The Return of the Dons | AFC Wimbledon
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- čas přidán 18. 01. 2021
- AFC Wimbledon represent the reformation of an historic London football club, who’s incredible tradition and reputation famously beating Liverpool in the FA cup final in 1988. AFC Wimbledon and Plough Lane were a staple of London football until the 1991 Taylor Report forced the club to move to Selhurst Park.
In 2002, the club was moved to Milton Keynes, the first move of its kind in English football, ripping the heart out of the community.
AFC Wimbledon supporters responded in 2002 forming their own Phoenix club. Over the years AFC Wimbledon rose the divisions, and is now on par with MK Dons in League one. This year, after years of funding, the mighty AFC Wimbledon have returned to Plough Lane, bringing this historic club back to its natural home after over 20 years.
#Wimbledon #TheDons #Football
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Home after 10,000 days. Such a testament to what a community can accomplish when they stick together. -John
There really is something about the community at AFC Wimbldeon.
Wow, hello John. I’ve watched almost all of the crash course history episodes.
Well said..something I'm afraid modern football fans in the prem will never truly understand.
I rate that you watched this mere hours after it came out. Big respect John. You're not wrong either, the Dons are a testament to community over corporate, spirit over money, care over gain. The world could learn a thing or two...
@@copa90stories this was REALLY good. I love how you do docos on the clubs in the lower leagues (Brentford/Forest/Bury) I think it's important people know stories about clubs outside of the premier league
As an 1860 Munich fan I know that feeling of "homeless" as a football fan.
Even though my first game was at the Allianz Arena it still felt wrong in the following years cause having 18000-20000 in a 70000 capacity Stadium is just depressing.
When we got relegated from the 2nd to the 4th tier cause of financial problems, we returned to the Grünwalder Stadion in 2017/18 for the first time in over a decade. And even though I've only had visited the ground for a few times before it was so clear to me that this ground was our home. I feel the proud of coming home every time I walk up the stairs to the stands and I can't imagine myself watching my club play somewhere else.
From one 1860 fan to another, I wholeheartedly agree. I became "ein Lowen fan" watching them at the Grunwalder while on vacation many years ago. The best atmosphere I ever edxperienced. In ewiger treue!!
@@stefanschwalenberg8320 ELIL 💙🦁
Same with West Ham tbh nothing beats the atmosphere of the Boleyn Ground
well if you want 1860 to stay at the Grunwalder you better hope 1860 dont get promoted
@@TOTN17 The Grünwalder actually has a license for second division football as of 2019 so we can get promoted.
Plus there is an expansion in plans for the stadium which would see the capacity climb up to around 18-20000.
So unless the city cuts that part we should be fine.
This deserves a Grammy award!
So awesome! What a comeback! I hope clubs like Bury FC and Macclesfield will copy their traits.
This is made by the same director made our doc on Bury FC!
czcams.com/video/PtE50b-hAkM/video.html
A Grammy award? It's an awful musical. ;)
Best comeback story ever. Great to support this beautiful club. COYD!
COYD
Ya lost to us yesterday ya club abandoning bastards. Up the franchise
@@finnmolloy8462 You literally said up the franchise. If you want franchise in football you can piss off to america
youse really sacked your manager after we beat you
Womble till I die
What a brilliant documentary. I'm a Wolves fan, but I felt so bad for Wimbledon's supporters when their club was stolen from them - getting the 'new' team back into the Football League so quickly was a miracle, but returning to Plough Lane through the sheer willpower of their own fan base is possibly an even greater achievement. It's one of the greatest and happiest football stories ever told ❤
From a Gillingham fan, it’s great to see the Dons back where they belong! Can’t wait to do the away day there!
Good man James, mabe "Another Town" as were both "London Boys" perhaps if we "sticking with our guns" its the way its go top be!!!! sorry mate, couldn't resist, hope to catch up with you when the current situation is all over with. hope your keeping well.
Wimbledon are exactly what football is all about.
Clubs are there to represent their communities and their people.Football clubs bring people together,they unite them.No club should ever be left to die!
One of the best football docs I've ever seen.What a story!
