THE Dons Trust Board is front and centre in this issue of Wombles Downunder. We look at the reasons why the crucial vote to restructure the AFC Wimbledon club ownership failed to pass a vote of members.
Former DTB co-chair Jane Lonsdale has urged greater engagement with members before resurrecting the vote, which may be given some impetus with the election of eight new DTB members, headed by Ivor Heller and former DTB treasurer Sean McLaughlin.
Colum McAndrew cites a lack of clear communication from the DTB to its members on its strategy and a reason why he did not support their recommendations.
Our money man Tim Nicholls examines the club’s accounts and argues if not for some substantial player sales, the Dons would be looking at a different set of accounts for the last financial year.
Ray Armfield has a broad sweep of Dons news. He says the Plough Lane Museum is set to return, better and brighter than before the great flood, with 20 new and uniform display cabinets on order. He also has a cheeky dig at our bete noire Karl Robinson, who will bring his Salford City team to face the Dons on the International Fans Weekend in February. [Details elsewhere in this issue]. Ray impishly writes: “And I for one look forward to hearing Karl Robinson being told what he is in up to 26 different languages…” (Ouch!).
Windlesham Don looks ahead to next month’s mid-season transfer window and what we can expect. His piece arrived just before news that well-travelled free agent central midfielder Romaine Sawyers has been signed to a short-term contract to cover a spate of injuries, decimating our midfield options.
Steve Dowse profiles the versatile James Ball and poses the question: “If everyone in the team is fit, where do you play him?”
Delighted to interview Colin Stone, who worked in the club office in the early years of Wimbledon’s Football League life at the old Plough Lane before emigrating to New Zealand. Colin has some fascinating insights and amusing yarns of the times back then and the Dons link with Napier City Rovers.
Former Dons striker Paul Fishenden tells us about his time at Napier on loan and remembers Dave Bassett telling him “I’m sending you to New Zealand … you’ll love it.”
Terry McFadden updates us with the womens team, and Trevor Pearce reflects on Gary Lineker calling time after 25 years on the BBC’s Match Of The Day. Dave Kenwery is traipsing across the country with his Away with the Dons and Ian White has the latest on the London Broncos and their plans to stay at Plough Lane. Some great letters in Off The Post, long-time Dons supporter Lee Martin tells us a wonderful story about his young Chechen boxing prodigy.
Finally, a tremendous response to our interview with Samuel West in the last issue. His engaging interview attracted a total of 25,000 views on social media. It is our best received interview. So it was sad to subsequently hear of the passing of Samuel’s esteemed actor-father Timothy West at the age of 90. Our heartfelt commiserations to Samuel and the family of a wonderful man and his inestimable contributions to the arts.
It’s all in WDSA’s latest Wombles Downunder newsletter edition No.266, the longest-running (by far) and respected fanzine devoted to Wimbledon, now in its 39th continuous year. Come on, make the call, come and join us as many others have, all around the world, you won’t be disappointed!!
Wombles Downunder has been chronicling Wimbledon FC since October 1985 …..
“WE were there when Fash was terrorising defences in the old Division 2; we were around when Dave Beasant lifted the FA Cup at Wembley; we witnessed the heart-rending day when the Dons went down from the Premier League, and left Neal Ardley on his haunches sobbing; we raged at the injustice of the hijack to Milton Keynes; we flippin’ burst with pride when AFC Wimbledon rose like a phoenix and we cheered when ‘it took only nine years’ to reach the Football League.”
It’s all in the acclaimed ‘Wombles Downunder’ newsletter and all for just one dollar an issue (you get six continuous issues).
We proudly produce a bevy of testimonials after reading Wombles Downunder …
Samuel West … I’ve never been asked to talk about my love for @AFCWimbledon in print before. So when the famous Wombles Downunder fanzine asked me, I was delighted. As well as me, in the latest issue (worth a subscription alone) there’s lots about the Great Comeback from the Great Flood.
