Johnnie’s selection boost as midfielder returns

Paris available as we prepare for another battle under the lights

25 October 2022

Paris Maghoma bolsters our midfield options for the visit of Crewe to the Cherry Red Records Stadium in League Two tonight.

The Brentford loanee comes back into contention after we showed plenty of fighting spirit throughout in the 2-1 victory at Rochdale on Saturday.

“Paris missed one game due to suspension, totting up the bookings, but he’s available to us again,” said Johnnie Jackson. “It’s nice to have that extra option in midfield to be able to choose from.”

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As well as Alex Woodyard completing his first 90 minutes since his injury lay-off, Johnnie praised the resilience of defender Lee Brown after he came through a particularly difficult time to play a part in the win at Rochdale.

“I’m very pleased with Browny’s output,” said Johnnie. “The recent illness that he had really knocked the stuffing out of him. He needed hospital treatment as he was really poorly. His lack of training was a concern going into the game. Part of the reason why we played him where we did, with his experience, was that he’s more than capable of playing in that position anyway. He did great and got through the 90 minutes and felt good. He seems to have come through any issues that he had there and that’s him moving forward now.”

“We’ve got to be really careful with Woody. The temptation now that he’s back is that you just throw him in and he plays every minute of every game, as long as he’s performing. We’re going to have to manage that situation really carefully, because we probably brought him back quicker that we would have liked. In an ideal scenario, we’d have wanted to have built him up more steadily than we were able to, but obviously it is needs must. What’s important to me is that now he is fit, he stays fit. That’s my job to manage the situation really carefully.”

Further power in the Dons engine room is building though, with the emergence of league debutant Kwaku Frimpong, plus George Marsh is recovering a lot quicker than first thought from an ankle injury.

“Marshy has come on really well,” added Johnnie. “I saw him out on the grass today and had a good chat with him. He’s feeling good and pretty much recovered. It’s just those last few steps of rehab that he needs to go through now. I think we’ll have him back real soon for us.

“It was a difficult spot for young Kwaku to come on and make his league debut in a tight game where you’re defending the lead at Rochdale. The opposition are piling it on, injury time is being added, but I sent him on to try and help us see the game out. It was a show of faith from us, but he’s earned that by going out on loan, getting that exposure to the senior game and by us seeing that in training as well.”

You can see the full preview with Johnnie Jackson below, ahead of this evening’s match with Crewe Alexandra, via our official YouTube channel.

Ticket News

Matchday Guide: Tickets left for our midweek special

All you need to know ahead of tonight's big game

25 October 2022

Tonight’s big game versus Crewe is a unique midweek match for us with the exciting launch of our debut Oktoberfest event – and tickets are left for you to be a part of it all.

A taste of Bavaria will be coming to our stadium with delicious savoury snacks on offer before the game in the Fans’ Zone and you can choose from a selection of fantastic German beers to get you in the mood for the match.

We’ll be opening earlier at 5.45 pm to make the most of Oktoberfest and you can watch the early Champions League game between RB Salzburg and Chelsea in our By The Horns Phoenix Pub.

But then comes the main event – the Dons versus Crewe – and we’ll need your help to create an atmosphere under the lights that will lift Johnnie’s boys to a second successive victory!

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Take a look at our match arrangements below for all you need to know ahead of tonight’s game.

Tickets

We’ve had high demand in advance for a midweek match with over 6,700 tickets sold, but you can buy on the night from the Ry Stand ticket booth.

Alternatively, buy now from our online ticket shop.

Oktoberfest with German beers and food

An Oompah band will provide that authentic German vibe with culinary delights available from a German sausages food stall and Berlin Doner Kebabs, in our Fans' Zone, and you can choose from a selection of Bavarian beers.

Choose from the following in our By The Horns Phoenix Pub:

German Pilsner (5 per cent) – A clean and balanced pilsner with light bready malt notes and refreshing German hops to finish.

Das Hoff Hefeweizen (wheat beer, 5 per cent) – A wonderfully soft and hazy wheat beer punching with banana and light clove notes.

Pop-up bars will be located elsewhere in the ground with the following drinks:

Spaten Helles (5.2 per cent) - Boasts over 600 years of German brewing heritage - full-bodied with a crisp graininess, a faint citrus finish and a lingering dryness. Brewed according to the German purity laws, Spaten Helles is one of Munich’s best loved beers.

Lowenbrau (5 per cent) – A typical pale yellow lager from Germany. It's a refreshing yet characteristic beer, slightly dry, spicy, with a trace of malt and delicately bitter.

These will be available from the Ry (East) Kiosk and the Cappagh (West) mobile bar (by the entrance). The beers will be available on SwipeStation from these locations.

Spaten Helles and Lowenbrau will be served in hospitality, including the Silver Lounge.

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Student Special!

A reminder that we’ve got the ideal way for students to take a break from their studies by heading to the Cherry Red Records Stadium. That’s because we’re marking this exciting Oktoberfest event under the lights with an EXCLUSIVE £12 offer for students.

Visit our online shop to book the special offer (Ry Stand only), or buy on the night from the Ry Stand ticket booth (you must bring valid ID).

Select East Premium or Standard seats on the stadium map (orange section in top left or right), select your seat, and then use the arrow to choose the student price.

Gate three

Please note that due to a mechanical issue one of the turnstiles is currently not working. Though the other turnstile at gate three is working, we recommend that supporters use gate four or five if there are bigger queues as a result.

Programme

Paris Maghoma is our cover star for tonight’s edition, which is part three of our Black History Month focus. Tonight’s programme features the first part of our ‘International Dons’ series as part of a World Cup countdown.

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.

Food Park

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
MyPie
Traditional Jerk Chicken
All Burgers
Ding Ding
German sausages food stall
Berlin Doner Kebabs

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.

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Beat the queues with SwipeStation

Since its launch earlier this year, the introduction of the SwipeStation app has helped to beat the queues at the bars.

And you can get your pint in extra quick time for tonight’s big game.

For those that haven’t used it, the SwipeStation app 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 operate SwipeStation machines in the Cappagh (West) Stand and 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!

Lifts in reception

Unfortunately, the lifts in our club reception are still out of service for tonight’s game. We fully understand that this will cause real inconvenience for fans with disabilities and those with mobility issues. We are working to rectify this situation and we are hoping the lifts will be working again soon.

However, there is an alternative for those who require assistance. Please ask at reception and we will provide access to a service lift inside the stadium. As this is utilised for matchday operations, we would really appreciate your patience.

We apologise for the inconvenience caused.

Dons TV

Get in the mood for the big game by joining our 9yrs Podcast team before the game, starting at 6.45 pm. There will also be post-match reaction on our official YouTube channel and you can tune in by clicking on the links below:

Dons Trust Board Elections

Nominations close on Saturday 29 October (23.59 pm) for the Dons Trust Board elections - and you can find out more at tonight’s game. David Hall and other Election Steering Group members will be at the Dons Trust stall (from 6.45 pm) to provide more information for potential candidates.

To find out more visit the Dons Trust website. For any queries, e-mail any queries should contact us at elections@thedonstrust.org .

Access to the stadium

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.

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.

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.