Wimbledon legends have rushed to back the Plough Lane Bond, which had reached £2,439,000 at 5.00 pm on Thursday.
The Bond, which is administered and offered by the Dons Trust, is looking to raise £5m by 14 February to help cover the remaining costs of the move back to Plough Lane. It is a scheme that has excited players from across the ages that have donned the famous yellow and blue. The Plough Lane Bond was formally launched on Wednesday with press invited to attend an event in London that was attended by Glyn Hodges, Will Nightingale, club staff, and former players.
Kevin Gage, a full-back for the Dons during the club’s meteoric rise from the old Fourth Division to England’s top flight back in the 1980s, has even taken the step to invest in the Bond itself. He said: “Wimbledon FC shaped me as both a player and a person, I’m delighted to invest and help bring the club home. If you can, be a part of this wonderful project.”
Naturally, Dickie Guy, the club’s president and legendary goalkeeper from the 1960s and 1970s, is also fully behind the scheme.
“They [the fans] never cease to amaze me. We have raised well over £2m in less than two weeks, incredible. Support the bond.”
Former Wimbledon FC manager Terry Burton added: “I will always have Wimbledon in my heart. I remember my life there as a coach and as a manager. It was a community club and that was never lost on me.
“The fans never gave up. They have been so resilient and so determined. They have battled hard to get back into the Football League and now they are so close to getting back to Plough Lane. I wish them all the best and to do so as a fans owned club would be a wonderful achievement. The Bond gives them the chance to do that.”
Stewart Castledine, a player from the 1980s and 1990s and former coach, said: “I have spent pretty much my whole life at Wimbledon. It is a magnificent club and we all deserve to get back to Plough Lane.”
John Scales, a member of the 1988 FA Cup winning side, added: “Anybody that is thinking about supporting the club, get involved. It’s an amazing, unique club. It’s one of the most rewarding parts of my life to be involved with this club. Support the bond.”
It was left to fellow 1988 FA Cup winner Terry Gibson to provide the final words: “There is no limit to what this club can achieve," he said. "Look where they have come from and who knows Premier League, European Football, the sky’s the limit, help out this fantastic club by supporting the bond.”
Capital at Risk. For full details, terms & conditions visit the website. The bond is administrated & run by the Dons Trust.