A perfect ending to an incredible story, but I will miss the sound of the fans at Kingsmeadow that I could always hear from my bedroom window. I am a Fulham fan, but have attended many AFC Wimbledon games - great fans finally getting the dedicated ground they deserve.
oh the prawn sandwich brigade...funny fulham were getting 3-4 thousand in div 3
Fulham fans unite 😯
@@patrickrichmond6531 wow original. What you don't realise is those few fans fought tooth and nail to stop their club being another Wimbledon.
At the end of the 91/92 season we were homeless in the last game of the season against Bradford, Hill came on the pitch and told us he had done a deal for the next season.
We fought for our club all the way through the 90s with Fulham2000 project trying to raise the money to stay. We didnt even secure the freehold on the ground till Al Fayed came in.
We were dead and buried and still had the best attendances in the 4th tier.
So save you pissy little comments dickhead.
We fought harder than Wimbledon ever did and most others did and I'm proud to say i was at every game and i did my bit.
The one cool thing about English football is that if a group is disenfranchised by its favorite team, they can start a new team to take back its pride and fandom. We can't do it here in the States, but it's really beautiful that fans can in English football.
Cause in the states sport isn't sport but a business there is no growth, the mls only allows mew franchises from big cities rather than giving smaller clubs a chance of growth so until the mls joins the rest of the football world in a proper structure it will never be taken seriously
@@callumatkins6891 Pro/rel, to be fair, also doesn't work in Mexico.
And this applies to other sports as well. I was raised in Seattle and had season tickets to SuperSonics basketball games growing up. They moved away in 2008, and that situation is very similar to Wimbledon's move to Milton Keynes. Unfortunately, it has been 13 years and there is no way of knowing how long it will be before Seattle gets a team again. An entire generation has grown up without having a local professional basketball team to support. There's no option to start a small team and have them move up in the levels, and no way locals could raise the 2.5 billion dollars to pay for a new NBA team.
@@callumatkins6891”Proper structure” will never work in America. The combined size of the US and Canada is larger than continental Europe. Any league in America/Canada that has tired a proper promotion and relegation system has failed because fans aren’t going to travel 1000s of KM’s every week to watch a club in the 2nd tier, let alone the 3rd or 4th.
Also your point about American sports being all about money is ironic considering this documentary is literally about greedy ownership ruining a club over profits and also the rise of oil clubs. Money is much more of a factor in European football than it is in American sports.
I grew up around Plough Lane. The club moved to Crystal Palace when I was pretty young but I've always felt strongly about the ground and team. When it was announced the dog track was going to be the new stadium it was bitter sweet but if it had to go it definitely went for the right reason! What a mighty story.
This story is more important than the history of Real Madrid and Barcelona put together.
Real fans that fight for the club they love.
Good luck AFC.
A leyton orient fan
Away teams were pretty intimidated back in the day coz of the close stands, and Vinni in particular. Terrific story. Respect from N17 lads
He was a absolute legend at Leeds.
@@georgemacpherson1992 Funniest thing I ever saw him do was seemingly purposely run into the referee and run off a completely different direction "after the balls".
Yidoooo
From Malaysia, played Fifa 15, and managed AFC Wimbeldon in career mode when they were in League 2. From there, i supported the club and saw their rise into league 1, im happy for the club and the fans, this what a phoenix should achieve.
Terima kasih from a native Don working in KL, darimana? Definitely a Womble till I die.
@@oldcentral Saya Dari Selangor.
@@AdanyKai In Klang Valley as well then so take care at present then. The AFCW story is a great one and shows what a community can do. Not sure if there is a Malaysia equivalent.
if anything this story teach you to support your local club. go to their games, they need you
Up the Wimbledon, much love from a Leeds fan 💙💛
As a Brentford fan living in Merton the rise of the club off the pitch has certainly been noticeable! Welcome back!
Football fans all over this Planet share this moments. Reminds me of Germany's Union Berlin where the fans rebuild their stadium with their own hands, recently have played the CL. Kudos to all who make things like this happen! ⚽ Greetz from the Continent 🤟
Respect to the people of Wimbledon as a rangers fan I know what it’s like to go to the bottom & work you’re way back nobody can take away all the great memories 💙
Wdym to the bottom rangers is dead.
