Excitement builds ahead of meeting about stadium
Chief Executive Erik Samuelson says that, in his opinion, tomorrow’s planning committee meeting about a proposed move back to our spiritual home is the most important event since AFC Wimbledon was reformed in 2002.
On Thursday evening, Merton Council will consider the joint application by Galliard Homes and AFC Wimbledon for the development of the Plough Lane site, including permission to build a 20,000-capacity stadium as a new home for our club.
The meeting takes place at Merton Civic Centre at Morden (7.15 pm start) and the club hopes to see plenty of Dons fans in attendance to back the bid. There has already been significant media interest and BBC London will broadcast an interview on television with Erik ahead of Thursday night’s meeting.
If plans are given the green light, it raises the exciting prospect of AFC Wimbledon playing back at Plough Lane in time for 2018/19 – a total of 27 years since the Dons last played a football game in Merton.
“It’s been a long journey to get this far, but now the club is closer than it’s ever been to achieving our dream of a return back to Merton,” said Erik. “Though our current home has served us well, a move to a new stadium is of critical importance for our progress further up the Football League ladder.
“We’ve enjoyed many memorable moments during our remarkable rise of five promotions in nine seasons to get back into the Football League, but getting back to Plough Lane would be our biggest victory yet. It’s over 13 years since thousands of our supporters packed into Sandhurst Town - some watching it on bales of hay - to get behind the club in its first competitive match. Since then, our supporters have been with us all the way and I hope to see many of them at Merton Civic Centre tomorrow night.”
.Meeting Arrangements To view a more detailed article about plans for tomorrow night, click on However, recognising the significance of the decision, Merton are streaming the proceedings into adjacent meeting rooms and the lobby. Space in the meeting room is very limited so those supporters who want to be in the room when the vote is taken are urged to arrive very early.
For fans who cannot attend, we will be tweeting updates on the progress of the meeting, and you are invited to sign up to the club’s Twitter feed, @AFCWimbledon. A report on the proceedings and reaction from the club and the Dons Trust will appear on our official website as soon as possible after the meeting.