With just over three weeks until the big kick-off, our Interim Chair Mick Buckley has provided an update on recruitment and other important matters off the pitch.
Q: In your last interview with us you mentioned about the Club recruiting for two new roles. Is there any news to report?
A: Yes. We had advertised the roles of Head of Football Operations to oversee the football side of the organisation, and Managing Director, to oversee the business and operations side. We have had a lot of applications for both roles and are working through a recruitment process.
Whilst we have been doing this, Will Daniels, who has been working at the Club as Recruitment and Analysis Manager has decided to step away from his role to concentrate on other personal and professional interests. We thank Will for all of his hard work.
Given the importance of recruitment at this time of year, we have employed Jamie Johnson until the end of the January transfer window to be our Head of Recruitment. He has 20 years of experience in a variety of scouting and recruitment roles at clubs including Spurs, Brighton, Rotherham and Leyton Orient. We welcome Jamie to Wimbledon, and we feel that his acquisition will make a difference as we strive to strengthen our playing squad. Jamie will work alongside Johnnie Jackson, and make recruitment recommendations, with the manager having the final word on players coming and going.
Q: We are all desperate to hear about new signings! How are we doing with bolstering the squad?
A: We have added some much-needed quality and experience to the squad with the arrivals of Alex Pearce and Chris Gunter. We are having lots of conversations with other potential additions and as a lifelong Dons supporter, I’m as desperate as everyone else for us to announce more signings! That said, we want to get the best available players for each position. We expect things to start moving quicker as we get closer to the start of the season. The squad are currently working hard doing double sessions after an early morning run at a training camp up in Cheshire!
Q: We are conducting this interview close to the pitch and our playing surface appears to be in prime condition as we head towards the first home pre-season friendly in just over a weeks’ time. How is our new recruit settling in?
A: Yes, he’s made a flying start! Luke Bowden joined us recently as our new Head Groundsperson, leaving his previous job at Solihull Moors, where he did a very impressive job. I wish to welcome Luke, who in tandem with his Assistant Ciaran Kane, is creating a great playing surface. To help protect the pitch, we’ve taken the decision to move the scheduled London Broncos match at the Cherry Red Records Stadium on 10 July to an alternative venue (Ebbsfleet United FC). Due to ongoing pitch maintenance and with us having four home first-team fixtures in July, we felt this was the best course of action to ensure the playing surface is in the best possible condition. We look forward to welcoming back the Broncos on 24 July.
Q: Have there been any other interesting things going on at the stadium since your last update?
A: We’re constantly looking at ways of maximising revenue from the stadium all year round and we had Sky Sports here recently to film an advert featuring Jamie Carragher, Gary Neville, Micah Richards and Jamie Redknapp.
In the conferencing and event space Merton Council recently held an event with 500 people in attendance across the day.
That followed a visit by new Merton Council Leader Ross Garrod and a separate visit by all the newly elected Merton councillors . All of whom took a keen interest in our progress and facilities - they are certainly all welcome to come by again.
Q: What else?
Season Ticket sales continue to go well and will exceed last season and ticket sales for the pre-season games are also going well with 1200 sold for the Ipswich game.
Another important bit of news was announced when Marcel Campbell, Ethan Sutcliffe, Ben Mason and Josh Hallard signed professional forms. Though there’s been a change in our first-team management, producing our own will continue to be a priority for this club. Traditionally, Wimbledon has been renowned for bringing players through the youth system and we’ve certainly seen the value of this philosophy in recent years with our academy graduates flourishing at first-team level. I can’t wait to see all four of them playing at Plough Lane in the future!