@@jamesjames7358 last time I checked moon howler there 20 points clear at the top
@@GHowd7 rangers is dead pal you’re talking about a different team
@@jamesjames7358 must so embarrassing losing the league to a new club then like the most embarrassing league win of all time 🌜🐺
@@GHowd7 aye probably is
"Nothing should ever take a club away from its home again".... RIP West Ham
West Ham, Tottenham, Man City, Arsenal, Bolton, Hull, Wigan, Brentford, Sunderland, Boro, Southampton, Brighton, Reading, Everton, Cardiff, Swansea, Derby, Rotherham, Doncaster, Chesterfield, Huddersfield, York, Millwall, Wembley, and that’s just off the top of my head. I can’t grasp how clubs just move grounds after they’ve built so much history and character around a place for around 100 years, and many fans support it and see it as progression.
@@AS-mw6pw would you say in your opinion that building a new ground right where the old one stood is as bad as fully moving out of curiosity?
@@aidanmoran12 I don’t think it’s as bad as moving away completely because it’s all round less change. I do think it can kill the soul and atmosphere though just as much. Like the King Power will never have the same feel as Filbert Street, Cardiff’s new ground and Ninian Park, Spurs’s new ground and White Hart Lane. I get why it’s done because it’s cheaper sometimes to knock a few falling-to-pieces terraces down and start from scratch. But I feel like the best way to do it is to just to expand stand by stand over time. Maybe it’s not a good way to do it financially, but I know as a fan I just would rather never move away from home.
@@aidanmoran12 I’m not an idiot though, I get the logic behind it. Like if City never moved to the Etihad they would likely never have been bought by Shinawatra and later Sheikh Mansour, and wouldn’t be the club they are today. But at least city had a proper soul at Maine Road. That’s not completely gone by any means, but the board at city is so out of touch with the match-going Mancunians because pandering to the yanks and Chinese “fans” brings in the most revenue. The culture around proper city fans is still the same, but not having that famous ground to play at after playing there for 80 years and making so much history through ups and downs gives that empty feeling. City belong at Maine Road, no proper city fan will tell you the Etihad feels just as like home as Maine Road does.
@@AS-mw6pw I know what you mean, my club has had a rebuild on the cards for a long time, and to be fair it's in amongst houses so new room for expansion, and it's over 100 years old so its half derelict and falling to bits but I cant help but fear that it will lose its soul at a new incarnation
What a story, what an inspiring club. So glad the real Dons got their home back 💙💛
fake
Incredible story. I am stunned by the raw emotion this documentary delivers. One of the best documentaries I've ever seen! Hats off to the production team, to the Dons and the Fans! If I ever visit England I will definitely come and watch a game at Plough Lane! Greetings from Austria! Cheers to one of the most amazing football clubs out there! Go Dons!
Looking back at some the old photos of Plough Lane and then seeing myself. Lots of great memories from the 80's
this is beautiful, as a charlton fan who also lost our home and went to Sulhurt park, great to see them back
and your fans were magnificent back in the day to get your club out of selhurst and back to The Valley - have always had a lot of respect for Charlton supporters for getting that job done. Good luck with your promotion push this season!
@@stablestaple that's true. The video Charlton posted about the campaign for the return to The Valley was one of the greatest I've ever seen. The sound of "The Cave" by Mumford & Sons was a match to perfection
The Crazy Gang 🔥
The Phoenix club. The real Dons.
Well done Dons fans, everything you deserve. From South Melbourne FC supporters in Australia.
As a Dons fan this made me cry,
Thank you so much
I'm not a Dons fan not am English and I'm crying like a baby for some reason
It’s been emotional.
Editing is class
As a Wigan Athletic fan, can't wait to go back to Plough Lane as a away fan. Glad there is a team back in Wimbledon again
I hope Wigan can get promoted to the Prem. Now that's a classic Premier League team
Hey COPA90. I'm the shouty sod with the scarf you used for the title cover. Bradford away, what a nervous day!
Dons fans were treated terribly. So glad you're back and doing well. Respect from a Bradford fan.
