Johnnie relishing derby battle with former teammate

Manager keen to meet up again with opposing boss on Saturday

14 October 2022

Johnnie Jackson is very much looking forward to taking on his Sutton counterpart Matt Gray on Saturday - someone he knows very well from their days together as youngsters at Tottenham.

“Sutton have done great things in the past few seasons, their manager Matt Gray (pictured below) is someone I know from our youth team days,” said Johnnie. “I’ve watched with interest his journey as a manager and the things he’s been doing with Sutton for the past couple of years. It’ll be good to go up against him, but obviously any fondness I have for him will go out of the window on Saturday!

“We were in the same year at Tottenham, we were apprentices together. He played centre-half in our youth team, and I played in centre-midfield, so we’ve known each other for a long time. We’ve gone on different paths and different journeys as players and sort of come full circle really. Now we’re going to get the opportunity to manage against each other.”

Johnnie has sampled some of the great London derbies as a player, and as the two clubs meet for a Football League game for the first time, he's certain our visit from Sutton has all the makings of another.

“Some were good, some were not so good, but I always enjoyed playing in them,” said Johnnie. “Derbies are fiercely competitive and always with a little bit of extra edge on it. I always wanted to win anyway, but there always seemed to be a bit of spice.

“I was lucky to play in some crackers in my time. I was lucky to play against Arsenal for Tottenham and Charlton against Millwall derbies were lively ones! I know this is going to be a real lively game, because there’s been a lot of talk about it!

“I think from the moment the fixtures came out people were looking forward to this one. Obviously, this week there’s been a lot of interest in it and we’re looking at a real bumper crowd. I’m really excited about it and it’s really important that we show our fans that we’re up for the fight and that we recognise the significance of the game with it being a derby. If we give the supporters something to shout about, we know that they’ll get behind us in equal measure.”

Johnnie is hopeful of having both fit-again goalkeeper Nathan Broome and defender Alex Pearce to call upon for his line-up, but we’ll make late calls on midfielders George Marsh (ankle) and Paris Maghoma (hamstring). We will have to do without keeper Will Jääskeläinen though and Johnnie has also shown his support for young defender Ethan Sutcliffe, who sustained a broken tibia while on loan to Salisbury.

“Will has picked up a niggle in training,” said Johnnie, “So he’s going to miss a significant amount of time, it’ll be a few weeks. He’s in a boot at the moment. I’m gutted for him because he was looking good in training and pushing Nik Tzanev. Thankfully, it looks like we’ll have Nathan available.

“I’m really disappointed for Ethan. We managed to get him a really good loan club, to go out and get some experience to further his development. He’s a great lad with a great future ahead of him. He’s picked up a nasty injury and going to miss a significant period, but we’ll look after him.”

You can see the full interview with Johnnie Jackson below, ahead of Saturday’s derby with Sutton, via the link to our official YouTube channel.

Ticket News

Matchday guide for derby clash

All you need to know ahead of Saturday's match

14 October 2022

We’re close to selling out for our derby match versus Sutton United, as excitement builds ahead of tomorrow’s landmark clash.

We’re opening at 12 noon, so it’s well worth getting here early to avoid queuing – and to watch the first televised match in the Phoenix Pub with Leicester taking on Crystal Palace.

Make sure you’re well in your seats before kick-off to give a rapturous welcome to a real Dons favourite before the game – our first captain after we reformed.

Special guest Joe Sheerin will be presented to the crowd at 2.55 pm, along with a player each from the 1963 FA Amateur Cup Final – our former keeper Mike Kelly and Sutton United’s Roy Osbourne.

It promises to be a special atmosphere at our Plough Lane as we host Sutton United in a league match for the first time since returning home.

Below is a summary of match arrangements ahead of the game, so that you can plan another big Dons matchday at our fantastic home.

Tickets

Due to returns, we have a very limited number of tickets available, which can be purchased by visiting our online ticket shop.

No tickets will be available to buy on the day.

As we’ve nearly sold out of tickets for this match, we would very much appreciate ST holders letting us know if they are not attending the game. Please kindly let us know by e-mailing ticketreturns@afcwimbledon.ltd.uk with your name and the block, row, and seat number of the seats (s) you are releasing.

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Early entry

Please note that if you wish to come in between 12 noon and 1 pm to watch the early televised match between Leicester and Crystal Palace (12.30 pm kick-off) you will need to enter via the club shop. A steward will be on hand at the back of the shop to provide access using a portable scanning machine. Once you’ve entered the ground, you will not be permitted to leave the stadium and get back in as your ticket will not work.

Programme

Our new defender Ryley Towler is the cover star for tomorrow’s derby edition, which is packed with great features, interviews, and pictures about the Dons. There is a tribute piece for our long-serving volunteer David McKnight, who passed away recently. Ray Armfield provides a detailed account of our long history of matches versus Sutton and there’s the second part of our focus on Black History Month.

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, 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
MyPie
Traditional Jerk Chicken
All Burgers
Ding Ding
Naked Chips

As mentioned previously, the Phoenix Pub will be open earlier from 12 noon on Saturday, and supporters can also make use of food concessions in the Cappagh 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.

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.

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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 tomorrow’s big game. Simply create your order for Stella or Camden Pale on your phone and skip the queues - like a VIP!

You will be able to do this via the left fast lane at Bar one in the Cappagh (West) Stand.

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!

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Lifts in reception

Unfortunately, the lifts in our club reception will be out of service for tomorrow’s game. We fully understand that this will cause real inconvenience for fans with disabilities and those with mobility issues.

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.

PA system

We are fully aware that there has been issues with supporters hearing announcements in certain parts of the ground this season. This is something we’ve been constantly working to rectify by testing the current system, with the aim of implementing improvements.

Unfortunately, a temporary solution that we looked into was deemed to be too expensive, so we are aiming to upgrade the PA system with a longer term option that is affordable and reliable. In the meantime, we’ve tested the current system ahead of Saturday and it appears to be working better than in recent matches, but we will be very grateful for your patience if there are any issues.

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, starting at 5.10 pm approximately.

Tune in via our official Facebook and YouTube channels.

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.

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Club Shop

Opening hours will be from 11.00 am until 2.55 pm (reopening at 3.15 pm). Choose from an impressive range of smart hummel kits and a wide variety of merchandise with our friendly staff on hand to help.

Golden Goal tickets

Tickets will be on sale at the Sutton game (priced at just £1) with the top prize of £100 (all funds raised are donated to the Club), so look out for our Golden Goal sellers on Saturday.

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.

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.

Kids Zone

This will be open on Saturday. Fans will be able to meet Haydon, our favourite Womble, and there’s also plenty of fun activities for children to get involved with. 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.