James Oliver-Pearce has delivered an emotional farewell message to all at AFC Wimbledon after accepting a new challenge with Championship club Reading.
James has been appointed as First-Team Coach with the Royals, following almost a decade of coaching with the Dons. His contribution to our academy – in several roles including Under-18s manager – was invaluable during that time and last season he was involved with our first-team set-up.
Following his decision to leave for Reading, James sent us the following message:
After nearly 10 years at this special football club I have taken the difficult decision to move on to a new challenge and the next step in my career. AFC Wimbledon has allowed me to make memories that will stay with me forever and I’ve made friends for life. The moments that really stick out include seeing so many academy products come through the system, our special FA Youth Cup nights, and winning the league at Under-18 level for the first time since the Club reformed.
I’ve been fortunate enough to see the academy grow to become the most productive Category 3 academy in the country. These things do not just happen and there are so many people who have played integral roles in doing so. I would like to thank all the staff that I’ve worked with and give a special mention to Mark Robinson, Michael Hamilton and Rob Tuvey. I learned so much from them as well as so many others. I’m certain the Club will be back where it belongs in the near future and AFC Wimbledon’s results will always be ones that I look out for.
Once a Don, always a Don 💙💛
Academy Manager Michael Hamilton said: “From an academy perspective, it’s hard to articulate the impact James has had since he walked through the door. He assisted Robbo for a number of years, including during the 2016 FA Youth Cup run when we beat Newcastle United and Watford, before meeting Chelsea FC in the last 16. He played a significant role in the individual development of a lot of players that graduated from the academy.
“Three seasons ago James was put in charge of managing our Youth Phase (Under-13s to Under-16s) with a lot of those players moving into the Under-18s and forming the foundation of the team that won the Youth Alliance Cup in 2020. Fast forward 15/16 months and he led the Under 18s to the Youth Alliance title for the first time since we reformed.
“When James initially started talking about stepping up to support the first-team, I knew there was a strong chance that the academy would lose him. Obviously, I didn’t know the events that would unfold afterwards, but I knew his knowledge, skill set and top end quality would shine through. Our programme is built on providing a pathway for players, but also for staff and James is evidence of this. I’m gutted to be lose him, but from a selfish point of view, I honestly couldn’t be happier.
“Over the last few seasons, we’ve seen a lot of talented British coaches with very deep developmental backgrounds make the transition into the senior game – James is the latest one. There is no doubt in my mind that he will go on and establish himself as one of the best young coaches in the country, and his career over the next 10 years or so will be very interesting to watch. On behalf of everyone from the academy, it’s not just good luck that I want to say, but more of a thank you.”
All at AFC Wimbledon thank James for contributing so much to our club and we look forward to meeting up again on 19 July - for the pre-season match versus Reading!