A mosaic was unveiled at the stadium today that pays tribute to a Plough Lane icon who first became famous almost a century ago.
Mick the Miller is unlikely to be a name that Dons supporters are familiar with, but he’s still revered by fans of greyhound racing – a sport previously staged on the site of our current home – and the WiSH (Wimbledon in Sporting History) project celebrates his legacy.
“Though the sport no longer takes place here, we wanted to retain the spirit of Mick the Miller and celebrate the amazing story of the most famous Greyhound,” said John Lynch, Managing Director at WiSH.
“One of our priorities is to turn our stadium into a tourist attraction that will also be treasured by the wider community - not just football fans. In recent years we’ve unveiled the Womble Bench – the first installation anywhere in the world to do with the Wombles – and the statue featuring Dave Beasant and Roy Law.
“The aims and objectives of WiSH is to tell the unique story of sporting history in Merton. Though football is our main passion, there are so many different sports that have great historical importance in Merton. We’re proud to now add the Mick the Miller mosaic. His appeal still lives on and that’s summed up by the fact that on the guest list today were members of the Mick the Miller Appreciation Society!"
The picture above shows John and fellow WiSH volunteer Chris Hutchinson (to the left of the mosaic) with Cllr Eleanor Stringer, the Deputy Leader at Merton Council, and Cllr Martin Whelton, Deputy Mayor at Merton Council.
The historic mosaic of Mick the Miller featured in the Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium and due to a project mainly funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund it has been repaired and was unveiled this afternoon.
Its location is on the wall to the left of the steps leading up to the Cappagh Stand entrance, so look out for it on Saturday.
An historic mosaic of Mick the Miller was preserved when Wimbledon Stadium was demolished in 2018. Galliard Homes and the GBGB also helped to fund the project for Mick the Miller, who is one of the most famous dogs in greyhound racing history and raced at Wimbledon Stadium from 1928 until 1931.