Gillingham FC Forum

I don't know why I get so annoyed over this and we have had this conversation plenty over the years but hey ho. Last night MK Dons beat Sheffield Wednesday to reach the 4th round for "the first time in their history". Weird that because I think technically they won it!

It doesn't matter surely what the name is or where they are located, all that matters is who is taking ownership of the club. We have Rangers carrying on as Rangers even though Rangers went bust and this is a new company. It seems to change about to suit whoever at the time. Conversely during the Dons v Wimbledon cup tie we had commentators stating how AFC Wimbledon were former cup winners! Have I missed something here, have the controlling companies agreed to switch details somehow?

FA Cup Winners Wimbledon renamed themselves MK Dons and moved away. MK Dons HAVE WON THE FA CUP. Disgruntled fans set up a brand spanking new side called AFC WImbledon that have only just got into the league and HAVE NOT WON THE FA CUP! What's hard to understand in that? Teams change names all the time, it doesn't alter that club's past. Whatever the romantics feel about or wish it to be, it isn't and I just wish people would get their head round it and start talking about the right club! Grrrrr!

Gary
New Brompton FC Supporter, Southern League

MK Dons are a franchise; sorry Gary but giving MK Dons any credit is taboo in my books!

Good side, great stadium, well run club, lots of new fans going to see a football league club....it's absolutely dreadful.

But this is past any type personal feelings now isn't it? Whatever we feel about each club is irrelevant, the facts remain. MK Dons aren't actually a franchise because the original no longer existed and besides I'm not sure a football club can be franchised anyway, imagine 2 or more Manchester Cities! MK Dons ARE Wimbledon FC and therefore inherit all of it's history. Arsenal played as Woolwich Arsenal for almost 30 years before being bought out and moved to North London and no-one thinks of them as a "franchise" or a "new" club, simply a club that changed it's name and moved like so many others. We changed our name but didn't move.

I know it would be nice if AFC Wimbledon were the original ones but they're not! And I can't figure out why that is so hard to understand.

It's not the least bit hard to understand and it scarcely matters. Neither MK Dons fans or AFC Wimbledon supporters are in any doubt. I work in MK and I've never heard a single fan lay claim to trophies and honours that pre-date the changes. It's a non-issue.

I live in Buckingham, 13 miles from MK! MK fans will tell you that they had no history before 2004! I personally hate everything about the club! Should never have been allowed to happen! Prat Winkleman will always tell you he did it for the good of Wimbledon and Milton Keynes! In that case, why didn't he buy Milton Keynes City, who were playing in The South Minerva League and build them up and take them forward? A month after Wimbledon moved to MK, Milton Keynes City were wound up with debts of only £23,000! At the end of the day, he didn't buy a football club, he bought a league position! Let's face it, they have achieved nothing...still in the same division!

How different, I wonder, were our circumstances a hundred years ago? Probably very different, who knows? It's New Brompton who were in the first cup final not us, we're related, that's all.
Having said that, I also hate what Mk Dons did but as said before, its history and irrelevant now. There but for the grace of God, go I.

Sorry to sound argumentative but THEY ARE WRONG THEN! I don't know why everyone seems to see this differently to me! I could understand it if Wimbledon was disbanded and MK Dons took their place but that didn't happen! MK Dons assumed the place of Wimbledon in the league effectively replacing them with a new name. Whether fans think they began in 2004 or not is irrelevant (and given most fans in MK have no connection with Wimbledon it does make sense if not make it right). At least they should have started several leagues lower if not.

Same with AFC in reverse. They started afresh, from scratch, and yet many feel they have won the FA Cup. It will be nice, but it's wrong.

Yeah Gaz, we get that, but really need to move on. Let it go mate

So if AFC Wimbledon go broke and MK Dons move back to Wimbledon and become Wimbledon FC, can you see where I am going with this.................?? Well I ****ing well can't because you have hurt my ****ing head with this dam ****ing argument,lol.

MK Franchise United = SCUM!!

Nicely put and well argued Mark.

...and another dreadful result for them.

I really dont know what the issue is.

Most football clubs evolved from the break up or ending of a previous one. Not that many clubs are still the original name or in the original location.

So what the guy went around the roundabouts just to get a league club. The fact is they are a football league club they are better than us by a country mile and they have better support than they ever did in their previous guise.

Lots more to worry about than the fact Winkleman was naughty.

I completely agree. I understand the sensivities from from the AFC quarters but I just cannot get my head round almost all football media pretending that somehow the 2 clubs have switched identities and compete as each other. Very bizarre.