Erik Samuelson issued the following statement earlier today.
“The article which appeared in yesterday’s Times has caused some concerns so I thought I should comment. First, although it had my name as a by-line, I did not write it.
“Regarding the comments about the Crazy Gang, I first started watching Wimbledon in the middle of the Crazy Gang era and was there to enjoy many of the successes that the Club achieved during that period. It is a measure of the impact of the name that ‘Crazy Gang’ remains the automatic headline for the club, 30 years later. The team was frequently underrated for the quality of football it played and I’ve often observed that while the 1988 Cup Final win was a magnificent achievement, we were also seventh in the League that season, so perhaps it shouldn’t have been such a surprise to commentators.
“We value our traditions and history, so if a different impression arose from the interview then it was unintended and I regret that.”