It’s emotional as Dons return home
BUT ROVERS SPOIL THE ENDING AT PLOUGH LANE
It’s been emotional, to borrow a phrase popularised on screen by that iconic Crazy Gangster turned Hollywood hard-man Vinnie Jones.
Emotional when they left for selhurst Park and emotional when betrayed by football and franchised to Milton Keynes.
Emotional when fans produced a phoenix club in the space of 10 working days and started over in the ninth tier. Emotional last year when, so near and yet so far, the project continued to hit snags.
so, emotion was guaranteed as Wimbledon returned to Wimbledon and played at Plough Lane for the first time since 1991, an occasion strangely not lost despite by the echoing emptiness of this spiritual homecoming.
‘thirty years in the wilderness and finally we come home as we’re struck with a global pandemic,’ said Ivor Heller, a founder of the club in its AFC guise. ‘typical Wimbledon. I can’t believe we didn’t see it coming.’
Fans settled into pubs nearby to watch on TV. those on the restricted guest list navigated the building site, hundreds of flats still under construction towering high on all sides, to reach the shiny 9,000-capacity arena.
FA Cup winners John scales and terry Gibson settled in. so, too, Dickie Guy, club president and goalkeeping hero of Wimbledon’s giant- killing exploits in the mid-70s, when the team from the southern League humbled Burnley and Leeds of the old Division One.
stalwarts of the Fans’ trust appeared unsure whether to laugh or cry. Joe Pigott scored the first goal in the new home for the team managed by Glyn Hodges, a creative left winger in the glorious era when the original Crazy Gang were forged under Dave Bassett.
‘It’s been emotional on many occasions,’ said Heller. ‘seeing the hoardings go up and metal coming out of the ground, that’s when you know it’s for real but there’s more hurdles to jump and then there’s Becher’s Brook.’
Less than a year ago, Wimbledon were still short of £11million to cover construction costs. ‘We were trying to get a loan at the worst possible time with Brexit and the uncertainty of an election,’ said chief executive Joe Palmer. ‘Bury had gone to the wall and the banks weren’t interested.’
supporters came to the rescue. Not for the first time. Raising £4.5m through a bond scheme and more when the lockdown hit. Hence the banner: ‘You Brought the Dons Home. thank you. see You soon’ on display as Hodges’ team emerged to thin Lizzy’s The Boys Are Back in Town.
the odyssey is over. Matt smith levelled for Doncaster and Pigott scored again before James Coppinger spoiled the dream ending in stoppage time.
But no-one cared too much. ‘Giving up is not in our DNA,’ said Heller. ‘ We are a stoic bunch.’ Emotional indeed. Worthy of the silver screen. someone call Hollywood.