalty in an FA Cup final, stoppingJohn Aldridge's shot.[12] The only downside of this triumph was that the club would not be able to compete in theEuropean Cup Winners' Cup, as the ban on English teams from European competition following theHeysel Stadium Disaster was still in operation at this time.[13]
Just days after the FA Cup triumph, Wimbledon directors announced plans to build a newall-seater stadium in the club's home borough ofMerton. In theseason following the FA Cup triumph, Gould steered Wimbledon to a secure 12th-place finish in the First Division, and in1989–90 the side finished eighth.[7] Despite these successes, Bobby Gould was replaced in 1990 byRay Harford, who inthe same year as Wimbledon's FA Cup triumph had guidedLuton Town to victory in theLeague Cup. Under Harford's management,Warren Barton was purchased for £300,000 while Wimbledon had another strong season in1990–91, finishing seventh.[7]
Nothing came of the plans for a new ground and at the end of1990–91 the club's board decided thatPlough Lane was beyond redevelopment to meet with new legislation from theTaylor Report, requiring all-seater stadiums.[14] Consequently, the club moved toSelhurst Park before the1991–92 season,ground-sharing withCrystal Palace. Harford suddenly resigned in October 1991, to be replaced byPeter Withe. Withe lasted until just after the turn of the new year, whenJoe Kinnear was promoted from the role of youth team coach, initially taking over as interim manager. After guiding Wimbledon to 13th place in the First Division and booking a place in the inauguralFA Premier League,[7] Kinnear got the manager's job on a permanent basis.
1992–93 began as a struggle for Wimbledon – the club were third from bottom onBoxing Day. However, the team recovered well in the new year and finished 12th.[7]The next season was one of Wimbledon's best seasons to date as the side finished sixth in the FA Premier League and reached the quarter-finals of the League Cup.[7] Wimbledon remained hard to beat in1994–95, finishing ninth in the league.[7] During the close season the Dons made their first and only appearance in aUEFA European competition, being required by the FA to enter theIntertoto Cup. However, after fielding an under-strength side containing reserves, youth team players and unsigned trialists in their group stage games, the club – along withTottenham Hotspur – were banned from European competition for the following season.[15] Not that it mattered; after losing Barton to Newcastle,1995–96 saw a drop to 14th.[7] Wimbledon made a fine start to the1996–97 campaign – after losing the first three fixtures, the players proceeded to win their next seven and reach second place in the FA Premier League. There was delight in early February when they eliminatedManchester United from the FA Cup – Wimbledon reached both theFA Cup semi-finals and the semi-finals of the League Cup. Wimbledon's last hope of qualifying for European competition now lay with a challenge for a top-five league finish, but the team could only manage eighth.[7]
The1997–98 season looked highly promising for Wimbledon as late on asChristmas, as the team were regularly in the top five. However, the side's form in the second half of the season was less impressive, and the club dipped to 15th place in the final table – the lowest finish yet for Wimbledon in the top flight.[7] A similar pattern followed in1998–99 – a good start followed by a slump. As late on as mid-March, the team were on the fringe of aUEFA Cup place. The club record signing ofWest Ham United strikerJohn Hartson boosted hopes of success for Wimbledon, but a terrible run of form in the final weeks of the season saw the side dip to 16th in the final table.[7] Wimbledon again reached theLeague Cup semi-finals that season – losing to eventual winnersTottenham Hotspur.[7]
Joe Kinnear stepped down as manager in June 1999 due to ill health, and was succeeded by Norwegian coachEgil Olsen. Wimbledon reached the quarter-finals of the League Cup, but the team's league form slowly deteriorated during the second half of the season. Olsen left in early May with the club threatened by relegation. Long-serving coachTerry Burton took over,[16] but on 14 May 2000, 12 years to the day after the FA Cup win, the side wasrelegated from the top flight after 14 years after a 2–0 defeat atSouthampton and a 1–0 win forBradford City overLiverpool.[7] Burton remained manager of Wimbledon for two seasons in the second tier before he was sacked at the end of2001–02 after the club had narrowly missed out on the promotion play-offs two seasons in a row.[7]
In August 2001, the club announced its intent to relocate toMilton Keynes.[18] Despite opposition from Wimbledon fans,[19]The Football League, andThe Football Association,[19] they were given permission to do so on 28 May 2002 after a 2–1 vote by the three-person, independent commission appointed by the F.A.[19][20] The approval of the decision to move the club caused supporters who were against the move to found a new club,AFC Wimbledon, to which most Wimbledon fans switched their allegiance;[4][5][21]gates at the new club were over 3,500, compared with 2,500 or less for the relocated club.[4]
Goalkeeping coachStuart Murdoch was promoted to manager,[22] and as attendances plummeted,[23] Murdoch's team finished 10th in the league during the club's last full season at Selhurst Park.[7] Wimbledon enteredadministration in June 2003,[24] and played their first match inMilton Keynes in September.[25] The administrator in charge of the club's financial affairs sold any player who could command a transfer fee and Murdoch's team finished at the bottom of the league.[7][26]
The club were brought out of administration at the end of the2003–04 season,[27] and "Milton Keynes Dons"[28][27] was formed in the club's place.
