In just under a month we’ll find out our fixtures for the 2023/24 campaign – with two teams in particular set to catch the eye for Wimbledon fans as we take a trip back to some old stomping grounds.
Both Forest Green Rovers and Wrexham AFC have experienced differing fortunes throughout the season just gone, resulting in the sides beginning their preparations for life back in League Two.
For the Dons, it is a case of renewing acquaintances, having previously locked horns with the two clubs back in our Conference (now the National League) promotion season of 2010/11.
Indeed, a lot has changed in the 12 or so years since that point and as a result we’ll be placing our focus on what to expect as we visit both The New Lawn and the Racecourse Ground once more.
FOREST GREEN ROVERS
WHAT’S HAPPENED SINCE 2011?
After being twice reprieved from relegation, the club was and continues to be transformed by Dale Vince’s investment. From overhauling player nutrition to becoming the first carbon-neutral football club in the world in 2018, everything is geared towards becoming more eco-friendly.
Rovers also became more sustainable on the field of play, with three respectable tenth place finishes in the National League providing a benchmark for a promotion push. Two failed play-off campaigns eventually led to the promotion to the Football League that everyone craved as they prevailed at the same stage of the 2016/17 season.
Being the smallest town to ever host an EFL club, their introduction to the fourth division took some getting used to. After staving off the early threat of relegation in their first season they succumbed to more play-off heartache in 2019 and 2021. However, FGR fought back from their setbacks well as they went up as League Two champions in 2022, in what is arguably their biggest achievement to date.
League One proved to be a tough nut to crack however as they finished bottom of the table, meaning a rebuild is sure to be on the cards as they aim to reestablish their upwards trajectory.
WHO’S IN CHARGE?
Still cutting his teeth in his first full-time role as a manager, Duncan Ferguson is looking to make a name for himself in the dugout after carving out a playing career that earnt him legendary status at his former club Everton.
Prior to his intriguing arrival at the New Lawn, ‘Big Dunc’ had taken in two separate caretaker spells at Goodison Park following the departures of both Marco Silva and Rafael Benítez. Regardless of this, he certainly has big plans for his new club, stating upon his appointment that he plans to stay put for a while.
His ambitions are equally matched by his chairman, with Vince commenting: “We’re all excited to welcome Duncan, he is someone I have admired from afar for a while. It’s just fantastic to have the opportunity to work with him in this next phase of our journey towards the Championship.”
For now though the duos’ focus will be on getting out of League Two, with player recruitment sure to be front and centre of that vision after seeing the departure of 10 first-teamers – six of which formed part of their 2022 title-winning squad.
WHAT’S THE STADIUM LIKE?
Built in 2006, the New Lawn has a capacity of 5,147 (2,000 seated) meaning it is amongst the smallest in the league. It does however boast many unique features including an entirely organic pitch, 180 solar panels and a meat-free matchday menu filled with tasty vegan treats.
Away supporters are housed in the west side of the ground itself, which is made up mostly of terracing that has a capacity of around 1,000. The nearest train station is Stroud.
FGR don’t plan on sticking around however, with plans already afoot for a new 5,000 seat stadium (which includes the potential to expand to 10,000 based on success) that will form a vital part of the proposed Eco Park complex beside Junction 13 of the M5 in Gloucestershire.
The design of the stadium is typically unique to the club itself, with the structure set to be made almost entirely out of wood. The intention is for it to possess the lowest carbon footprint of any stadium in the world as Rovers look to break even more new ground on their journey towards the upper levels of the Football League.
WREXHAM AFC
WHAT’S HAPPENED SINCE 2011?
The Red Dragons have experienced a real rollercoaster of emotions over the past 12 years, with notice of a winding-up order in 2011 arguably being the original turning point on their way to becoming what they are today.
Thankfully the future of the club was secured and in the following 2011/12 season Wrexham would go on to record one of their best seasonal performances to date, amassing an impressive 98 points.
However this proved to be in vain, as Fleetwood Town pipped them to the automatic promotion spot by five points before the team fell foul to the dreaded play-offs once again, losing out to Luton Town in the final at Wembley.
Aside from lifting the FA Trophy in 2013, there was little to shout about for the Welsh side until the back end of 2020 when Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney brought Hollywood to North Wales in the form of their surprise takeover.
The duo have made the club a globally recognizable brand, overseeing a move to having TikTok as their front-of-shirt sponsors, to becoming the feature of the Welcome to Wrexham docuseries which has been released on Disney+.
None of that surpasses the club’s on-field success however, as they eventually escaped the National League in the season just gone, prevailing as champions after picking up a record-breaking 111 points. Now they’ll be aiming to take the EFL by storm with a playing budget that is sure to be the envy of many.
WHO’S IN CHARGE?
Phil Parkinson is a manager who knows the Football League like the back of his hand, having enjoyed success-laden spells with the likes of Bradford City and Bolton Wanderers that have included play-off and automatic promotions.
As such he was deemed the ideal man for the job at the Racecourse Ground in July 2021, as he finally led the Red Dragons back to the EFL after a 15-year absence following some play-off heartache in his first season.
Behind every good manager is an equally strong squad, with the team itself being headed up by a talisman in the form of striker Paul Mullin, who has hit 64 league goals in 84 outings. Indeed he has been well supported by his teammates, with the group including former Wimbledon frontman Ollie Palmer and ex-Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster.
Parkinson has managed to keep the vast majority of his promotion-winning outfit together following the release of the club’s retained list and will no doubt be seeking to add further quality to a side that will be expected to challenge at the upper end of the League Two table.
WHAT’S THE STADIUM LIKE?
The home of Wrexham since 1864, the Racecourse Ground has undergone plenty of facelifts over the years in order to keep with the times, with the next few years set to be no exception to that. The iconic Kop stand has been demolished behind the goal, with it set to be replaced with 5,500 extra seats that will significantly boost the current 10,500 stadium capacity.
Restoration work is expected to be completed by the start of the 2024/25 season, meaning a three-stand ground will greet visiting Wimbledon fans in the upcoming campaign. Dons supporters will be housed along the side of the pitch in the right upper section of the Wrexham Lager Stand. The nearest train station is Wrexham General, located close to the stadium itself.
The Racecourse Ground is still regarded as the world's oldest international football stadium, having hosted Wales' first home international match in 1877.
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