Watching this brought so many tears to my eyes. Football belongs to the fans. owners, managers, bean counters and legends all come and go it's the fans that remain. Going back to Plough lane is a testament to the fans (or Owners as we call them). Some whose souls have sadly departed. The story of AFC Wimbledon shows that in football you should never give up. No matter the odds.
👏👏👏👏👏👏
My favourite club story ever. Great respect for AFC Wimbledon fans who made this happen! Have always been a fan of the Crazy Gang, I remember Vinnie, Fashanu, Wise, Beasant, Phelan and others. Legendary club.
As an American this makes me so happy to see these stories of these clubs
i live in Texas & I want my family to grow up w a club of its own one day, I want to have this here in the states so bad
@@drustro I can't see it happening due 5o the franchise nature of us sport clubs. It's so easy for them to just rip a club out of a city and move it to the other side of the country. It's quite sad!
Well Said Drew. The merger with Milton Keynes to become " Milton Keynes Dons" was never going to work in English Football. haha
From The South West side of London where Wimbledon is to Milton Keynes is 80 miles but it might as well be 8,000 miles.
West Ham moved 5 miles to a hated new ground 4 years ago and the fans have never forgiven them.
My team moved 1/2 a mile in 1993 to an All Seater Stadium and 28 years later I have never forgiven them...haha
Well Said Thunder The merger with Milton Keynes to become " Milton Keynes Dons" was never going to work in English Football. haha
From The South West side of London where Wimbledon is to Milton Keynes is 80 miles but it might as well be 8,000 miles.
West Ham moved 5 miles to a hated new ground 4 years ago and the fans have never forgiven them.
My team moved 1/2 a mile in 1993 to an All Seater Stadium and 28 years later I have never forgiven them...haha
@@Isleofskye what merger?lol Winkleman pulled an American relocation
So much respect and admiration for the supporters of AFC Wimbledon. So sickening to see what happened to the club and so pleased to see them back at Plough Lane in their rightful home.
My team Reading FC are currently at rock bottom and the owner is killing our proud club and the EFL are just punishing the club with continual points deductions, embargoes for a number of years now. We protested in a march against Dai Yongge at the weekend.
Our fans are so drained by years of mismanagement by an owner who was rejected by the Premier League when he tried to buy Hull City and was approved by a not fit for purpose EFL. We were formed in 1871, the fifth oldest club in England. And right now we as fans are staring into the abyss, contemplating the loss of OUR football club is truly heartbreaking and I'd never wish it on any fanbase. I just wanted to say all the best to AFC Wimbledon for the future, I really do hope fans of other clubs can help the Royals in our fight against our crook of an owner and against the EFL.
I'll never forget back in 2002 my shock and sadness at the news of relocating. This beautiful story is why Football is my religion. ❤️
its amazing to see where this club went , i remember watching afc wimbledon vs godalming town at weycourt back in the early 2000's
I feel sorry for any club that looses their home it’s disgusting and should never be forgotten. West Ham and Wimbledon have never been the same.
been an wimbledon fan since the day i was born (98) and was to young to go to and rember plough lane but me and my family always had season tickets at kingsmedow and thats where youd find us every other saturday or on cold tuesday nights. I was there though all our promotions, been up and down the country for away games and have been watching them as much as i can this season online. nothing makes me prouder then being asked in a pub 'oi what team do you support' and i can turn around and say AFC wimbeldon. WOMBLE TILL I DIE.
From a Notts fan, this is a brilliant film, it's fantastic you're back in the league. What happened to your club, should never have happened. I remember chatting to some of your fans, when we last played you at Meadow Lane. They seemed surprised that we were happy that you got back to your rightful place and our fans and just about every other fans, hated the MK Dons.
YOU PIES! ⚫⚪
What a club
This is brilliantly produced
Never tire of hearing this story. If you truly love football, this is one of its greatest stories and still one that flies very much under the radar I believe. Fingers crossed this period is over by this time next year and the Crazy Gang can all have a full house massive party! Well played, truly.
I'm a 76 year old Chelsea Fan who was born in Wandsworth just one road away from Plough Lane. That very long road was Garratt Lane which ran from Wandsworth to Tooting. As a lad I would often go to Plough Lane to watch the Dons play in the Southern League and my strongest memory is the hot Bovril at half time. Things aren't going too well on the pitch at the moment and I always look for the Dons result first hoping they get a result. I've been a member of the Dons Trust for sometime and look forward to visiting the new ground but I live in Norfolk now so not sure when that will be.
