AFC Wimbledon

[Guest]

Last night there was an 87% vote in favour of admitting the new football club AFC Wimbledon to Ryman division 2. Sadly this wasn’t a big enough majority. I gather that the vote needed a 95% majority because there had been less than 21 days notice of the club’s application. I understand the voting system was quite complicated with the votes of some clubs being pooled, rather than the system being one club, one vote. But however it was done, it seems a few clubs voted against AFC Wimbledon joining. I – and most other Wimbledon fans – are incredibly angry at this. The League’s management committee had recommended accepting us; all the right boxes were ticked – we had the required financing, membership of the London FA; a limited company to provide the right corporate structure; a ground share at Kingstonian, and a manager and playing staff lined up. Yet a handful of club chairmen saw fit to turn down the income from gate receipts, programmes and beer money that would have been generated by 1,000 Dons fans coming to Ryman division 2 clubs. Frankly, I’m appalled and dismayed. Is the Ryman League scene so vibrant and financially healthy that clubs can afford to turn their nose up at this? Especially when there are spare places going in the League and no other club would have been prevented from joining? If you can shed any light on who voted against us – whether it was your club or any other – I’d like to hear from you as we clearly have some lobbying to do. Feel free to e-mail me at ianpollock@beeb.net. Best wishes, Ian Pollock.

[Guest]

Last year Enfield had to start in a lower league,and clubs before them,so whats different about your club?Bearing in mind the original Wimbledon came from the old Southern League(now Dr. Martins)why not try them for a place.

[Guest]

It strikes me a number of the Wimbledon faithfull have forgotten their non league roots.

Good on 'em for getting off their backsides, getting a club up and runing and raising the level of finance quoted in recent days. But that does not give them any right to leapfrog literally hundreds of clubs who have been working away for years in the hope of achieving Isthmian League level of football. Nor to suddenly be competing with clubs in the Ryman 2 who have a long history of Isthmian membership which is seriously at jeoperdy this season if they are not a promoted club at the end of it. A club with £70k at its disposal whose manager publically stated they would be going for promotion at the first attempt would hardly make that task any easier. I know it does not always work smoothly, but they are joining a pyramid system after all!

[Guest]

What i find totally mystifying is that most clubsare feeling the financial pinch that suddenlysome clubs become moralistic towards an attractive financial prospectlike AFC WIMBLEDON. What made ALDERSHOT FC so exceptional.

[GarySTFC]

Nothing did make them so special but times change. I would have loved to have seen AFC Wimbledon back in the Ryman League as I am sure they would have a healthy following which would benefit all the teams in that division, but rules are rules, and each club is entitiled to voice its own opinion.

 

It's definitely a shame, but that's what the league rules are in place for. The decisions been made and should be abided.

[DerekR]

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by Colin Evans:

<strong>Last year Enfield had to start in a lower league,and clubs before them,so whats different about your club?Bearing in mind the original Wimbledon came from the old Southern League(now Dr. Martins)why not try them for a place.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Could I pick up on a couple of points in Colin's post?

Firstly, Enfield FC are still playing in the Ryman League, but based somewhere in Hertfordshire. It is Enfield TOWN FC (based in ENFIELD) that we created last year, and are playing in the Essex Senior League.

Secondly, although Wimbledon gained promotion to the Football Leage from the Southern League, they were an Isthmian League club before then. I remember Enfield FC playing them in our first year in the Isthmian League, when we transferred over from the Athenian League (63-64 season).