The Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association has today responded to an open letter from the Milton Keynes Dons Supporters Association.
Open Letter
To:
Mr John Brockwell, Chairperson, Milton Keynes Dons Supporters Association
Mr Peter Winkelman, Chairman, Milton Keynes Dons FC
Mr Ian Watmore, Chief Executive, The Football Association
Lord Triesman, Chairman, The Football Association
Mr Andy Anson, Chief Executive, England 2018 Ltd
Dear John
The Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association (WISA) acknowledges receipt of your letter dated the 30th December 2009.
In your letter you make numerous false allegations against WISA.
WISA has remained within the boundaries of the accord at all times. WISA would like to thank you for highlighting the fact that Wimbledon supporters voted democratically, in large numbers, to accept the accord. It does, however, remain sickening that Wimbledon FC’s Norwegian owners, Mr Peter Winkelman, the Football Association and the Football League failed to allow them to democratically vote to reject the franchising of their Football Club to Milton Keynes.
WISA would be most grateful if the Milton Keynes Dons Supporters Association could highlight the articles within the accord that relate to a World Cup bid by the town of Milton Keynes and stadium:mk.
In your letter you highlighted article 16 of the accord. Since signing the accord, WISA has not breached this article, allowing Milton Keynes Dons FC to develop its identity as a new football club. I do not need to remind you that since signing the accord, WISA has removed the boycott of Milton Keynes Dons’ home games, Milton Keynes Dons have finally been able to find other professional football clubs willing to play them in pre-season fixtures and Milton Keynes Dons FC have been able to access Football Foundation grants. Sadly, Milton Keynes Dons FC have failed to help themselves by removing Dons from their name, which remains a blatant beacon of theft of Wimbledon FC, standing out as the only franchised club in the English Football League.
WISA would like to remind you that the purpose of a World Cup venue is to promote the beautiful game and fair play to a global audience. To believe that it is designed to allow “Milton Keynes Dons to further develop the club’s identity, not only with Milton Keynes but also on a national scale” is a laughable failed attempt to try and accuse us of breaking the accord. WISA understands that Milton Keynes Dons supporters are new to football, franchised football admittedly, but does WISA really have to inform the Milton Keynes Dons Supporters Association that the World Cup is an international tournament, involving international teams, and that therefore, Milton Keynes Dons, as a club, are ineligible to compete?
WISA also notes that Trust in Luton, a supporters trust based in your region, has released a statement stating that they are dismayed with the Football Association’s decision. For completeness, I have attached their statement at the end of this letter. WISA remains dismayed that the Football Association rejected well-established stadia, with a proven track record of hosting high profile fixtures, in favour of an unknown entity that was built as part of a property deal with Asda.
The Football authorities and the Football Supporters Federation are well aware of the integrity and honesty of WISA.
WISA would like to remind you of article 6 of the accord:
6. All parties recognise and genuinely regret the hurt which was caused to supporters of the former Wimbledon FC by the move to Milton Keynes.
By bidding to be a World Cup venue, and by being accepted by the Football Association, Milton Keynes as a town has once again caused considerable distress to Wimbledon supporters, re-opening the wounds of seeing their club stolen from them on the 28th May 2002.
I am proud of Wimbledon supporters, who have once again conducted themselves in a professional and restrained manner, writing letters, organising a petition and being active on social networking sites, despite severe provocation at being reminded of the theft of their community club, Wimbledon FC.
For that very reason, WISA will continue to campaign for the Football Association to remove Milton Keynes from the list of candidate host venues for the 2018 World Cup.
Yours sincerely,
Simon Wheeler
Chair, Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association
Trust in Luton statement:
TiL Slam MK Involvement in 2018 World Cup Bid
Trust in Luton have reacted with dismay at the decision by England's World Cup 2018 bid team to propose Milton Keynes as a host town for matches at the event, should the English bid be successful.
We think that it is completely inappropriate that a competition, which is steeped in history, tradition and great stories, might involve a stadium that is linked to a football 'club', whose very existence flies in the face of the historic, traditional footballing values, which modern football administrators seem to have chosen to forget. TiL's and all other right-minded football fans' position is clear - MK Donshave no history, are manufactured and, in our view, have no right to their current place in the football pyramid.
Liam Day, Chairman of TiL said:
'We are amazed that the Football Association have compounded their huge mistake of letting this Frankenstein club exist by then giving it ill-deserved credibility through involving them in the 2018 World Cup bid. The bid team have chosen to ignore applications by proper, decent football cities such as Leicester and Derby, who have offered the English game so much more than the MK franchise ever have or ever will.
We at TiL are not completely surprised at this appalling decision, however, as Lord Mawhinney was involved in the decision-making process.
TiL and Luton fans in general have no problem with Milton Keynes having a football club but only if it is a club that has made it's way through the system the traditional way - starting at the bottom and winning promotions, rather than gaining its league placing in meeting rooms, negotiating with the Football Association and the Football League to take the place of the old Wimbledon.'
We urge FIFA to reject the use of Milton Keynes as a host town because of the injustice of how the 'club' was formed.
Milton Keynes Dons Supporters Association Letter:
Dear Simon
We note with regret your recent open letter to the Football Authorities regarding the naming of Milton Keynes as one of the potential host cities for England’s World Cup bid (http://www.wisa.org.uk/cgi/l/articles/index.cgi?action=show&id=601).
We are saddened that Wimbledon Independent Supporters’ Association (WISA), have decided to act contrary to the spirit of the Accord that was signed between the Football Supporters’ Federation (FSF), WISA, Milton Keynes Dons and the Milton Keynes Dons Supporters’ Association (MKDSA) in 2006. We note that the accord was signed by WISA after an overwhelming democratic vote from amongst the AFC Wimbledon supporters, of 1023 in favour and 23 against.
We would specifically draw your attention to the following part of the accord:
16. The FSF and WISA confirm that they do not expect MKDFC to implement the recommendations of the FA Appeal Commission relating to maintaining links with South London, and would support moves by the club to develop its identity as a new club within Milton Keynes.
Milton Keynes Dons have teamed up with partners from within our region to develop a winning bid that satisfies the criteria laid down by the 2018 Bid Committee. The bid allows the Milton Keynes Dons to further develop the club’s identity, not only within Milton Keynes but also on a national scale, and as such WISA’s public comments are directly opposed to the accord, currently lodged with the FA, which all parties signed.
In the context of the wider fans movement, WISA’s public statement can only be seen as detrimental to the fantastic advances of organisations such as the FSF, who brokered the deal between all parties. Your open letter to the FA is in direct contravention to the signed agreement that is lodged with the FA. What message regarding the integrity and trustworthiness of supporters’ organisations do you think that this ill thought out act will transmit to the Football Authorities?
Whilst we understand that there will be an element within your supporter base that will object to anything Milton Keynes related, we would ask that you remind them of the following from the Accord:
17. In promoting the approval and acceptance of this accord all parties to it accept that there is no solution which will completely satisfy all concerned and that all parties have made some compromises to achieve this position which represents the best way forward in all the circumstances.
I am proud that the Milton Keynes Dons, MKDSA and the FSF have all kept honourably to the accord and would remind you that it is in the wider interests of supporters that WISA sticks to its democratically arrived at agreement. The object of the accord was to draw a line, learn lessons and move on. It’s time that this was put into practice by all parties.
Yours sincerely
John Brockwell
Chairperson
Milton Keynes Dons Supporters’ Association
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