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By • Morgan Denham
(AFC Wimbledon during their promotion to the football league)
AFC Wimbledon's incredible rise through the ranks of English football has been one that has gone largely unnoticed by the majority of the sports followers. Due to their lack of world-renowned talent or huge overseas investors many have overlooked the rapid growth of a largely fan-orientated grassroots club. AFC Wimbledon was founded in 2002 by fans of Wimbledon F.C., the club which sold out in a move to Milton Keynes to form the team better known as 'MK Dons' - over 90km from the majority of their followers. The outrage from these followers formed AFC Wimbledon – something which has proven to be the silver lining the fans had been looking for. Average home attendance for AFC Wimbledon at league fixtures in their first season was in excess of 3000 - higher than the average for Wimbledon F.C. in the same season, despite their playing in the Championship. Having joined ninth division football that same year, the club saw enormous success, being promoted six times in only thirteen seasons. The most notable of these seasons being in 2003-4, where Kevin Cooper scored 53 goals and Wimbledon went on to win the league title, unbeaten in 46 games. Under the management of Terry Eames, Nick English, and finally Irish-born Dave Anderson, the club extended this unbeaten run to an English record 78 games. Fast-forward to the present day and the club's success is beginning to dwindle in comparison to their short, yet impressive, history. Despite this slow-down in success, the club saw promotion to third-tier English football last season, but struggled in a mere 15th position in their first year as they attempted to close in on the top flight. Many reasons have been thrown about as to why the club are beginning to struggle; a lack of money to attract bigger and better players? A loss of dedication from the fans? How about the fact that 100% of AFC Wimbledon is still owned by the fans.
(AFC Wimbledon fans)
This religious commitment to the club and what it stands for as a fan-owned success story might be what is holding the Wombles back from Championship or even Premier League football. The huge majority of the club's £1 million playing budget has come from the 'We are Wimbledon' fund, straight from the fans' pockets. Best-selling author and director John Green, best known for 'The Fault In Our Stars', has backed the club through his FIFA 17 ‘Career mode'. Through this he has raised amounts capable of changing Wimbledon’s future for the better, which he has sponsored straight into the club. "...The power of individuals over corporations, over wealthy people, over greed, it is such a testament to me of the power of individuals who care about something and care about an institution to make this happen. This club represents the best values of football, and the best values of sport, and I'm so lucky to be a part of it." - Green, following the unveiling of a stand named after him at Wimbledon. To put this into perspective, the clubs budget is just below a third of the entire club worth (~£3.38m). Chelsea - a club that has just won the Premier league, and their 15th trophy under Roman Abramovich since 2003, act as a perfect example of allowing a rich investor to influence the future of a club. Wimbledon's current squad is made up almost completely of free transfers, which is never a good sign for a club seeking top-division football – the odds of Wimbledon nurturing the next Lionel Messi are quite slim. Lyle Taylor, Wimbledon's starting striker, scored a mere 14 goals in 50 appearances in all competitions last season, and the club finished with more losses than wins leaving them in a disappointing 15th position. Having picked up a small run of form with his hat-trick against Rotherham, it seems he may be able to provide for the club in the short-term. To date, there have been no fan-owned clubs that have reached the Premier League. But unknowingly to most, the footballing giants Real Madrid and Barcelona are fan owned - with ~180,000 people invested in Barcelona alone. Although these clubs' situations differ to AFC Wimbledon, the idea that the club could be in the Championship and even Premier League on its own two feet is not completely out of reach. This might be much more likely if the decision to allow an investor goes ahead. Until then, it seems the club - and it's £1-a-year chairman Erik Samuelson - will need to make do with the club's generous fan-funds.