US fan sees the Dons survive
AN AMERICAN IN LONDON WATCHES AFC WIMBLEDON'S TENSE FINAL DAY HEROICS
TEDDY KAPNICK remembers the thrill of Kingsmeadow on April 27, 2013
Referee James Linington’s final whistle not only signalled the end of the match but triggered a full-blown pitch invasion. Fans streamed across Kingsmeadow celebrating AFC Wimbledon’s dramatic last game of the 2012-13 season, a 2-1 win over Fleetwood Town that kept the Dons in League Two. It seemed all 4,738 in attendance that Spring day in Kingston were revelling in the sweet taste of victory – all but the brave 157 who made the long trip from Fleetwood!
At AFC Wimbledon’s Kingsmeadow ground for my first League match, I also felt a sense of elation… and relief after watching a most intense nail-biter!
Growing up in New York City in the 1960s and early 70s, I followed all the traditional American sports – baseball, football, basketball and yes, ice hockey. In 1971 I attended my first pro soccer match – a New York Cosmos game in the old NASL versus the Montreal Olympic at Yankee Stadium, and became a “football” fan! Over the years I went to more Cosmos games and in 1994 saw two World Cup matches, one at Giants Stadium in New Jersey and the other in Washington DC at RFK Stadium. Saudi Arabia won both and the DC game featured a superb goal by Saeed Al-Owairan that was voted the sixth best in FIFA’s Goal of the Century rankings! In 2006 I again saw the Saudis in a World Cup match, this time in Munich where they drew 2-2 when Tunisia scored in injury time.
After visiting and living/working for a time in Prague, I moved to the Czech capital in early 1995 to teach my native language and decided I needed to follow a Czech and an English football club. I chose Dukla Praha and, as I always had an interest in the history of London, I looked for a team from the British capital to root for.
Upon learning that Wimbledon FC were nicknamed “The Crazy Gang”, I decided right then to adopt the Dons. I followed the exploits of Vinnie Jones, Marcus Gayle, Robbie Earle, Neil Sullivan and the Dons’ manager of today, Neal Ardley, among many others until that fateful May of 2002 when the club were allowed to move from London.
When the new Dons emerged from the ashes later that year, a team owned by the fans for the fans, I had my club again and vowed to stick with them – all the way back to the Premier League! Every week I followed the reborn Dons from Prague via the internet and British Press, from the Combined Counties League to the Ryman League to the Conference South to the glorious play-off final win versus Luton that propelled the club back to League football!
In January, 2010 I finally made it to a match at Kingsmeadow – a second round FA Trophy game versus Altrincham FC which AFC won 3-1. I was warmly welcomed by all at the club during a pre-match hospitality dinner and even got to meet Marcus Gayle, then a
reserves coach for the Dons. After the match, manager Terry Brown and several players stopped to briefly chat and sign autographs! Later that year I trudged through ice and snow to the Luton match but was disappointed to learn that it had been called off.
So my first League match had to wait until April 27, 2013 – the Dons’ do-or-die game for League survival…
Fans chanted “Wimbledon AFC, Wimbledon AFC” and “Come On Youuuuu Dons” throughout the tense match that cool April day. Clouds and sun fought for position just as the players on the pitch.
Sitting to the left and behind the goal in The Nongshim Stand, I held my breath as the furious action unfolded. While the first-half ended scoreless, the Dons clearly had the better of play. Striker Jack Midson, appearing in his 100th match for the Dons, had his header clang off the crossbar, one of several chances AFC had to break onto the scoreboard.
As the second half began I was filled with nervous tension. Midson again came close, hitting the post, while Harry Pell’s rebound attempt was cleared away by Fleetwod defender Rob Atkinson. After Fleetwood’s Shaun Beeley was shown a yellow card, Sammy Moore’s free-kick was headed into the back of the net by Gary Alexander and in a flash, the Dons had taken the lead in the 61st minute!
A scant three minutes later, the Cod Army had evened things, when off a corner, Andy Mangan headed it in from close range past goalie John Sullivan. And so with 26 minutes to play, the Dons needed another goal…
I had a clear view when Atkinson fouled Kenyan defender, Curtis Osano, in the box. Midson took the penalty, and, after sending keeper Scott Davies the wrong way, the Dons had the lead back! Midson’s 15th goal had caused pandemonium at Kingsmeadow!
I never saw the ball go into the net, only a glimpse of Midson swinging his leg and then fans jumping up and down all around me. I had to watch the DVD to see the shot that saved the team!
More than a quarter of an hour remained, howver, in addition to an added seven plus minutes of injury time. Neal Ardley’s men hung on until referee Linington brought matters to a close and unleased a blissful stampede…