AFC Wimbledon: A Spiel on How I Became Just Another Womble from Long Beach

About a few years ago, in 2003 or 2004, you couldn't say that I knew about the concept of Non-League Football in England, let alone followed teams that didn't play in the top four divisions down there.

I was attached to the FA Premier League like a fly to a watermelon. I followed the Chelseas, Liverpools, Arsenals and Manchester Uniteds of the world, and maybe a little Football League Championship, One and Two, but that was about it.

A decade ago, I watched the highlights of a Premier League match involving a team called Wimbledon FC. Max Bretos, a commentator for Fox Soccer Channel, stated that "Wimbledon needs a new pitch!" At the time, the Dons were playing at Selhurst Park, the home of Crystal Palace FC.

Another decade before I watched those highlights, Wimbledon won the FA Cup in 1988 over Liverpool. John Motson summarized it all: "The Crazy Gang have beaten the Culture Club!"

But what was also problematic for this team from London aside from an inadequate field in Plough Lane was poor decision making by the management, which would lead to a dramatic decline.

As they continued to drop down the divisions, Wimbledon FC were taken over by Pete Winkelman, and were moved to Milton Keynes, under the name Milton Keynes Dons.

The fans were livid and in sheer disbelief when the news took the wind out of them like a sailing ship in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle.

It is very rare for a team to move out of a city due to financial issues in England. To this day, the supporters vilify MK Dons as "Franchise FC".

It's akin to seeing the Raiders and Rams leave Los Angeles for Oakland and St. Louis respectively. So I sympathized with those Womble supporters who lost something special to them.

A loud call to action needed to be made. So they decided to start a club that represented a true continuation of Wimbledon. A booming voice could be heard in southwest London in May 2002: "AFC Wimbledon are born!"

The AFC in AFC Wimbledon do not mean anything technically, but it could be an abbreviation for "A Fan's Club." That is what AFC Wimbledon is. A supporters-owned club, where everyone who purchases memberships (equivalent to season tickets) gets a share of the club itself.

AFC Wimbledon, under its first manager, Terry Eames, lost all of its nine preseason matches, and would not taste its first victory until August 12, 2002, by defeating Enfield Town in the Supporters' Direct Cup.

The Dons joined the Combined Counties League in 2002, five promotions away from the Football League and eight away from the Premier League. For the clubs currently in the CCL, it was something unexpected.

Picture this situation. You own a house in a neighborhood that doesn't have a lot of interesting things going on. You trim the lawn, paint the outside, maybe chat with the neighbors about various topics in the news. But that's about it.

Are you with me so far? I hope you are.

Right under your nose, a small group of people outside of town arrange some equipment and accessories: a few speakers and amplifiers, some colorful flourishes, vinyl discs, two turntables and a microphone.

When they finish, the ringleader—a guy with sunglasses, a hat, and a gold tooth and a wide smile—steps up to the microphone and says, "Hey everyone! It's time to PAAAARTAAAY!"

And as the DJ plays some music, everyone on the block comes over and dance, and they all engage in whatever form of revelry you can think of—from rave sticks, to ecstasy pills, to countless bottles of Cristalle champagne.

And this is going on well into the night.

When morning comes, you are still standing there, perhaps in your morning coat, looking at a desecrated lawn and defaced house exterior, and the lawn is littered with paper, broken glass, maybe a few stray pieces of latex if you are lucky.

That was what the rest of the teams in the Combined Counties League experienced when AFC Wimbledon came to town. This little start-up club forged out of the disgust of Winkelman moving the original Wimbledon to Milton Keynes.

They experienced high turnstile counts, increased security never before seen, and even an occasional helicopter keeping watch.

After two seasons and a managerial change with Dave Anderson taking the reins, AFC Wimbledon were promoted to the Isthmian League Division One, and were promoted again to the Isthmian League Premier Division.

During that first three-year stretch, the Dons set a record for unbeaten league matches with 78, including going through their second season in the CCL without a defeat.

The next three years were a challenge for the Dons, especially the first two. In both those seasons, Wimbledon were unable to advance through the playoffs.

Further compounding matters in 2006-07 was the incident involving Jermaine Darlington, a player who was instrumental in their FA Trophy campaign, but saw them expelled due to lack of international clearance. Darlington played for Cardiff City, in Wales, and the management failed to follow procedures.

The Football Association's original punishment was an 18 point deduction that year, but was changed to a three-point deduction and a £400 fine, but the damage was done, and Anderson was sacked.

Already the story regarding the controversial move caught my attention, and my interest in the new supporters-owned club. And as the scandal rocked Norbiton, and Kingsmeadow (the pitch where AFC Wimbledon plays), I followed this team even more.

Simultaneously, I started to gain an appreciation for Non-League football, and I started to examine all the other leagues in the pyramid, and some other successful clubs created out of revolt (FC United of Manchester, Northern Premier League Premier Division), out of continuity (Aldershot Town, formerly Football Conference, now Football League Two), and out of convenience (AFC Liverpool, North West Counties Football League Division One).

Last season, under current manager Terry Brown, they finally broke their hoodoo. After finishing 3rd in the Isthmian Premier, they were promoted by defeating Staines Town in a 2-1 victory that came down to the final 10 minutes, a winner by Mark DeBolla, and a bend-but-don't-break defense.

The supporters scrambled toward the center of the pitch at Staines to embrace their players, and I knew that a great deal of the teams in the Football Conference South would be facing a monster of a side.

As of this writing, they achieved a breakthrough victory last Saturday, defeating Chelmsford City at home, 3-1. The Clarets, as they are called, finished first in the Isthmian Premier last season.

It was only the Dons' third victory against Chelmsford, and the second victory against them in league play.

It's stories like AFC Wimbledon that prove that the power of the supporters—the fans—must never, ever be underestimated. When the move by Pete Winkelman was realized, the supporters revolted, and the end result is a team that has the support, the tradition, and the players to back it up.

The first team is led by Jon Main and Danny Kedwell. Main was acquired from Tonbridge Angels (of the Isthmian Premier) in November 2007. In 37 league appearances with the Dons, he has scored 35 goals.

Kedwell, who previously played for Welling and Grays Athletic (both competing the Football Conference National, a step above AFC Wimbledon), has scored 13 goals in 17 appearances.

It's a surprising fact that AFC Wimbledon is only in its seventh season in existence, and they are just two promotions away from the Football League. They are first in the Conference South, three points above Chelmsford.

MK Dons, under manager Roberto Di Matteo, are currently sitting in second place in Football League One.

While a match between both these teams, born out the same fold, has not yet happened, a showdown between AFC Wimbledon and Milton Keynes Dons is a rivalry waiting to be realized.

And as this Womble from Long Beach keeps a close eye on his adopted Non-League club like their mascot Haydon, perhaps that will be the exact moment where everything will come full circle.