Home is where the heart is, Welcome home AFC Wimbledon.
What a great story it bring tears and joy 👍 i still remember you win the fa cup i watch it in danish tv would love to visit your beautiful stadium one day. 🙏💛💙
Such a shame Covid has delayed the fans getting in. Great story.
Lovely , great , amazing English football ❤😊 Respect !!! Well done Dons!!!🎉❤Home old or new is HOME !!!❤❤❤Great amazing documentary!
I am a Chelsea fan and I was so happy that when I heard that AFC Wimbledon were going back home to Plough Lane. I have been to the original Plough Lane when us Chelsea went to play there, it was definitely an experience but a good one. I have been to many Football Grounds in my years of supporting Chelsea, I am not a fan of these new stadiums like the Emirates or the Etihad or the London Stadium or even the Tottenham Stadium but I do love the old type grounds. Your new Plough Lane is a beautiful stadium. I wish AFC Wimbledon and there fans all the best in the future and hope to see AFC Wimbledon in the Premier League one day. CFC 55💙⚽️🏆💂♂️🇬🇧🏴💙💛🇺🇦
As a Bohemians fan were not english but i understand what its like for a clubs heart close to its fans it feels like its more then just a club a family thats a true club im starting to see how much this club means to the people ive so much respect for Wimbledon 🟡🔵🇬🇧❤🇮🇪🔴⚫
Cracking story, very well told and superbly edited...from an editor myself! Thoroughly enjoyed regularly watching Wimbledon on the terraces at Kingsmeadow through the Blue Square South and Premier days, whilst ‘my’ club, Portsmouth were going through perpetual bad owners and administration after administration. It gave me back some real joy in watching football, at my ‘local’ club with some friends who are long term Dons fans. Everything AFC Wimbledon has now, and in the future, it deserves so much. Can’t wait to get to Plough Lane once fans are allowed in. Brilliant achievement and a great film. 👏
What a story.
Huge respect to the (real) Dons, from a Brighton fan.
Watch this documentary and ask yourself “do you really love it with your inner core, & embrace their true valued” these guys certainly do. Incredible story.
Such a great video and I’m not ashamed to say I got a little emotional during the section where the club made it back to Plough Lane. Definitely got themselves a new fan 🔵🟡
I'm a arsenal fan and deliver stuff behind ploughlane I have to say you should be so proud what you have achieved and the new stadium on the famous ploughlane site
I don't think I have enjoyed a video on YT as much as this one in a very long time. Brilliant watch.
The reveal of the new Plough Lane at the end really got me emotional. I have no affiliation with AFC Wimbledon ( I won't say who I support as it isn't relevant) but it is so heart-warming to see what happens when people come together. You deserve this. Not just the fans, not just the club, but Wimbledon. Wimbledon deserves this.
Was in the Plymouth end for the play off final but was hoping for a dons win. Seeing the celebrations after that Akinfenwa penalty gave me goosebumps. Spoke to a couple dons fans before a game at Portman road last season as well. Great club👍
An absolutely astonishing story.
Its an absolutely amazing story, i am afc wimbledon
Great video, glad to see Wimbledon back home where they belong. All the best in your new stadium. From an Airdrieonians fan
Brilliant this! Keep em coming, big respect to the fans who stuck by the club
Incredible Story !!
Applause. Well done to all of you at AFC Wimbledon. Legendary effort.
As always, another brilliant documentary! Keep up the good work lads
Absolutely brilliant story ⚽️👏👏👏❤️ love to see these stories from the beautiful game
What a great story, brilliant as ever Copa!
Welcome back to your home lads!
What a fucking club much respect from a man United fan
. Marvelous story of Commitment by the Wimbledon fans. Well done.
Great documentary lads, well done to all involved 👏
The consistent quality of this channel's content is amazing. Awesome, awesome work!
