AFC Wimbledon facts for kids
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Full name | AFC Wimbledon | ||
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Nickname(s) | The Dons The Wombles |
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Founded | 2002 | ||
Ground | Plough Lane | ||
Capacity | 9,215 | ||
Owner | The Dons Trust | ||
Manager | Johnnie Jackson | ||
League | League One | ||
2018–19 | League One, 20th of 24 | ||
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AFC Wimbledon is a professional football club from Wimbledon, London. The team plays in League One, which is the third level of English football.
The club was started in 2002 by fans of the old Wimbledon F.C. This happened after the Football Association allowed the original club to move to Milton Keynes. Most fans did not want their team to move so far away. They felt the club would no longer represent Wimbledon. The old club moved in 2003 and changed its name to Milton Keynes Dons in 2004.
When AFC Wimbledon was formed, it joined the Combined Counties Football League, which was the ninth level of English football. The club has been promoted six times in 13 seasons. They went from the ninth level all the way to the third level (League One).
AFC Wimbledon holds a record for the longest unbeaten run in English senior football. They played 78 league games in a row without losing between February 2003 and December 2004. They are also the first club created in the 21st century to reach the Football League.
The club first played at Kingsmeadow. They shared this ground with another club, Kingstonian. In November 2020, AFC Wimbledon moved to Plough Lane. This new stadium is very close to where the original Wimbledon team used to play. The new stadium can hold 9,215 fans.
Contents
Club History
How AFC Wimbledon Started
The Football Association decided on May 28, 2002, to let Wimbledon move to Milton Keynes. This decision was very unpopular with the club's loyal fans. Many fans stopped going to games at their old stadium.
After this decision, a group of Wimbledon supporters met to decide what to do. They agreed that the only way forward was to start a new club from scratch. On May 30, 2002, the idea of creating a new community-based club called AFC Wimbledon was shared. Fans started raising money to make it happen.
On June 13, 2002, the new club announced its manager, team colours, and badge. To find players quickly, AFC Wimbledon held trials on June 29, 2002. Anyone who thought they were good enough could try out. About 230 players showed up, and the first team was chosen from them.
Club Badge
The club's badge has a double-headed eagle. This eagle comes from Wimbledon’s coat of arms. On one wing, there is a gold rose from King Edward I's badge. On the other wing, there is a gold fret, which is a pattern from the arms of Merton Priory. Wimbledon is located in the borough of Merton.
Playing in Non-League Football (2002–2011)
Combined Counties League (2002–2004)
In the 2002–03 season, AFC Wimbledon played in the Combined Counties League Premier Division. Their first game was a friendly match against Sutton United on July 10, 2002, which they lost 4–0. However, they finished third in the league in their first season. They almost won promotion, winning their last 11 league games.
In the 2003–04 season, AFC Wimbledon won their first 21 league games. They had an amazing run of 32 wins in a row over two seasons. The team finished as champions of the Combined Counties League without losing a single game. They won 42 games and drew four. AFC Wimbledon also won the league's Premier Challenge Cup, completing a double for the season.
Isthmian League (2004–2008)
Dave Anderson became the new manager in May 2004. Under him, AFC Wimbledon continued their winning streak in the 2004–05 season. They played in the Isthmian League First Division. They stayed at the top of the division all season and won the title easily. The Dons also won the Surrey Senior Cup, making it another double. During this season, AFC Wimbledon set a new record for the longest unbeaten league run in UK senior football. They went 78 league matches without a defeat between February 2003 and December 2004.
The 2005–06 season was tougher. After a good start, AFC Wimbledon struggled to stay in the play-off spots. They eventually reached the play-offs but lost 2–1 to Fisher Athletic. This meant they missed out on a third promotion in a row. They also reached the final of the Surrey Senior Cup again but lost to Kingstonian.
The 2006–07 season had some challenges, including a points deduction. Despite this, AFC Wimbledon qualified for the play-offs again. However, they lost 1–0 to Bromley in the semi-final. Manager Dave Anderson left the club after this.
