RfE wrote:
If , as looks likely, we’ve played our last game at Plough Lane ( or indeed our last game ever) I’d like to say I’m sorry to see what’s happened to the pitch.
There was a similar situation ( perhaps not as extreme) in I think the last season when we played at the Stoop - we ended up playing a few home games on the road ( Esher RU, Wycombe Wanderers- pretty much wherever we could find a pitch!) .
Any idea how long it will take to put the pitch right?
Is there any possibility of having home games at another London ground temporarily? ( I know that might be a bit triggering for some Dons fans bearing in mind their club’s history).
Or could the next home league games be switched to the away venue, and then play the home game when the away game was originally scheduled? Assuming of course that the problem with the pitch can be rectified reasonably quickly. I certainly hope so
Still very much at the assessment stage, but the club are hoping mid October which is our next home game (the three home games prior are now postponed). A switch to an away game for Accrington on Saturday was possible, but now looks like the aim is to find a venue in South West London. Loftus Road QPR looking highly likely.
Was suggested using a stadium 60/70 miles North, but few supporters would go that specific stadium!
Go Funding has now exceeded 50K. We will get up to 45% profits from the Cup match now moved to Newcastle. Newcastle themselves have donated 15K. Due to planning to repay some Plough Lane Bonds next year, the club does have nearly 2 million cash reserves from income in the last three years including some high price player sales. So cash flow per se not an issue in the short term, but could create challenges next year when only last week 2027 was regarded as our key year to manage our stadium build debt. That debt is 100% unsecured, so we could default if we wanted to; trouble is we would alienate and lose trust of many supporters. We are getting about 50% happy to roll their bonds forward five more years so the repayments can be spread and we can hopefully avoid any commercial loans.
We may get some big money in the future from Academy youngsters we have directly sold to Man City, Chelsea, Rangers, Wolves and Brentford amongst others. Those at the first four clubs are still teenagers and all regulars for England at age levels. I feel London Broncos have been hard done bringing through Super League calibre talent and getting no compensation from the clubs who recruit them.
The football tribunal moving the team from Wimbledon said the formation of AFC Wimbledon wasn't in the wider interests of football. Few believed we'd ever reach the Football League. It only took nine years. Even fewer believed we'd ever play again in Wimbledon. We have and back in Plough Lane. A bit (okay a lot) of water damage isn't going to stop us.
But until the do initial excavation of the pitch tomorrow, time and cost are big unknowns. Lots of theories to what happened, but the club are keen not to speculate until they know for sure. I think what is understood is that a large amount of water lifted the pitch and flooded all ground floor rooms. There is speculation that a system intended to manage the flood risk failed and effectively made it worse, but equally it may just be that the River Wandle was at its highest since 1968 and the water had no where else to go.
