Would you like to be part of a team exploring the history of AFC Wimbledon?
If so, then help Wimbledon in Sporting History in their exciting new project that has our supporters at the forefront. Arts and education charity digital-works is working on the new National Lottery Heritage Funded project, alongside WiSH, exploring and recording the history of AFC Wimbledon.
The project will explore the joys and agonies of supporting a club through the ups and downs over the years. Whether it’s the freezing cold trips away, the painful defeats, joyful victories, or the relationships formed with characters on the terraces, you can help to document this in our history.
Of course, the project will also examine our early years after the club’s reformation when the club had to start afresh on Wimbledon Common, before regaining its place in the football league.
The old adage “football is the most important of the least important things” is a nice saying, but masks the sense of well-being and connection people gain by supporting a football team. At the same time, the project will also look into the darker side of football history when the terraces were less welcoming to many people and how things have changed over the years. The project will explore the feeling of being part of something over many years, the connection to a place, to a club and, most importantly, to other people.
In collaboration with digital-works and based at the Cherry Red Records Stadium, volunteers will take part in workshops covering oral history techniques, sound recording, interview training and question development, as well as talks and workshops around the history of the club. The emphasis is on team working and the volunteers will then go on and be part of the teams that conduct and record interviews with supporters, players and staff from AFC Wimbledon’s unique history.
These interviews will be going to archives and will be filmed to make both a documentary and a podcast series. The projects are sure to be fun and fascinating!
WiSH are actively encouraging people with absolutely no experience and those from under-represented communities to volunteer and will give plenty of support throughout the project.
There will be three training dates in January 2022. The training dates will be Monday 10, 12 and 14 January from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm. You will need to be free to attend all of these days. Interview days will take place over the three weeks following this and attendance for those will be more flexible. If you are interested in being part of the project team, please contact Sav Kyriacou by e-mailing: sav@digital-works.co.uk .