Terry Brown became the new manager in May 2007. In the 2007–08 season, he led the club to promotion to the Conference South. The Dons finished third in the league and won their play-off matches, beating Staines Town 2–1 in the final.
The Conference (2008–2011)
AFC Wimbledon spent most of the 2008–09 season at the top of the league. They became champions and were promoted to the Conference Premier. The match that secured their promotion had a record attendance of 4,722 fans at Kingsmeadow.
The 2009–10 season was their first in the Conference Premier. The Dons finished eighth, which was their first season not finishing in the top five.
In the 2010–11 season, AFC Wimbledon finished second in the Conference Premier, qualifying for the play-offs. They beat Fleetwood Town 8–1 on aggregate in the semi-finals. This was the biggest winning margin in the Conference Premier play-off history. In the final, at the City of Manchester Stadium, AFC Wimbledon beat Luton Town 4–3 in a penalty shoot-out after a 0–0 draw. This victory meant promotion to the Football League. It was their fifth promotion in nine years. AFC Wimbledon became the first club formed in the 21st century to reach the Football League.
Playing in the Football League (2011–Present)
The 2011–12 season was AFC Wimbledon's first in League Two. They started well but finished 16th, safely away from the relegation zone.
The 2012–13 season marked the club's tenth anniversary. After a difficult start, manager Terry Brown was replaced by former Wimbledon player Neal Ardley. On December 2, 2012, AFC Wimbledon played Milton Keynes Dons for the first time in the FA Cup, losing 2–1. The Dons secured their Football League status on the final day of the season by beating Fleetwood Town 2–1.
In the 2013–14 season, the club finished 20th again.
The 2014–15 season saw AFC Wimbledon play Milton Keynes Dons again. MK Dons won 3–1 in the League Cup. However, AFC Wimbledon got their first win against their rivals, beating them 3–2 in the Football League Trophy. The Dons also reached the FA Cup third round for the first time, losing to Liverpool. They finished the season in 15th place.

The 2015–16 season was AFC Wimbledon's fifth in League Two. They finished strongly, reaching seventh place and qualifying for the play-offs. A record home crowd of 4,870 saw them beat Accrington Stanley 1–0 in the play-off semi-final. They won the tie 3–2 on aggregate and earned a spot in the play-off final at Wembley. On May 30, 2016, exactly 14 years after the club was founded, AFC Wimbledon won 2–0 against Plymouth Argyle in front of 57,956 fans. This meant promotion to League One!
The 2016–17 season was their first in League One. They played against Milton Keynes Dons in the same division for the first time at Kingsmeadow, winning 2–0. The club finished 15th in the league.
AFC Wimbledon had a slow start to the 2017–18 season. They had a great FA Cup match, beating Charlton Athletic 3–1. This led to a third-round match against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley. In December 2017, the club received permission to start building a new stadium. This new ground is very close to the original Plough Lane (1912–98). The club stayed in League One, meaning they were now in a higher division than Milton Keynes Dons.
The 2018–19 season started poorly. Manager Neal Ardley left the club in November 2018. A highlight was reaching the FA Cup 5th Round for the first time, beating West Ham United 4–2. Despite being at the bottom of the table for much of 2019, they had a strong finish, losing only one of their last 12 league games. They avoided relegation on the final day of the season.
Moving to Plough Lane
In November 2020, the club moved to Plough Lane, their new stadium. It is only 250 yards from the original Plough Lane, where Wimbledon played until 1991. The first match at the new stadium was on November 3, 2020, a 2–2 draw against Doncaster Rovers. The club avoided relegation from League One at the end of the 2020–21 season. However, at the end of the 2021–22 season, Wimbledon was relegated from League One. Johnnie Jackson was appointed as the new manager. They earned promotion back to League One at the end of the 2024–25 season, defeating Walsall 1–0 in the play-off final.
Club Crest and Colours
The club's crest is based on the coat of arms of the Municipal Borough of Wimbledon. It features a black double-headed eagle. This symbol comes from a local story that Julius Caesar once camped on Wimbledon Common.