Alf Galustian … “I’m in Argentina doing clinics. I read the Wombles Downunder magazine. I think you are doing a great job for all the past, present and future followers of a club with a great history.”
Marc Jones … The WDSA “newsletter” is a rather humble moniker. It’s always been far more than that. A collection of opinions seldom found huddled together anywhere else. Its custodian and editor continues to serve the supporters furthest away as if the whole bunch of them live just opposite Plough Lane. Having fans so dedicated in all corners of the globe continues to give those of us actually just up the road a real sense of how special this club is. Long may this dedication and delightful gathering of opinions reign.
Ray Armfield …. Huge congratulations to @OnyaDon and @WDownunder for reaching their 250th newsletter. Such incredible and sustained dedication across the miles to producing readable and on-point material about all things Wimbledon.
https://x.com/KentWomble/status/1759508193632203043?s=20
Graham Stacey … The Wombles Downunder Newsletter is a veritable treasure trove of information, analysis and opinion on all things Wimbledon. With big name contributors writing alongside fans old and new, and more stats than you can shake one of those bendy sticks at, it’s time (and an Aussie dollar/British pound) superbly spent for any Dons fan.
Terry Brown …. Many thanks Rob who allowed me the opportunity of reminiscing the most exciting and successful five years of my managerial career. Having read through his previous interviews with Allen Batsford, Harry Bassett and Dave Anderson it was a pleasure to be in such illustrious company… Really pleased with your special interview.
Fantastic interview in the latest issue from @WDownunder. Terry is an absolute legend and his love for the Dons shines through. #AFCW #afcwimbledon https://t.co/9kHYOen9Le
— Steve Dowse (@misterdowse) November 23, 2020
Mick Smith … Excellent read bang up to date and very informative fanzine. More people should benefit from this type of publication.
Nigel Higgs … I always enjoy reading the WDSA newsletter and I am grateful to Rob for the opportunity to fill in some of the gaps in our history and to recall some great times in my interview.
Mick Dore … Despite my input this is always an excellent read. Any Wimbledon fan give it a go, it’s brilliant.
Tim Smith (BBC North) … I really enjoyed reading that! It’s comprehensive, informed, opinionated – all the things a fanzine should be. I’m so impressed by Wombles Downunder. It may be edited 9000 miles away, but it’s very well informed and a lot of what it predicts comes to pass. Much is being written about AFC Wimbledon at the moment, but I learn a great deal from our longest running fanzine and enjoy it even more.
Peter Thistle … Thanks very much for sending the WDSA Newsletter, which I enjoyed very much. I am wondering now just why I have not subscribed before! The articles are very well written, giving balanced views in a mature and sensible fashion.
Steve Dowse … I’m in awe of what you put together from so far away and I look forward to every issue. Dave Anderson …. What a terrific read !! Covers the club from back to front. It’s a must if you’re a Don.
Such a lovely article from Erik Samuelson about his comrade in arms @ivor27. 2 men without whom there would be no @AFCWimbledon https://t.co/z5Bmbt58Be
— Siobhain McDonagh (@Siobhain_Mc) April 14, 2023
Derek French … Thanks for inviting me to tell some of the tales from my days at the Dons. Hope your readers enjoy it. It’s an excellent newsletter indeed, informative and interesting.
Mike Taliadoros (Radio WDON) …. The newsletter is one of the most essential and informative reads available, not just for our Down Under fans, but for Dons supporters all round the globe.
Kevin Gage …. You said I might be surprised by your ‘newsletter’……I certainly was! A newsletter implies a sheet of A4, the type of thing I used to bring home from school! How times change! It’s a great read.
Phil Godfrey …. Thanks for all the hard work you put into this. 30-plus years! Astounding…
Ian Cooke …. Thirty years!! REALLY? I have always enjoyed the read and your correspondents are very similar in their views/outlooks to most of the fans I speak to.
