Malaysian businessman buys Wimbledon

MALAYSIAN businessman Datuk Ananth S. Nathan has undertaken a leading investment in founding English football club Wimbledon FC, resurrected in 2002 as AFC Wimbledon.

Ananth’s inspired investment sees him take a significant share in AFCW Plc – the holding company of AFC Wimbledon Ltd, AFCW Stadium Ltd, AFC Wimbledon Women, and The Wider Interests of Football Limited.

That includes the famed Plough Lane Stadium, located just a few miles from the prestigious Wimbledon All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, and with an equally storied history of sporting triumph and heartbreak.

This investment positions Ananth as the second-largest individual shareholder, and one of a select few Asian owners of a European football club.

Ananth is no stranger to the world of sports. His brother-in-law – M. Gopal – played for the national squad in the 1980s, and Ananth himself grew up surrounded by the passion in the terraces cheering the team on.

He is also serving President of the Malaysia Esports Federation (MESF), and a pioneer of the Esports community across Southeast Asia.

AFC Wimbledon is itself no stranger to success, despite its rocky history. The club currently holds the record for the longest unbeaten run of league matches in English senior football, with 78 consecutive undefeated league games, as well as being proud winners of the FA Cup in 1988 having beaten Liverpool 1-0 at Wembley.

Ananth also has bold plans to see the Dons playing against national teams of Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, and other nations of the region, as well as looking to develop a Wimbledon Academy in Asia which could help build player depth and experience across the club and national team.