The club's nickname was the Dons, though the club were also often referred to in the media asthe Wombles from the mid-1970s onwards. Following theFA Cup victory in 1988, the termCrazy Gang also started to be applied; originally to the players, though over time to the club as a whole.[29] The club introduced a character mascot in 2000, a Womble named Wandle the Womble. However, following the relocation of the club in 2003, the owners of the Wombles brand refused to renew the licensing agreement in protest at the move. Three years later, a deal was agreed that saw a similar character named Haydon the Womble appear atAFC Wimbledon.[30]
The colours most associated with the club were blue and yellow.[29] The club's first colours were navy blue and white,[29] though the kit changed several times soon after the club's foundation, between combinations of: brown and blue striped shirts with navy blue shorts; green and white striped shirts with navy blue shorts; green shirts and black shorts; white shirts with navy blue shorts, and finally green and black striped shirts with black shorts.[29] Royal blue shirts with navy blue shorts and socks were finally settled upon in 1918, initially bearing a "W" (for Wimbledon) in the centre of the chest.[29] Wimbledon players then regularly wore royal blue shirts with black shorts and socks until a shift in the 1950s saw the shorts change from black to white.[29] A combination of blue shirts, blue shorts and white socks was introduced in 1966,[29] before being abandoned a year later in favour of an all-blue outfit.[29] The white socks returned in 1970.[29] A blue and yellow combination was first used in 1975,[29] but was replaced after a year with an all-white outfit trimmed with blue,[29] and this was the kit in which the club played its first season in the Football League. In 1978, Yellow shirts, blue shorts and yellow socks were adopted,[29] before the club made the change to an all-blue strip with yellow markings in 1981.[29] The kit underwent only minor changes until 1993,[29] when a darker, deep navy blue replaced the royal blue shade that had been used for the previous twelve years.[29] Wimbledon wore these colours for the remainder of their history. As forchange colours, a red kit, with black trim, was a frequent choice in the 1990s. The club had a green away kit for the2000–01 season.[29]
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The first crest the club wore was the emblem of theMunicipal Borough of Wimbledon. This emblem appeared on Wimbledon shirts from the late 1920s until the mid-1950s, when no badge was worn.[29] Thecoat of arms returned in the early 1970s,[29] before the club adopted its own badge on election to The Football League in 1977.[29] The crest was very similar to the badge most commonly associated with the club – the difference being the inclusion of white rather than yellow. Yellow replaced white in 1981, and this logo was used until 2003.[29] After the club'srelocation to Milton Keynes was confirmed in May 2002, theCollege of Arms informed the club in August 2002 that its continued use of the Borough arms was illegal. A replacement, given the go-ahead on 12 April 2003, featured a stylised eagle's head – an element from the Wimbledon arms – drawn in navy blue and yellow outline, the yellow forming a stylised rendering of the letters "MK" (for Milton Keynes).[31] Despite being officially adopted in April 2003, the logo's use was inconsistent: the club officially announced that it would be used "on all club kit, merchandise and literature from the start of [the 2003–04] season",[31] including on a new white away kit and on an amended version of the previous season's home outfit,[32] but this never occurred; both the home and away colours from 2002 to 2003 were retained for the following year with the municipal arms still present. Moreover, the old crest continued to appear on official club statements and literature towards the end of the 2003–04 season, making the status of the new badge ambiguous at best.[33][34]
From 2000 to June 2003, the original Wimbledon F.C. had used aWomble mascot named"Wandle", named after the localRiver Wandle, as a club mascot. However, in light of the controversy over the moving of the club to Milton Keynes, the legal licence to use the character was withdrawn by the Wombles' creator,Elisabeth Beresford, in protest at the nature of the club's relocation.[35]
Wimbledon originally played onWimbledon Common, using the Fox and Grapespublic house in Camp Road as the team's headquarters and changing room. The club moved toPlough Lane in September 1912. During the 1930s and 1940s, crowds of between 7,000 and 10,000 were not uncommon at the ground. Wimbledon's highest attendance at the ground came on 2 March 1935, when 18,080 people were attracted to anFA Amateur Cup tie againstHMS Victory.Floodlights were first used on 3 October 1960 in aLondon Charity Cup match againstArsenal.