The team colours are royal blue and yellow. These colours were chosen because they were used by the original Wimbledon team when they rose to the top of football. The first kit in 2002 was a royal blue shirt with white shorts and socks. Since then, the home kit has always been mostly royal blue with yellow details. The away kit is usually yellow with blue details.
To celebrate their first game in the Football League on August 6, 2011, the team wore a special white and blue kit. This kit looked like the one worn by the original Wimbledon team in 1977–78, when they first joined the Football League.
On May 14, 2020, the club released a slightly updated crest. This was to mark 32 years since Wimbledon won the FA Cup in 1988 and to celebrate the opening of the new stadium at Plough Lane.
Sponsorship and Kit Manufacturer
Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
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2002 (pre season) | Umbro | Championship Manager |
2002–2012 | Tempest Sports | Sports Interactive |
2012–2014 | Football Manager (Sports Interactive) | |
2014–2018 | Admiral | |
2018–2022 | Puma | |
2022–2023 | Hummel | |
2023–2024 | Umbro | |
2024–2025 | War Child | |
2025– | Lotto | Football Manager (Sports Interactive) (Home) War Child (Away) Private Office Asset Management (Third) |
AFC Wimbledon's shirts have been sponsored by the computer games company Sports Interactive since the club started in 2002.
The club's current kit is made by Lotto. In July 2024, Sports Interactive gave its shirt sponsorship to the charity War Child for all three kits. In April 2025, the club announced a new partnership with Lotto to make their kits from the 2025–26 season. In June 2025, it was announced that Sports Interactive's Football Manager logo would return to the home shirt. War Child would continue on the away shirt, and Private Office Asset Management would sponsor the third kit.
Club Mascot
In 2006, AFC Wimbledon introduced a new mascot named "Haydon". Haydon is a Womble, a furry creature from children's books. He is named after Haydons Road, which is the closest train station to both the original and current Plough Lane stadiums.
When the old club moved in 2003, they lost permission to use their Womble mascot, Wandle. The owners of the Wombles brand did not want to be linked with the relocated club anymore.
Club Rivalries
Milton Keynes Dons
AFC Wimbledon's main rival is Milton Keynes Dons. This club was formed after the original Wimbledon team moved to Milton Keynes in 2003. However, some AFC Wimbledon fans do not see them as a true rival. This is because they do not recognize the new club as the real Wimbledon.
Crawley Town
Crawley Town has also been one of AFC Wimbledon's rivals.
Sutton United
AFC Wimbledon and Sutton United have a friendly rivalry because they are geographically close. Sutton was the first team to play against the reformed Dons in a friendly match in 2002. They met in the FA Cup in 2017, with Sutton winning the replay.
Club Stadiums
Plough Lane
Since it started in 2002, AFC Wimbledon wanted to play in Merton. They aimed for a new stadium near their "spiritual home" at the original Plough Lane (1912–98). This was where the old Wimbledon team played for over 80 years. The goal was to build a new stadium on the site of the Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium, which is only about 250 yards from the old football stadium.
In 2013, AFC Wimbledon announced plans with Merton Council and a developer to build a new football stadium. The plans also included homes, shops, and community facilities.
Merton Council approved the stadium plans on December 10, 2015. Work began on the site in March 2018. The stadium was completed in October 2020. The new stadium can hold 9,215 people, with a future option to expand to 20,000.
Wimbledon played their first four home games of the 2020–21 season at Loftus Road while Plough Lane was being finished. The club played its first match at Plough Lane on November 3, 2020, which was a 2–2 draw against Doncaster Rovers.
Loftus Road
AFC Wimbledon started the 2020–21 season at Loftus Road. They had a temporary agreement to share the ground with Queens Park Rangers while their new stadium, Plough Lane, was being built. They played four league games and two cup matches there before moving to Plough Lane. Due to coronavirus rules, all these games were played without fans.
Kingsmeadow

The club played at Kingsmeadow in Kingston upon Thames until May 2020. This stadium could hold 4,850 people. AFC Wimbledon shared the ground with Kingstonian from 2003.