Peter Leng …. Thanks for the newsletter: an excellent read as ever. It’s always such an interesting and engaging set of articles, and great to read others’ views and opinions on tactics, players and so much more. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
Jason Steger … Lots of info; good stuff. You do a great job. It’s good value.
Paul Jeater ….. Thirty years is a remarkable achievement, for any football publication, let alone one based in a different continent from that in which the Club that its focus is located. What makes WDSA newsletter so special is that it recognised the need to go ‘online’ ahead of the race and that it also complements rather than competes with other AFC Wimbledon fanzines.
https://twitter.com/EssexWomble/status/840455404622606336
Rob Cornell (Radio WDON) ….. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of being interviewed for the WDSA newsletter. It’s an excellent, well researched and well established magazine for Wimbledon and AFC Wimbledon supporters everywhere!
https://twitter.com/Dons_Sayer_WDON/status/1247784452891140102
Richard Fairbairn (Aberdeen, Scotland) ….. Great fanzine, nicely written and it gives me some insights that it’s just hard to pick being a remote supporter.
Sophie Waldron ….. OMG…. it looks incredible!
Margaret Hung … An excellent edition. A very enjoyable read. Thank you.
Howard Fry .. Love reading your wondrous fanzine….
Stephen Crabtree (The Historical Don) … If you want in-depth, up-to-date, critical comment on every aspect of AFC Wimbledon then the Wombles Downunder newsletter is for you. Each issue Rob gets together a range of writers to examine the parts of the club other publications do not reach. Always well informed, at 200 not out it will no doubt be at the crease for many years to come.
https://twitter.com/jonnyw71/status/1256128103035928576
Erik Samuelson… I’ve always been impressed by the quality and the range of topics from Dons fans around the world. WDSA brings them all together and produces a very high quality newsletter (and website). Long may it continue. My only grumble is that during our interviews he always manages to get me to say a bit more than I meant to, while respecting genuine confidences.
https://twitter.com/DomTeuma/status/1579750627575373824
Rob Bushaway (Derbyshire) … I have often commented that the news provided by the fanzine was much more informative than the national press. It’s been brilliant and fair to say it still is.
Andy Powell (Devon Womble) … I stepped inside Plough Lane to watch my first Wimbledon match sometime late in 1972/1973 (against Nuneaton Borough if memory serves me right), but beyond the fragments of sage wisdom in the local pub about our performances, and a constantly biased press; it was always hard to know much about what was really going on inside the boardroom, inside the dressing room, or occasionally, on the pitch (!) Now, almost 40 years later all I have to do is subscribe a token amount of dosh and I get Wombles Downunder newsletters loaded with the sort of stuff I suspect few club supporters get yet most crave. Where are you hiding the webcams Rob? Probably the best £10 I’ve spent in years.
Bobby Gould … I have printed off the three pages of your Dons’ newsletter containing my interview and thoroughly enjoyed the read. Hope your loyal readers enjoyed it as much as I did.
Paul Harman … Thanks for a great magazine. With the advent of technology, the Wombles Downunder newsletter is still required reading. I print each edition and spend the next couple of days reading the magazine.
Tony Shipman …. I’ve been meaning to subscribe to your newsletter for some months but didn’t pull my finger out until now. $6 bucks is a great deal and I will read it with interest.
Iain Sandford …. I think the newsletter’s fantastic. Full of really interesting and well-informed content and measured, balanced opinion pieces. The Harry Bassett interview was a particular joy. So yes, a terrific read and well worth the investment.
So if you’ve been meaning to take out a subscription this is an excellent time to discover the many delights of Wombles Downunder. Here’s your chance, you’ve read what the many others say so don’t miss out on a consistently high-quality read … so what are you waiting for?
To get your email PDF subscription to the comprehensive and widely-read Wombles Downunder fanzine and its many pages of quality reading simply follow this link and you will soon become a devotee as are many others around the world — UK, Europe, Asia, South America, the Caribbean, United States and Australasia. Now in its 39th year and still very much a thoroughly good read ….. and so much MORE than just a newsletter!!