The Plough Lane ground remained comparatively basic, and by the time the club had risen to theFirst Division the stadium had not changed greatly from Wimbledon's recent non-league days. At the time of the club's acceptance intothe Football League in 1977, applicants had only to meet minimal stadium criteria, and once in the League these same criteria sufficed regardless of whether the club subsequently found itself in theFourth or First Division. However, following theHillsborough disaster and the subsequentTaylor Report, the football authorities introduced far stricter safety rules, which gave top-flight clubs specific deadlines by which to redevelop terraced grounds or to build newall-seater stadiums. The board of the club decided that Plough Lane could not be made to comply with these new requirements economically and, in 1990, they announced plans to temporarilygroundshare withCrystal Palace at theirSelhurst Park stadium.
Given the location of the Plough Lane ground, at the junction of two major roads and beside theRiver Wandle, major redevelopment of the site as a modern all-seater stadium might have been difficult, though not impossible. The club's board of directors maintained that it had "searched exhaustively with Merton Council" for a site in or aroundMerton on which to build a new stadium, looking at "14 different sites over a period of five years", in addition to commissioning feasibility studies for redeveloping both Plough Lane and the neighbouring site atWimbledon Stadium. Despite this, nothing ever became of the board's continual promises to redevelop the site or to build a new ground within the borough, and the club remained as tenants at Selhurst Park for twelve years.[36]
Wimbledon's first match at theNational Hockey Stadium inMilton Keynes was played on 27 September 2003.[25] The club remained there for the rest ofits final season, and the ground became the first home ofMilton Keynes Dons.
| Period | Stadium | Borough/Town |
|---|---|---|
| 1889–1912 | Wimbledon Common | Merton |
| 1912–1991 | Plough Lane | Merton |
| 1991–2003 | Selhurst Park | Croydon |
| 2003–2004 | National Hockey Stadium | Milton Keynes |
Due toPlough Lane's modest capacity and Wimbledon's unprecedented rise fromnon-League football to theFirst Division in under ten years, the club had a much lower level of support than its top-flight rivals. During Wimbledon'sfirst season inthe Football League, Wimbledon's average attendance was only 3,135 – however, by the club's appearance in the top flightnine years later the average attendance had risen by 149% to 7,811. Attendances did not immediately change much following the move toSelhurst Park in 1991 – however, the larger capacity gradually started to be used. Average crowds peaked at 18,235 in1998–99, and during the next season, the team's final year in theFA Premier League, home crowds averaged 17,157. Withrelegation, attendances dropped to an average of only 7,897 during2000–01 as organized supporter boycotts of matches in protest at the proposed relocation took effect. Wimbledon averaged 6,961 during thefinal season before the club'srelocation to Milton Keynes was confirmed.[37]
Following the sanctioning of the move, most of the team's support left in specific protest at the club's relocation, to followAFC Wimbledon,[4][5] the new club founded by Wimbledon supporters.[4][5] During the2002–03 season, AFC Wimbledon's first and Wimbledon's last full season in south London, average crowds at the new club were actually higher than those at the original club.[37] Attendances during the2003–04 season, Wimbledon's last, were higher than those at AFC Wimbledon: Wimbledon averaged 4,751 at the National Hockey Stadium, compared to AFC Wimbledon's 2,606.[37]
The club had two main supporters organisations– the long established official Wimbledon F.C. Supporters Club, which was tied to the club, and the more radical Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association (WISA) which was founded in 1995.[38] The WISA was instrumental in the organisation of the supporter boycotts at Selhurst Park, and in the formation ofThe Dons Trust in March 2002.[38] This trust, created in part to oppose the relocation to Milton Keynes,[39] helped the WISA to found AFC Wimbledon months after its own establishment.[38][39] Both the WISA and The Dons Trust from this point became affiliated to AFC Wimbledon, while the official Wimbledon F.C Supporters Club became defunct following the relocation.[38][39]
During much of Wimbledon's amateur and latersemi-professional history, a strong local rivalry existed with neighbouringTooting & Mitcham United F.C.
