Johnnie's attempt to beat the heat

Manager keen to keep players fresh in tough conditions

12 August 2022

Wimbledon will have a fresh feeling about the squad as we look to combat a heatwave and visitors Doncaster Rovers on Saturday afternoon.

It’s been a busy start to the new campaign, as last Saturday’s long trip to Hartlepool in League Two was soon followed up by our exit from the Carabao Cup at home to Gillingham in midweek.

“It’s warm out there and we’re mindful of that,” said Johnnie after Thursday’s training session. “We’re mindful of the output we’ve had this week, obviously the journey to Hartlepool and a difficult game on Tuesday night as well. Some of the lads played in both of those games, so we’ve had to look after a couple – just make sure that they are recovering right and fresh and ready to go on Saturday. We’ve had a good group out there, working on a lot of things we want to try and implement.

“We’re well aware that rest is best sometimes, and we need to get players ready for Saturday. Others we can push a little bit harder. In terms of injuries though, we’ll be good to go. It’s just about getting the freshest team out there at the weekend which I feel will get us the result.

“I’m not going to talk about individuals, I was just really pleased that the other night we were able to utilise the squad. It was important with those that did come into the team, that I was able to see that they were ready to step in and understood what was required of them - and I saw that. That was pleasing and there were loads of positives.”

PSI_IS_AFC_Wimbledon_Gillingham_30Jul2022_2210 (1).JPG

Tomorrow’s visitors Doncaster have had a similar sort of start to the season as us, having also dropped down from League One. They picked up a point from a goalless draw with Bradford on the opening day, and then beat Sutton United at home to pick up their four points. However, they also exited the Carabao Cup this week – going out to Lincoln City.

“I know that will be Doncaster’s remit to try and bounce back at the first attempt,” said Johnnie. “I know their manager Gary McSheffrey well, he’ll have been drilling them since day one of pre-season with that in mind. I’m sure he’ll be saying that’s their aim, so it’ll be a tough game. It’s a tough start to the season, as far as the opposition that we’ve faced, but we’ve picked up some good points.

“We want to make our home form count and we’re confident, with a lot of competition for places, that especially on our own patch we’re a match for anyone.

“I’m really looking forward again to Saturday. The sun will be shining and I’m sure they’ll turn out in their numbers and as always get behind their team. We need to match that, as a team, and give them something to shout about and really get behind."

You can see the full interview with Johnnie Jackson below, via the link to our official YouTube channel.

Ticket News

Matchday Guide: Stay hydrated for Saturday scorcher

Tickets still available to watch the Dons go for two in a row

12 August 2022

We're counting down to another exciting Dons matchday on home turf - and we've so far sold over 6,500 tickets.

Yes, it's promising to be a cracking atmosphere inside our fantastic spiritual home once again - and there's still time for you to be a part of it all with tickets available online or in person on the day.

With another round of train strikes planned for Saturday, please allow extra time for your journey to the stadium, so that you don't miss the big kick-off!

Don't forget that our fantastic food park will be open, offering a wide range of cullinary delights, as produced by local suppliers.

Below is a summary of how to get your ticket, plus other key information to make your matchday run smoothly.

Tickets

We’ve had good ticket sales in the build-up to this match, but there’s still time to snap-up your ticket. Buy in advance from our online ticket shop.

Alternatively, you can buy before the game from the Ry Stand ticket booth (close to gate five) but please note that ticket prices increase by £2 for adults and concessions, if purchased in person or online on matchdays.

Dons fans can also buy tickets from the ticket booth for our next away games - the matches at Mansfield and Crawley.

Weather warning

With temperatures soaring, please make sure you keep yourself hydrated and we recommend bringing sunscreen for tomorrow’s game. Supporters will be permitted to bring in water in plastic bottles, but tap water will also be served at all of our bars at the stadium.

Women's pic[3577].png

Meet our women before the game!

To celebrate the start of the season, our women’s players will this Saturday be meeting supporters and signing autographs in the food park behind the South London Movers Stand and in the Kids Zone.

The players attending the meet and greet session are as follows: Rosie Russell, Lauren Allen, Megan Stow, Faye Baker, Amy Taylor, Rebecca Sargent, Emily Oliver, Remmi Gardner and two new signings: Billie Brooks and Mia Lockett.

The players will be around from 1pm at the stadium.

Club Shop

Our brand new hummel goalkeeping strips will be available to buy from the club shop tomorrow. The club shop will be open from 11am with our friendly team on hand to help with any requests that supporters may have.

All three goalkeeper kit designs will then go on sale online ONLY from 9am on Sunday. The shop will be closed on this day.

You can also buy our smart new red third strip in store tomorrow. The club shop will close briefly at 2.45 pm and then reopen from 3.15 pm until 6.00 pm, so you can pop in at a quieter time during the game.

