Morgan Williams and Haydon the Womble were star attractions in Mitcham on Sunday!
Our 18-year-old midfielder and our beloved mascot took centre stage at an inaugural event that showcased the best of sport in the borough of Merton.
Morgan’s eventful appearance at Merton’s Big Sports Day involved an interview for Riverside Radio, meeting numerous football fans of all ages – and even being captured on film playing tennis with our friends at the All England Club!
But Morgan and Haydon were not the only Dons representatives getting plenty of attention on the day – far from it in fact.
Maddi Sweetman was arguably our busiest member of staff as the queue for face painting at the Foundation stall was never-ending!
Our Foundation Director Phil Rudling said: “We had a lot going on with the football inflatable, three versus three and one versus one games on the grass, face painting, plus Haydon the Womble and Morgan coming down. It was a very positive day for the Foundation and the Club in the community. We are delighted to support the aims of the Borough of Sport initiative, which is to get kids and people of all ages playing football and enjoying sport.
“Maddi worked like a trojan, as per usual! There was a long queue for face painting and we had a lot going on for children and families.
“Our presence at this event helps to spread the word about us in Merton. There will be people here today who won’t know about the history of the Club and the fact we are back home, so we’ve been giving out flyers about fixtures and Foundation activities that we are hosting at the moment. It would be great to see people here at our stadium for community events that we host and matchdays.”
As well as Foundation staff, our retail team were also represented with plenty of fantastic Dons merchandise on sale.
Musician Jah Wobble swapped shooting a video in LA for Mitcham! He was delighted to show his support, once again, for the Dons before starting his next musical tour.
“I have a strong connection with Merton now as I’ve started getting involved with music in the community,” said Jah (pictured right in the photo below). “I’ve been watching AFC Wimbledon for years now – I go with my good friend Iain McNay due to the connection with Cherry Red Records. It’s a fan-owned club, so I love the vibe when I go to the games. Though I’m originally from the East End of London and I moved up north, Merton has now become a bit of a home for me.
“I’m always releasing stuff, so I’ve got a new album out called A Brief History of Now and I went out to a desert close to LA to shoot videos. I also have a tour starting on 25 October, which runs right through until Christmas.”
Numerous photograph and autograph requests came Morgan’s way with plenty of Dons fans chatting to our Welsh youth international about his recent debut at Stamford Bridge. For one so young, Morgan took it all in his stride and he was pleased to play his part in spreading the word about AFC Wimbledon.
“It is amazing,” said Morgan. “There are so many people doing different things today, it is good to see everyone down here enjoying being involved with activities hosted by the Club.
“It’s a privilege for me to be in Merton to promote an event close to the area where I was brought up, as we aim to attract a new generation of supporters. It was great to see so many familiar faces and people so enthusiastic about the Club. It shows how important being out in the community is for AFC Wimbledon and to promote the work we do for people of all ages.”
'Merton's Big Sports Day' - oragnised by Merton Council - showcased a wide range of activities with the aim of becoming London’s Borough of Sport.
Hosted at Canons House and Grounds, Mitcham (CR4 4HD), the event brought together clubs and coaches from around Merton, including from the All England Tennis Club, Mitcham Cricket Club, and Merton Saints BMX Club.
The overall aim was to create more low cost and free opportunities for residents to get active, by celebrating the area’s sporting heritage and by investing into our sporting infrastructure to ensure opportunities for all.