From the mid 1980s, the club's main rivals were considered by fans to be fellowsouth London clubCrystal Palace (who were their landlord from 1991 to 2003) and west London-basedChelsea; however, neither of these rivalries was seriously reciprocated. Wimbledon were in the same division as Palace for a total of 11 seasons between 1984 and 2004, and in the same division as Chelsea for all but one season between 1986 and 2000.[40]
The record for most appearances for Wimbledon was held byRoy Law, who turned out for the club 644 times between 1958 and 1972;[41] Law's 433 league appearances was also a record.[41] Wimbledon's all-time top goalscorer wasEddie Reynolds, who scored 340 goals in 329 matches between 1957 and 1966.[42] The closest to Reynolds's record wasIan Cooke, who notched 297 between 1964 and 1977;[43] Cooke also made the second highest total number of appearances for the team, having appeared 615 times in a Wimbledon shirt.[43]
The records for most appearances and goals for Wimbledon inthe Football League were both held byAlan Cork. Cork scored 145 league goals for the club in 430 matches.[44] Cork also held the record for most Football League goals in a season, with 29 during1983–84.[44] Wimbledon's most capped player wasKenny Cunningham, who was capped 16 times for theRepublic of Ireland during his time at the club.[45] Wimbledon's most expensive signing wasJohn Hartson, for whom the club paidWest Ham United £7.5 million on 15 January 1999.[45][46] The highest fee that the club received was the £7 millionNewcastle United parted with to signCarl Cort on 6 July 2000.[45][47]
Wimbledon's best win was a 6–0 league victory overNewport County on 3 September 1983,[45] while the worst defeat was an 8–0League Cup defeat atEverton on 29 August 1978.[45] Wimbledon's longest unbeaten league run was 22 matches between 15 January and 14 May 1984;[48] the longest league run without a win, 14, was set between 19 March and 28 August 2000.[48] Wimbledon's longest run of league wins was seven, set between 9 April and 7 May 1983 and matched from 4 September to 19 October 1996.[48] Wimbledon's longest run of league defeats was the eleven matches lost in a row from 10 January to 27 March 2004.[48]
Wimbledon's highest attendance, 30,115, was set on 9 May 1993 for theFA Premier League match againstManchester United atSelhurst Park but their official home attendance record is 18,080 vs HMS Victory in an FA Amateur Cup tie on 9 March 1935 atPlough Lane due to Selhurst Park being borrowed from Crystal Palace FC.[45]
| Season | Competition | Round | Club | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Intertoto Cup | Group Stage |  Bursaspor | 0–41 | |
 Košice | 1–1 | ||||
 Beitar Jerusalem | 0–01 | ||||
 Charleroi | 0–3 |
1Both home matches in this competition were played atBrighton and Hove Albion'sGoldstone Ground, as Selhurst Park was unavailable.[49]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Prior to the appointment of H. R. Watts as first team manager in 1930, a committee would deal with first team affairs, such as choosing the team on a matchday.[51] Doc Dowden was appointed manager in 1946,[52] and stayed in the position until leaving at the end of the1954–55 season.[53]Les Henley arrived in his place as first team coach,[53] and stayed at the club for sixteen years in which the club progressed immensely, winning theFA Amateur Cup as well as threeIsthmian League championships before turning professional and moving to theSouthern League.[54][55] However, in 1971 Henley was replaced byMike Everitt, who arrived asplayer-manager. After two seasons, Everitt left to manageBrentford andDick Graham arrived as a replacement. Graham remained until March 1974, and a replacement was not appointed until July of that year, whenAllen Batsford was made manager. Batsford led Wimbledon tothe Football League, but resigned only halfway through the first League season.[55]Dario Gradi was made manager three days later,[55] but after three seasons he too resigned.[56] His replacement wasDave Bassett, who took Wimbledon to sixth in theFirst Division before moving toWatford.[56]Bobby Gould spent three years as manager before being replaced byRay Harford, who spent just over a season with Wimbledon. After Harford,Peter Withe had a spell as manager lasting only three months.Joe Kinnear was brought in during January 1992, and managed the club until leaving in 1999 due to ill health. A season was spent underEgil Olsen in which the team wasrelegated from theFA Premier League beforeTerry Burton was made manager.[16] Burton's Wimbledon narrowly missed the play-offs twice in a row before he was sacked.Stuart Murdoch managed Wimbledon for the club's final two seasons.[22][57]