The story of this team is insane
Absolutely love this channel, keep it up lads!
absolutely fantastic video
What an incredible story well done to Wimbledon and it fans for never giving up 👏👏
Congratulations to all involved in retaining your rightful place. Much love From a Glasgow Celtic man
This is definitely one of the best documentaries ever made. Its 2 o'clock in Nairobi and I'm out here bawling my eyes out to a random football club in London. 😢😢😭
Inspiring watching this all the way from Australia. Plough Lane will continue to bring you to generations of fans. Go Dons!
This is a very good documentary. I am a Leicester City fan, and we have been on our own fairytale journey the past few years, but I remember all the agony around the move to MK, and I felt so much for the supporters back then. I remember being so pleased when it was announced that there was going to be the fledgling AFC Wimbledon, and ever since formation they have always been my second team, hunting for tables to see how they were doing in the Combined Counties seasons etc. This is what football is about, and the AFC story is everything that is right about football.
I look forward to seeing pictures after Covid of fans in the new ground, and I look forward to coming down to Plough Lane and seeing some games in the future.
Fantastic story. Well done and respect to everyone that made this happen. Onwards and upwards.👍
Great great document
Proud to be a Womble (since1985)
I love football 💛💙⚽
I love Wimbledon Fc & Afc Wimbledon 💛💙
Greetings from Košice All Dons fans
Come on mighty Dons..WTID
⚽💛💙⚽💛💙⚽💛💙⚽💛💙⚽💛💙⚽💛💙
I'm so proud to support Wimbledon, its all ive ever known. It is something I will forever hold onto and I have made memories I will never forget. This video is phenomenal and I can't stop watching it even 2 years later. It truly shows what the club is about and the true meaning of football. We're back where we belong. For ever and ever we'll follow our team, we're Wimbledon FC 💛💙
Work of art. Well done.
Saw some games in the old Plough Lane as a 7 year old, then lived through the Selhurst years and then AFC...it's been one hell of a journey. Think the film is really nicely done, top work
I have no words to describe the emotion I feel with my beloved Wombles coming home. Thank you to everyone who made this dream come true COYD’s 💙💛
What a club! What a story! What a Support! Beautyfull 🤩
Greetings from The Netherlands!
Had a lump in my throat watching this. I’m an Argyle fan and when we lost the playoff to Wimbledon, I was still happy that a club formed by fans for nothing but the passion of supporting your local football club went up. Wimbledon moving home after so long, after being robbed of their home, honestly brings a tear to the eye.
And look at you now! We beat Luton in another play off final and their doing even better!
Beautifully produced. We all know the story of Plough Lane and Wimbledon, but this a great piece about the club and fans! Usually it’s ex players, so this is fresh and new! Love it!
Shows whats true fans and the power of people can do , well done to all, fantastic 👏
Amazing video. @29:50 really highlights how special all this is.
Thank you all the Dons of the past and DT never giving up! “Nothing should ever take you away from your home!”
Thank you Ivor, Andy, and Andrew...and Copa90!
- Larry Espana, proud DT member
What a fantastic piece of work, The Footage, The memories, The Joy and the tears, i now live abroad and haven't been to a game since we got battered at Dulwich Hamlet before we actually began our full rebirth, but that day it was absolutely amazing, we went home happy. I plan to come home as soon as physically possible to kiss that hallowed ground, i get my shirts etc online and from the ripe age of 6 years old to my current age of 51 i will Forever be a Womble!!! thank you so much for this fantastic work. COYDS
I must have watched this 15-20 times. Over the last year. I’m not even a wimbledon fan, but their story really should be celebrated.
I was very moved by this. Sending you all my best wishes and best of luck for the future to AFC Wimbledon. - From Lebanon 🇱🇧
How can you not love a story like this ?
Wouah! Big respect to all of you! Powerfull passion! Football is about heart and passion! I hope to see you in the premier league. A young football coach in Belgium fan of Manchester United.
Crackin documentary/Stunning lookin stadium all round 👍 Welcome Home Dons from a Dundee Utd supporter 🍻
I love these sort of videos docos about clubs
Respect from Serbia and a Partizan Belgrade Fan!! Come on DONS!!
Pity that no fan will be there to enjoy this moment. Hope that we can get to see Premier League football back at the Plough Lane soon!
Now this is quite amazing.