Ground Purchase and Debt
When AFC Wimbledon was founded in 2002, they agreed to share Kingsmeadow with Kingstonian. After Kingstonian faced financial problems, AFC Wimbledon decided to buy part of the lease for Kingsmeadow. This was to make sure the ground would be safe for both clubs in the future. In June 2003, the agreement to buy the lease was made.
Stadium Expansion
At the end of the 2011–12 season, AFC Wimbledon started building a new stand at Kingsmeadow. This new stand could seat 1,000 people and was finished by October 2012. The work increased the stadium's capacity to about 4,850, with 2,265 seats.
Stadium Sale
In 2015, AFC Wimbledon agreed to sell Kingsmeadow to Chelsea. This sale helped fund their plans to move to a new stadium in Merton. Chelsea wanted to use the ground for their youth and women's teams. AFC Wimbledon left Kingsmeadow in May 2020.
Club Ownership
AFC Wimbledon is owned by The Dons Trust, a group of supporters. This group has promised to keep at least 75% control of the club. The Dons Trust is a special type of society registered as "Wimbledon Football Club Supporters' Society Limited."
The club's first chief executive was Erik Samuelson, a retired accountant. He worked full-time for a very small payment. Samuelson retired in 2019 and was replaced by Joe Palmer.
Community Work
The club believes it is important to be a social hub for the local community. They want to give everyone a chance to play football. Because of this, AFC Wimbledon started the Community Football Scheme (CFS) in 2004. In 2010, the CFS received the FA Charter Standard Community Club Award. This is the highest award for community football clubs. It recognized the club's excellent coaching in the local area. The club offers football courses for children aged 4–14, taught by qualified coaches. They work with local areas like Merton and Kingston to reach many children.
AFC Wimbledon also has a Schools Coaching Programme. They encourage healthy and active lifestyles for primary and secondary school children. These sessions focus on learning, development, and health in a fun way. In 2012, coaches from the CFS worked with the Football League to promote the FA's 'Respect' campaign in schools. They taught nearly 2,000 children about good behaviour in football. The goal is to stop bad behaviour like racism and violence in the next generation of players and fans.
On March 27, 2012, AFC Wimbledon became the first football club to receive the Prime Minister's Big Society Award. This award was for their great contributions to the local community. The club was recognized for its many community programs. These include 19 youth and women's teams, school health projects, and a stadium school. The stadium school helps children learn maths using football.
Then Prime Minister David Cameron praised AFC Wimbledon. He said the team had "united a community" and made a "huge difference" to many lives. He called them a "great example of the Big Society". Erik Samuelson, the club's chief executive, said the award showed that a club owned by its fans can have high standards, focus on the community, be financially stable, and still succeed on the pitch.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, a group of fans called the Dons Local Action Group helped the community. They made sure people had enough food and that students had technology for online classes.
Club Players
Current Squad
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For youth teams see AFC Wimbledon Development Squad and Academy.
Player Awards and Records
This table shows players who have been club captain, won the Player of the Year award, or were the top league goal scorer each season:
Season | Club captain | Player of the year | Top scorer | Goals |
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2002–03 | ![]() |
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37 |
2003–04 | ![]() |
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53 |
2004–05 | ![]() |
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24 |
2005–06 | ![]() |
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19 |
2006–07 | ![]() |
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17 |
2007–08 | ![]() |
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10 |
2008–09 | ![]() |
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33 |
2009–10 | ![]() |
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21 |
2010–11 | ![]() |
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23 |
2011–12 | ![]() |
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18 |
2012–13 | ![]() |
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13 |
2013–14 | ![]() |
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9 |
2014–15 | ![]() |
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13 |
2015–16 | ![]() |
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23 |
2016–17 | ![]() |
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14 |
2017–18 | ![]() |
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18 |
2018–19 | ![]() |
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15 |
2019–20 | ![]() |
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11 |
2020–21 | ![]() |
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22 |
2021–22 | ![]() |
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12 |
2022–23 | ![]() |
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11 |
2023–24 | ![]() |
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17 |
Wimbledon Old Players Association
The Wimbledon Old Players Association (WOPA) was formed in 2005. It includes former players and managers from both the original Wimbledon and AFC Wimbledon. Among the first members were Glenn Mulcaire, who scored AFC Wimbledon's first goal, and Kevin Cooper, the club's all-time top scorer. Many legends from the old Wimbledon also joined.
