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The NEW Wimbledon Stadium

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2 hours ago, iris123 said:

What is a surprise to me, as I haven’t followed the story that closely is how Kingstonian ended up in this situation.

That was my point. There are a lot of unanswered questions here...

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15 hours ago, Chris116 said:

Hope the place floods and all the flats sink into the River Wandle. 

Me too

Its not as if London has no other Football stadiums / Clubs 

yet this was the last  Stock Car / Greyhound / speedway track in London ,  and AFC Wimbledon didn't care about  the  2 sports using the existing stadium that got kicked out

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27 minutes ago, Chris116 said:

I am not only a speedway fan but also a Stock Car fan and used to go twice a week when both sports were at the stadium. I first saw speedway at Wimbledon in 1957 and went to the second ever Stock Car meeting at Plough Lane in 1962. After 2002 I also watched the dog racing around twice a month so the stadium was my home from home for over 50 years and Galliard Homes and the GRA have taken that away. Just as the now MK Don's stole my and many other people's football from them when they sold the old Plough Lane ground. Kingstonians look to have lost their ground because of AFC Wimbledon and the only winners in this whole sad story are Galliard Homes who are currently, I understand, sponsors of AFC. My worry is that once AFC have played a season or two the said sponsor will drop out, AFC will be in financial trouble and Galliard will then try to knock the new stadium down and build more flats which I fear was the original intention. 

That still doesn't explain your attitude towards the new stadium (and homes), and the club.

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3 hours ago, salty said:

I remember when K's were located at Richmond Road before they moved to Kingsmeadow, which incidentally used to be Norbiton Sports ground. Ironically I used to play there and we lost it as our pitch when the K's took over the site. 

Dont know the full details but it does appear they have been shafted.

As for Plough Lane I'm glad the football team are back home, just a shame it's took so long and it has been at the expense of the dog track. Plenty of villains in this story not least RCP who have presided over so many stadium sales as owners of the GRA.

My feeling is though, there must have been some major mis-management or very bad judgments made at both Kingstonian and Dulwich. Both had quite decent grounds, if run down. But certainly in good areas. I guess they done a good deal, which surely should have set them up for a very long time. Instead within a couple of decades they find themselves without a ground.....luckily Dulwich seem to have found a piece of land, and I am also glad to see Fisher being re-incarnated and also finding a piece of land near their old ground, which I also went to a few times

This from wikipedia, seems to back up my hunch

Relegation and, moreover, financial problems as a result of severe overspending in the chase for success, saw a sharp downturn in the club's fortunes between 2001 and 2005.in 2003 the then manager Kim Harris said that the owner, property developer Rajesh Khosla, was "raping us"after Khosla sold the Kingsmeadow ground for £2 million in personal profit.

So it was just over a decade after moving that they were in desperate trouble

 I do fear AFC could end up in big financial trouble and end up like those I have mentioned. I, unlike a couple here though, wish them all the best 

Edited by iris123

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17 hours ago, Chris116 said:

Hope the place floods and all the flats sink into the River Wandle. 

So do I. 

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1 hour ago, iris123 said:

I do fear AFC could end up in big financial trouble and end up like those I have mentioned. I, unlike a couple here though, wish them all the best 

I can't believe all the bitterness and hatred from some on here, can you? I lost my speedway, and I lost my football. I got my football back, and now these hatemongers on here are praying for me to lose it again...

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i lost both football and speedway too, i grew up going to both as plenty of others did, so it's very much a mixed bag of feelings.

i went to Plough Lane a few weeks back to have a look and was shocked at how much had been done in a short space of time, time will tell if it's a success or not but i wish the Dons all the best.

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5 minutes ago, Chris116 said:

The only people I hate are Galliard Homes. But AFC have made Galliard's plans possible with their "retuning to Plough Lane" line. AFC have never played in Plough Lane, the team that played in Plough Lane sold their fans down the river many years ago when they moved to Milton Keynes a place that sadly for many sports teams has been a death sentence. 

"The team" never sold us fans down the river; the owner did... AFC is the reincarnation - the REAL Wimbledon.

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4 minutes ago, chunky said:

"The team" never sold us fans down the river; the owner did... AFC is the reincarnation - the REAL Wimbledon.

The REAL Wimbledon is in Milton Keynes whether you like it or not I’m afraid. Sorry.

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From the moment Risk Capital Partners bought the GRA there was only one likely outcome. 

I don't particularly hold it against AFC for taking advantage of the opportunity (and don't forget that Galliards gave them £17m I think towards the build cost ) but I do have some concern for them that they will end up in a financial crisis. I guess only time will tell if enough people go along on a regular basis to make the finances work. 

Luke Johnson, director of RCP is also a director of Gallliard Holdings - 

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1 minute ago, Diamondboy said:

The REAL Wimbledon is in Milton Keynes whether you like it or not I’m afraid. Sorry.

No. Milton Keynes is in Milton Keynes. They sold the name, but the heart and soul never moved...

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23 minutes ago, Sir Sidney said:

From the moment Risk Capital Partners bought the GRA there was only one likely outcome. 

I don't particularly hold it against AFC for taking advantage of the opportunity (and don't forget that Galliards gave them £17m I think towards the build cost ) but I do have some concern for them that they will end up in a financial crisis. I guess only time will tell if enough people go along on a regular basis to make the finances work. 

Luke Johnson, director of RCP is also a director of Gallliard Holdings - 

maybe they'll end up ground sharing with chelsea ladies

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Ofcourse the football team might not be where they are had the not replaced Workington reds football club in 1977? Their was another  sport more popular in the town then !

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12 hours ago, Diamondboy said:

The REAL Wimbledon is in Milton Keynes whether you like it or not I’m afraid. Sorry.

I guess nobody is ever going to win this debate.  I agree that the REAL Wimbledon (A club I once supported too) is now Milton Keynes.  But I can see the other side of the discussion too, although as I said, I don't agree with it.

I can see it being a financial disaster for them, and whilst I despise the past, I would feel sorry for the supporters of AFC Wimbledon if that should happen. 
 

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19 hours ago, iris123 said:

Relegation and, moreover, financial problems as a result of severe overspending in the chase for success, saw a sharp downturn in the club's fortunes between 2001 and 2005.in 2003 the then manager Kim Harris said that the owner, property developer Rajesh Khosla, was "raping us"after Khosla sold the Kingsmeadow ground for £2 million in personal profit.

Usual story of football teams living beyond their means and then losing tenure or title of their own ground, thereby leaving them at the mercy of property developers. Beyond foolish as the ground is often their only tangible asset, but since when did football and sense go together?

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