By Chris Slavin
Neal Ardley’s achievement in surpassing 300 competitive games as AFC Wimbledon manager was tonight recognised.
Chief Executive Erik Samuelson presented Neal with an award at the start of tonight’s Meet the Manager event, a fitting way to mark a feat that was achieved towards the end of last season.
Of course, Neal led the Dons to a strong finish to 2017/18 with a seven-match unbeaten run keeping the club in League One for another season.
Before presenting the award, Erik Samuelson said: “It’s over five-and-a-half years since we appointed Neal and we were staring relegation from League 2 in the face at the time. He started by saving us from relegation – we still call it ‘the Fleetwood season’ – and he has turned us into a consolidated League One club. He has completely transformed the facilities behind the scenes and the club substantially. In getting to 300 games he has now exceeded the number of times he played for us as a player. We are commemorating this great achievement by presenting Neal with this special award.”
The Meet the Manager event was as popular as ever with Wimbledon supporters packing into the Your Golf Travel Bar to ask Neal about transfers, fighting relegation last season, and his plans to take the club forward in 2018/19.