Interesting interview with AFC Wimbledon Director

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OnTheTerraces
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Interesting interview with AFC Wimbledon Director

Post by OnTheTerraces » Wed Jan 30, 2019 12:53 pm

A great interview with one of the original directors of AFC Wimbledon, a club who had to start all over again like ourselves and even though they are in League 1 they rely on volunteers and the supports group.

Some interesting comments about how they engage their supporters and the local community and the state of football.

Some great ideas on how to engage fans and the Community, go to the community and help out rather than consistently asking for money.

Problem we have, I suppose, is the ground ownership and the rugby club relationship :(

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPYsVtD5WZI

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don'tbuythesun
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Re: Interesting interview with AFC Wimbledon Director

Post by don'tbuythesun » Wed Jan 30, 2019 1:37 pm

Always admired them and the way the fans have kept going. Been to hell and back and they can be proud of what they've achieved (as can we). I suppose they're full time so going into the community is easier.

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Re: Interesting interview with AFC Wimbledon Director

Post by spen666 » Wed Jan 30, 2019 2:39 pm

don'tbuythesun wrote:Always admired them and the way the fans have kept going. Been to hell and back and they can be proud of what they've achieved (as can we). I suppose they're full time so going into the community is easier.

The started from a very different background. People felt sympathy for AFC Wimbledon and businesses etc were bending over backwards to help them. People felt their club had been stolen from them by the relocation.

Whereas Darlington were seen as a club who had history of financial problems, suffering yet another crisis. Also Darlington owed many local businesses money, so did not have same local sympathy from businesses or individuals.

It's unfair on those involved with Darlington at anytime since 2012 to think they can be compared to AFC Wimbledon.

AFC Wimbledon have had it far easier than Darlington Have had

OnTheTerraces
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Re: Interesting interview with AFC Wimbledon Director

Post by OnTheTerraces » Wed Jan 30, 2019 4:00 pm

@spen666

Some great points there, I suppose Darlington can be seen to have been a bit of a villain in the local business community due to past regiemes.

However, I would hope they can see the work done by the Supporters over the last 6 years and the aim to run a sustainable club based around the community.

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Re: Interesting interview with AFC Wimbledon Director

Post by spen666 » Wed Jan 30, 2019 4:52 pm

OnTheTerraces wrote:@spen666

Some great points there, I suppose Darlington can be seen to have been a bit of a villain in the local business community due to past regiemes.

However, I would hope they can see the work done by the Supporters over the last 6 years and the aim to run a sustainable club based around the community.

I was not trying to do down Darlington,. Those who have worked for Darlington over the last 7 years have had to work with a far worse hand the Darlington had.

It's unfair to draw comparisons.

AFC Wimbledon had national media attention & support from lots of places. Darlington had none of that to help them.

A big company sponsoredAFC Wimbledon from day 1 pumping huge sums into the club making their task much easier.

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Re: Interesting interview with AFC Wimbledon Director

Post by OnTheTerraces » Wed Jan 30, 2019 5:04 pm

apologies if my comments came across as aggressive, i was agreeing with you :)

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Re: Interesting interview with AFC Wimbledon Director

Post by don'tbuythesun » Wed Jan 30, 2019 5:57 pm

I wasn't comparing.

H1987
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Re: Interesting interview with AFC Wimbledon Director

Post by H1987 » Wed Jan 30, 2019 6:08 pm

Wimbledon started out staring with Kingstonian, and ended up buying them out.

Wouldn't rule that out with the rugby club in the future, as it might be the only way we can develop the clubhouse side... although I do have some issues with how Wimbledon are leaving Kingstonian in the lurch with their new move. Even if we did buy out the Rugby club, i'd hope we wouldn't leave them up s*** creek in the way Wimbledon have. I might not particularly like rugby as a sport, but I have no time for small sports clubs being financially bullied.

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Re: Interesting interview with AFC Wimbledon Director

Post by shildonlad » Wed Jan 30, 2019 7:41 pm

Wimbledon seen hypocrits, moaning about there old club were snatched and they s*** on kingstonian. Wonder how they got the ground, kingstonian in money bother?
I may not live in the north east anymore but i still support the north east teams

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Re: Interesting interview with AFC Wimbledon Director

Post by spen666 » Wed Jan 30, 2019 9:15 pm

shildonlad wrote:Wimbledon seen hypocrits, moaning about there old club were snatched and they s*** on kingstonian. Wonder how they got the ground, kingstonian in money bother?
Yes, Wimbledon bought it when Kingstonian needed cash

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Re: Interesting interview with AFC Wimbledon Director

Post by divas » Wed Jan 30, 2019 9:47 pm

H1987 wrote:Wimbledon started out staring with Kingstonian, and ended up buying them out.