| Name | Nationality | From | To | Matches | Won | Drawn | Lost | Win % | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H.R. Watts |  English | 1930 | 1946 | [51][52] | |||||
| Doc Dowden | English | 1946 | August 1955 | 375 | 186 | 64 | 126 | 49.6 | [52][53] |
| Les Henley | English | August 1955 | 5 April 1971 | 869 | 468 | 156 | 235 | 53.9 | [53][55] |
| Mike Everitt | English | 5 April 1971 | 6 August 1973 | 120 | 49 | 26 | 45 | 40.8 | [55] |
| Dick Graham | English | 18 August 1973 | 16 March 1974 | 45 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 35.6 | [55] |
| Allen Batsford | English | July 1974 | 2 January 1978 | 231 | 131 | 51 | 49 | 56.7 | [55] |
| Dario Gradi | English | 5 January 1978 | 24 January 1981 | 171 | 63 | 47 | 61 | 36.8 | [55] |
| Dave Bassett | English | 31 January 1981 | 17 June 1987 | 303 | 144 | 74 | 85 | 47.5 | |
| Bobby Gould | English | 26 June 1987 | 18 June 1990 | 142 | 57 | 43 | 42 | 40.1 | |
| Ray Harford | English | 18 June 1990 | 7 October 1991 | 56 | 20 | 17 | 19 | 35.7 | |
| Peter Withe | English | 7 October 1991 | 19 January 1992 | 17 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 5.9 | |
| Joe Kinnear |  Irish | 19 January 1992 | 9 June 1999 | 364 | 130 | 109 | 125 | 35.7 | |
| Egil Olsen |  Norwegian | 9 June 1999 | 1 May 2000 | 43 | 11 | 12 | 20 | 25.6 | [16] |
| Terry Burton | English | 1 May 2000 | 25 April 2002 | 108 | 39 | 39 | 30 | 36.1 | [16] |
| Stuart Murdoch | English | 25 June 2002 | 7 August 2004 | 101 | 30 | 17 | 54 | 29.7 | [22][n 4] |
Managers from Dowden until Batsford sourced to:Jones, Marc."AFCW Statistics". FOTO. Archived fromthe original on 23 April 2009. Retrieved5 November 2009.
Managers after Batsford sourced to:"Manager History for Wimbledon".Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Archived fromthe original on 3 August 2009. Retrieved4 June 2009.
Wimbledon were a successful club even before election tothe Football League, winning eightIsthmian League titles (including three in a row from 1962 to 1964) and three successiveSouthern League titles (from 1975 to 1977). Having also won theFA Amateur Cup in 1963, the run of Southern League titles prompted Football League election in 1977.[7]
Even at the higher level, Wimbledon continued to collect honours; the most notable being theFA Cup victory in 1988, which made Wimbledon only the third club to have won both the FA Cup and its amateur equivalent. Despite swift success in The Football League, the club's rapid ascent combined with short spells in theSecond andThird Divisions meant that the team only won a solitary divisional championship within the League – theFourth Division title of1982–83.[7]
League
Cup
Footnotes
References
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.
What happened at Wembley in The FA Amateur Cup Final of 1963 between Wimbledon and Sutton that had never happened before and hasn't happened since?" The answer given at half-time, as I suspected, was "Eddie Reynolds scored four goals for Wimbledon with his head.
I certainly looked for alternatives for rehousing Wimbledon, I mean, I could see the limitations in Plough Lane; but the big problem with Wimbledon was, in my view, was that Richmond Park was several square miles of parkland, where there weren't any houses, and it affected Wimbledon's gates compared to other clubs. Yes, we took an interest in Milton Keynes … we took a controlling interest in Milton Keynes, at the time they had financial problems, and I went up there, I was in the local press, I met the local authority, and they had a stadium site, right next to the big bus terminal there and the station, the main line route from Euston up to Manchester, and they were very keen to get a Football League club, effectively a franchise if you like, into Milton Keynes to take up that site. … I couldn't really see us getting any bigger gates than what Northampton Town were currently getting at that time, and, in fact, are still getting. I really couldn't see any future in it. I can't actually see that there is a means of drawing large attendances to Milton Keynes.
Outsiders at 33-1 before the third-round in January, Wimbledon turned the form book upside down to beat Liverpool, recently crowned League champions and one of the hottest favourites for years[.] … Beasant … was responsible for two FA Cup Final 'firsts' as he became the first goalkeeper to receive the Cup and the first to save a penalty kick at Wembley. … Dennis Wise's right-footer from the free kick curled in towards the near post, Lawrie Sanchez … scored with a simple glancing header into the far corner.
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