Interview with Dave Beasant during build-up to FA Cup weekend
Dave Beasant has saluted AFC Wimbledon’s achievements after an impressive rise to League One and the 1988 FA Cup hero said he would love to attend a game at Plough Lane in the future.
Here today to film a feature about the club's rise for Sky Bet, Dave also talked during an interview for our official You Tube channel about Sunday’s FA Cup tie at Curzon Ashton.
Speaking first about the club’s progress – Dave was at Wembley in May to watch the play-off final win against Plymouth – the former Wimbledon goalkeeper said: “As close as anyone can get to emulating what we did, the people running this place and the players wearing those Wimbledon shirts, have a great chance,” said Dave. “To be playing at the level they are playing at now is a great achievement and you just wonder what the next stage will be with Wimbledon.
“Being in a new stadium in a couple of years will help the financial resources of the club. To be in a purpose-built stadium will be something that the players and the club deserve. I would love to be there at Plough Lane to see the boys back home. My Wimbledon career was played at Plough Lane, my home was Plough Lane, and for the club to be going back home is brilliant. There has been a lot of hard work put in by people at the club and it is what everyone deserves.
“Neal Ardley has done a fantastic job, his team play nice football. He has not got the financial resources of other clubs, but the fact he can attract players to Wimbledon, it is nothing short of remarkable what he is doing. I know he will be looking to the long-term and will want to be managing the team at Plough Lane. Maybe Neal can then start taking Wimbledon up to the next level.”
Sunday at Curzon Ashton will be far removed from such ambitions and Dave knows from his own experiences as a player that the current squad cannot afford to take them lighly.
“When I was at Wimbledon I was on the wrong end of a result against non league opposition,” added Dave, who is now goalkeeping coach at Reading. “Fans might remember Enfield away on a wintery day and we got a 4-1 hiding. If you don’t go into a game like that with the right attitude and show the opposition the respect they deserve, you can come unstuck. It’s a massive game for them with it being on TV and that is going to mean a lot more, but Wimbledon have had some good results recently and I am sure they will go into it right.”