In June 2010, Vinnie Jones, another former player of the original Wimbledon, gave his 1988 FA Cup winners medal to the fans of AFC Wimbledon. The medal is now on display at the Wimbledon in Sporting History's Museum at Plough Lane.
Club Management
Managerial History
These statistics include results from league matches (including play-offs) and all major cup competitions.
Name | From | Until | Managed | Won | Drawn | Lost | Win % | Honours |
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June 13, 2002 | February 13, 2004 | 82 | 69 | 4 | 9 | 84.15 | |
Nicky English | February 13, 2004 | May 11, 2004 | 21 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 90.48 | 2003–04 Combined Counties League Premier Division Champions 2003–04 Combined Counties League Premier Challenge Cup winners |
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May 11, 2004 | May 2, 2007 | 167 | 98 | 40 | 29 | 58.68 | 2004–05 Isthmian League First Division Champions |
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May 15, 2007 | September 19, 2012 | 270 | 133 | 54 | 83 | 49.26 | 2007–08 Isthmian League Premier Division play-off winners 2008–09 Conference South Champions 2010–11 Conference National play-off winners |
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September 19, 2012 | October 10, 2012 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 50.00 | |
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October 10, 2012 | November 12, 2018 | 326 | 108 | 91 | 127 | 33.13 | 2015–16 Football League Two play-off winners |
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November 12, 2018 | December 4, 2018 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 40.00 | |
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December 4, 2018 | September 25, 2019 | 41 | 11 | 12 | 18 | 26.82 | |
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September 25, 2019 | January 30, 2021 | 62 | 18 | 18 | 26 | 29.00 | |
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January 30, 2021 | March 28, 2022 | 70 | 18 | 23 | 29 | 25.71 | |
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March 30, 2022 | May 7, 2022 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 00.00 | |
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May 16, 2022 | 101 | 35 | 27 | 39 | 34.65 | 2024–25 EFL League Two play-off winners |
Specialist Coaches
In spring 2021, AFC Wimbledon hired Andy Parslow as a restarts coach. This made them the first English Football League club to have a specialist coach for set pieces. In summer 2021, they also hired Sammy Landers as a substitution coach, another first for an English Football League club.
AFC Wimbledon Women
AFC Wimbledon Women is the women's football team. They joined AFC Wimbledon after the 2002–03 season.
Kevin Foster is the manager, and the team plays in the FA Women's National League South.
A former player for Wimbledon Women, Sophie Hosking, won an Olympic gold medal for Team GB in rowing at the London 2012 games. Sophie is still a big fan of AFC Wimbledon. She even painted her fingernails in the club's blue and yellow colours for her Olympic final!
Club Records
AFC Wimbledon's club records include:
- Best FA Cup performance: 5th round, 2018–19
- Best EFL Cup performance: 3rd round, 2021–22, 2024–25
- Best EFL Trophy performance: Quarter-finals, 2020–21, 2023–24
- Best FA Trophy performance: 3rd round, 2007–08, 2009–10
- Best FA Vase performance: 4th round, 2003–04
Club Honours
AFC Wimbledon has won the following titles:
League
- League Two (level 4)
- Play-off winners: 2016, 2025
- Conference (level 5)
- Play-off winners: 2011
- Conference South (level 6)
- Champions: 2008–09
- Isthmian League
- Play-off winners: 2008
- Isthmian League Division One
- Champions: 2004–05
- Combined Counties League
- Champions: 2003–04
Cup
- Combined Counties League Premier Challenge Cup
- Winners: 2003–04
- Isle of Man Tournament
- Winners: 2009–10
- Lanes Cup
- Winners: 2007–08 2011–12
- London Senior Cup
- Winners: 2013–14
- Surrey Senior Cup
- Winners: 2004–05
See also
In Spanish: Association Football Club Wimbledon para niños