Keepers Kits[3046].jpg

Dons TV

Get in the mood for the big game by joining our 9yrs Podcast team from 1.55 pm on Saturday. There will also be a post-match show with our panel.

Tune in via our official Facebook and YouTube channels (links below):

Pre-Match

Post-Match

Train strikes

Ten train operators are on strike nationally, as follows: Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, Greater Anglia, Great Western Railway, Heathrow Express, Hull Trains, LNER, London Overground, Southeastern, and West Midlands Trains.

Please check your journey before travelling by visiting https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ .

Access to the stadium

Turnstiles for home fans open at 1.00 pm and at 1.30 pm for away supporters. For fans who have purchased matchday hospitality, please enter the stadium via Gate 1, which will open at 12 noon.

All home fans will enter via the Plough Lane end of the Stadium only. Please note that fans in the South London Movers Stand or Ry Stand can only enter via Gates 3, 4 and 5. Fans seated in the Cappagh Stand can only enter via Gate 2.

Away fans can only access the Stadium via Gate 6 and 7, is accessed via St Martin’s Way or Maskell Road.

Stadium new 29 July.jpg

Food, Drinks and Pub

Our fantastic food park (situated behind the South London Movers Stand) offers the best of several different cuisines, as served up by local businesses, including the following:

Dough Shack
Naked Chips
MyPie
Traditional Jerk Chicken
All Burgers
Ding Ding

There will also be an ice cream van, offering a selection of treats to cool you down in the sunshine.

Plenty of food and drink concessions are also available in the Cappagh (West) Stand.

Unfortunately due to fire regulations, fans in the Ry and Movers Stands will not have access to the first floor concessions in the Cappagh Stand. As a result, all fans seated in the Cappagh Stand will need to show their match ticket or have their hand stamped in order to get back to the first floor concourse.

The food trucks will stop serving at 6:00pm with last drink orders on the Movers Stand bar at the same time. The Phoenix pub will remain open after the game. The pub will also be serving spirits. Please note that the full range of spirits will be available from after the final whistle until closing time. Pre-mixed cans will be available prior to the final whistle.

Fans are permitted to bring water in a clear plastic bottle if they wish. However, no glass, cans, or metal bottles will be allowed. Thermos flasks are permitted.

Beat the queues with the SwipeStation app

Do you want an easy way to get your matchday pint?

Try our innovative SwipeStation app, which enables supporters to order a pint anywhere in the stadium before the game - and then collect it at a fast lane, either pre-match or at half-time.

That’s not all, either! The app even works offline, which means you can place an order without Wi-Fi connectivity. Obviously, the app does require initial connectivity to download, so why not do it at home before you come to the game?

We will be operating five SwipeStation machines in the Cappagh (West) Stand and two in the Ry (East) Stand. Camden Pale Ale and Stella Artois will initially be the two drinks available on SwipeStation.

Download SwipeStation from the App Store or Google Play and add your card details and email address (like you would for Uber, or to buy a drink in a pub!).

We have a downloadable user guide made for mobile phones, so take a look now and get ordering your pint for the match!

SwipeStation image.jpg

Programme

Our matchday programme includes an extensive interview with Nik Tzanev, who talks about his rise to number one with the Dons and competition with our highly-rated young keeper Nathan Broome.

The programme can be purchased for £3 at the club shop, the Phoenix Pub, and also inside each of our four stands. Sellers will also be positioned outside the Cappagh Stand entrance and along Plough Lane.

Dons Local Action Group Food Collection Point

We will once again be organising collection points on Saturday with supporters invited to donate food to those less fortunate in the community. Masterminded by our award-winning Dons Local Action Group (DLAG), fans will be able to drop off tinned supplies - with an urgent need for tinned meat, tinned vegetables, tinned fish, tinned fruit, and tinned pulses. Food collection points will be located at every entrance into the stadium.

Reusable Cups

We have a reusable beer cup scheme to replace all single use plastic pint cups around the stadium. Once you’ve finished your beer, please dispose of your cup within the reusable cup bins located around the stadium. Please note that these are temporary crates until we get new ones from our suppliers.

Kids Zone

This will be open on Saturday. Not only will fans be able to meet Haydon, our favourite Womble, there'll also be plenty of fun activities, including an inflatable football shooting game. The Kids Zone is positioned on the concourse behind the Family Section on the corner of the East and South stands. Specifically for kids aged between 5-12, it is open from 1.30pm to 2.45pm with activities organised on a rotation basis. Please note that children MUST be supervised by parents at all times.

For a map of the stadium, and other information, including details about bringing bags into the ground and our cycle store facility, see our Matchday Guide section on the official website.