PLOUGH LANE

Plough Lane – the birthplace of the ‘Crazy Gang’ and scene of Gazza’s knackers being held in Vinnie Jones’ vice-like grip – was home to 1988 FA Cup kings Wimbledon from 1912.

But with the Premier League looming and the Taylor Report urging all-seater stadia, the FA said it was ‘ridiculous’ to stage top-tier games there, so the Dons moved into Selhurst Park in 1991.

“Plough Lane had what estate agents would call ‘earthy charm’,” lifelong fan Stephen Crabtree tells FFT. “Supporters were confronted by overflowing urinals, uncovered terraces and a tea bar where the only choice was Bovril. It was unique, with the two small stands being dwarfed by a massive electricity pylon.”

Though the strictly Bovril-on-tap policy may not sound like the most appealing to many, Crabtree points out that some of his fondest experiences have come from following the Wombles there.

“Victories against Manchester United and Chelsea are definitely among some of my happiest memories,” he says, “alongside the time we lost to Grantham in front of less than 600 people on a damp Sunday.”

In 2016, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan granted planning permission for phoenix club AFC Wimbledon – established after the original’s controversial relocation to Milton Keynes – to return home.

Kingsmeadow, in nearby Kingston, has housed the reformed outfit since the new Dons’ creation in 2002, but the wheels are in motion to construct a stadium close to the old Plough Lane, which was knocked down and replaced by 570 flats.

“No doubt it’ll have nice toilets, covered seats and bars but will it have a soul?” asks Crabtree. “I can’t wait to find out.”