It’s been a long, long journey, but this weekend the doors will finally open on our very own historical exhibition space at Plough Lane.
This will be dedicated to telling “The Greatest Story” in football and giving our club’s history pride of place in our fantastic new stadium.
For Wimbledon fans past, present and future, for the local community and sporting fans generally, this will be an exciting heritage space for capturing hearts and minds.
A team of committed volunteers at Wimbledon in Sporting History (WiSH) has worked thousands of hours over recent years, with a last herculean effort this summer to put into action plans which have been years in the making. The picture above shows Chris Hutchinson, Head of Volunteering at WiSH, and Rebecca Hamlin, Manager of “The Greatest Story” room. Chris is also shown getting to work below!
Fans’ DIY expertise and sheer muscle power were called upon to make the dream come true. From a bare concrete shell, walls have been painted, the floor laid with donated carpet tiles, sockets and bespoke lighting fitted.
Central to The Greatest Story room are the huge display cabinets, which were donated by museums including the Victoria & Albert. A small army of WiSH volunteers was mobilised to move these heavy cabinets to their new home in Plough Lane – squeezing them in with just a millimetre to spare.
The greatest attraction of The Greatest Story room will be the patrimony which is finally being brought together for the first time under one roof, to be shared with everyone: trophies, awards, photos, shirts and so much more. The club’s “Crown Jewels”, a treasure trove of memorabilia and artefacts, will be home in one place, back in Plough Lane.
Displays will be refreshed throughout the year to maximise what we can show – all part of the club’s history that will be celebrated throughout the stadium in other heritage projects that WiSH will be working on in the year ahead.
The Greatest Story room will officially open at 11.00 am on Sunday September 5 by Wimbledon legend Dickie Guy and Maureen Batsford, the Vice President and President of WiSH. Players past and present, along with representatives from the club, Dons Trust, and Merton Council, will all be on hand to share and celebrate this special moment for club and community.
Doors will open to all at 12 noon, through until 4.00 pm on Sunday, so do come along, enjoy our amazing story – and find out which of our Crown Jewels will be on display for all to see in this first exhibition!
Please contact John Lynch by e-mail at jplynch@wimbledoninsportinghistory.com if you would like further information.