Wouldn't rule that out with the rugby club in the future, as it might be the only way we can develop the clubhouse side... although I do have some issues with how Wimbledon are leaving Kingstonian in the lurch with their new move. Even if we did buy out the Rugby club, i'd hope we wouldn't leave them up s*** creek in the way Wimbledon have. I might not particularly like rugby as a sport, but I have no time for small sports clubs being financially bullied.
Can’t see why you’d want to buy the rugby club out when you could use that money elsewhere to buy something where you didn’t have to knock something down and it didn’t have a raw water main running through it

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Re: Interesting interview with AFC Wimbledon Director

Post by loan_star » Wed Jan 30, 2019 9:50 pm

divas wrote:
Can’t see why you’d want to buy the rugby club out when you could use that money elsewhere to buy something where you didn’t have to knock something down and it didn’t have a raw water main running through it
You wouldn't necessarily need to knock the club house down. Newcastle Falcons had something similar when they moved into Gosforths ground and put seating in from of the stand. We could easily lose some of the pitch to make room.

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Re: Interesting interview with AFC Wimbledon Director

Post by H1987 » Thu Jan 31, 2019 1:18 pm

divas wrote:
H1987 wrote:Wimbledon started out staring with Kingstonian, and ended up buying them out.

Wouldn't rule that out with the rugby club in the future, as it might be the only way we can develop the clubhouse side... although I do have some issues with how Wimbledon are leaving Kingstonian in the lurch with their new move. Even if we did buy out the Rugby club, i'd hope we wouldn't leave them up s*** creek in the way Wimbledon have. I might not particularly like rugby as a sport, but I have no time for small sports clubs being financially bullied.
Can’t see why you’d want to buy the rugby club out when you could use that money elsewhere to buy something where you didn’t have to knock something down and it didn’t have a raw water main running through it
We had this discussion on the other thread, but the cost of buying both land (which isn't really available in a better location in the town) as well as building the necessary infrastructure that is in the main building at BM is astronomical, and beyond the means of this football club. Buying out BM, is at least hypothetically possible in future.

A plot of land, and a new stadium would cost millions, and isn't going to happen.

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Re: Interesting interview with AFC Wimbledon Director

Post by H1987 » Thu Jan 31, 2019 1:22 pm

loan_star wrote:
divas wrote:
Can’t see why you’d want to buy the rugby club out when you could use that money elsewhere to buy something where you didn’t have to knock something down and it didn’t have a raw water main running through it
You wouldn't necessarily need to knock the club house down. Newcastle Falcons had something similar when they moved into Gosforths ground and put seating in from of the stand. We could easily lose some of the pitch to make room.
And this. You could quite conceivably build towards the pitch, in front of the existing clubhouse, but it would require alterations that I am not sure the Rugby club would ever agree to, as it'd involve building in front of the windows to the bar, and presumably knacking up the balcony also. There's a pretty major run off area around the pitch, which isn't entirely necessary. We must have just about the biggest pitch in the division. You absolutely can develop that side, but owning the place would certainly make the plans easier, as you imagine the rugby club would object. It's been done at Barnet also.

Image

Image

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Re: Interesting interview with AFC Wimbledon Director

Post by Maurice_Peddelty » Thu Jan 31, 2019 4:24 pm

H1987 wrote:
loan_star wrote:
divas wrote:
Can’t see why you’d want to buy the rugby club out when you could use that money elsewhere to buy something where you didn’t have to knock something down and it didn’t have a raw water main running through it
You wouldn't necessarily need to knock the club house down. Newcastle Falcons had something similar when they moved into Gosforths ground and put seating in from of the stand. We could easily lose some of the pitch to make room.
And this. You could quite conceivably build towards the pitch, in front of the existing clubhouse, but it would require alterations that I am not sure the Rugby club would ever agree to, as it'd involve building in front of the windows to the bar, and presumably knacking up the balcony also. There's a pretty major run off area around the pitch, which isn't entirely necessary. We must have just about the biggest pitch in the division. You absolutely can develop that side, but owning the place would certainly make the plans easier, as you imagine the rugby club would object. It's been done at Barnet also.

Image

Image
Crikey! At first glance, I thought some seating had been photo-shopped on the front of DRFC's clubhouse.

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Re: Interesting interview with AFC Wimbledon Director

Post by divas » Sat Feb 02, 2019 9:31 am

H1987 wrote:
divas wrote:
H1987 wrote:Wimbledon started out staring with Kingstonian, and ended up buying them out.

Wouldn't rule that out with the rugby club in the future, as it might be the only way we can develop the clubhouse side... although I do have some issues with how Wimbledon are leaving Kingstonian in the lurch with their new move. Even if we did buy out the Rugby club, i'd hope we wouldn't leave them up s*** creek in the way Wimbledon have. I might not particularly like rugby as a sport, but I have no time for small sports clubs being financially bullied.
Can’t see why you’d want to buy the rugby club out when you could use that money elsewhere to buy something where you didn’t have to knock something down and it didn’t have a raw water main running through it
We had this discussion on the other thread, but the cost of buying both land (which isn't really available in a better location in the town) as well as building the necessary infrastructure that is in the main building at BM is astronomical, and beyond the means of this football club. Buying out BM, is at least hypothetically possible in future.

A plot of land, and a new stadium would cost millions, and isn't going to happen.
Who said anything about buying a plot of land? We were all very happy with Feethams which sat on land we didn’t own. A very long lease with some watertight conditions would do. Let’s face it, save for a couple of seasons at the Arena, we’ve never “owned” our own ground in our history

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