Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association Wants Name Change For MK Dons

Following AFC Wimbledon's promotion to the Football League on Saturday the Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association (WISA) want Milton Keynes Dons to sever all connections with Wimbledon by dropping the Dons part of their name. 

WISA have released this statement:

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The Commissions' [that originally gave permission for Wimbledon FC to be relocated to Milton Keynes] assumption that "resurrecting the Club (Wimbledon FC) from its ashes as, say, "Wimbledon Town" is, with respect to those supporters who would rather that happened so that they could go back to the position the Club started in 113 years ago, not in the wider interests of football", demonstrates that the Commission showed a blatant disregard for the interests of Wimbledon supporters and the National game in a move which had the potential to set a dangerous precedent of American style franchising. The Football Association's due diligence processes are fundamentally flawed and designed to avoid the threat of legal action against them, above the interest of supporters, whom they should protect. 

WISA is proud of the part that it has played in the history of AFC Wimbledon and the fight to save Wimbledon FC. WISA actively campaigned for and welcomed the tightening of the Football League rules to prevent football franchising occurring again and prompted the return of the history and honours of Wimbledon FC by Milton Keynes Dons FC to the London Borough of Merton, following extensive negotiations in 2006. 

WISA believes that AFC Wimbledon's promotion should be the time for the MK Dons to begin a new chapter in their short history and remove "Dons" from their name, a tag that remains a prominent beacon of theft and franchising of Wimbledon FC. 

WISA believes that Milton Keynes Dons stands out extremely awkwardly when looking through the list of the 92 Football League Clubs. There are 91 traditionally named Football Clubs, and then one American style franchise name leaps out. 

Simon Wheeler, Chair, WISA, said: "It must be considerably embarrassing for them, and will only get more embarrassing now that the real Dons, AFC Wimbledon, are added to the Football League list". 

WISA believes that the people of Milton Keynes would welcome a name change, new identity and for a significant proportion of them will remove some of the shame and stigma attached to a Club that claims it has community values, yet wants a nickname that is not related at all to Milton Keynes. 

When Pete Winkelman changed the name to Milton Keynes Dons, they were naively still trying to claim that they were Wimbledon FC. WISA acknowledges that, that has now rightfully changed, and they correctly regard themselves as a new Club. 

Wheeler added: "Their so called supporters who demand that the name Dons should stay, only do so in a misguided attempt to try and justify that their formation wasn't wrong and to gloat at being the profiteers of franchising at the expense of genuine Wimbledon supporters". 

WISA doubts that Mr Winkelman would choose that name again, and would be confident that the football authorities would, actively welcome a name change. 

Whilst Wimbledon supporters will never forgive or forget the theft of their Club to Milton Keynes and will hope that they never have to play them in a fixture, Wheeler said: 

"They no longer can give us our league place back, we regained it the proper way, the Dons way, not the Franchise way." 

WISA believes that it is about time that the MK Dons drop the pretence, accept who they are and how controversial and distressing their formation was and do the honourable thing.

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We'd be interested to hear any thoughts on the matter…