Young fan's support highlights success of CFS
A key aim for AFC Wimbledon’s Community Football Scheme is encouraging the next generation to support the Dons – and that has certainly been achieved with six-year-old Spike Brits.
Spike, who turned six today, will be having a birthday celebration party at the Cherry Red Records Stadium on Saturday, 13 July, when AFC Wimbledon entertain FC United of Manchester.
For a young boy who only started supporting the Dons last season, Spike is certainly making up for lost time because he has virtually every Wimbledon kit available and he said that attending the vital win against Fleetwood was “the best day of my life”. His Dad may be a Chelsea fan, but there’s no stopping Spike’s love for the Dons and he has now applied for his first AFC Wimbledon season ticket.
Such enthusiasm towards the club started just six months ago when Spike attended one of the Community Football Scheme’s courses at Wimbledon Park.
CFS Manager Paul Foley said: “Young Spike is very popular with the staff in the coaching team and other kids because he always plays football with a smile on his face and we have managed to capture Spike’s enthusiasm for the game. His Dad may support Chelsea, but Spike is now a very passionate AFC Wimbledon fan. Spike has just about every Wimbledon kit, his hero is Jack Midson, and he is having his Birthday party with us next month.
“We first met Spike on one of our coaching courses at Wimbledon Park and he came along to a game with a complimentary ticket provided by the club. It shows that AFC Wimbledon is a community club. If we can get kids to support the club at a young age then it can help the club grow in the future. We have to keep working hard to enhance AFC Wimbledon’s reputation as a community club so that in 10 or 20 years’ time these kids grow up and are still coming through the doors because they love the club.”
Spike’s mother Paula wrote to our award-winning CFS team to express her thanks to the club after the Fleetwood match (our picture above shows Spike celebrating in front of the Nongshim Stand after that famous win).
He was delirious with happiness and Jack Midson is now his number one hero. I have promised Spike a season ticket for his birthday though, so we can stop hassling the CFS staff for tickets!” He joined in the pitch invasion to celebrate at the end of the game and I have never seen him so excited. “Spike was overjoyed with the win and said ‘Mum, today is the best day of my life’. In her letter, she said:
.Community FootballThe CFS recently won a Football League award for providing an excellent football programme for schools. If you missed our article about this award and would also like to find out more about the opportunities that we provide, please click on