DT Election 2003 - Questionnaire

In view of all the work that has gone on to get us back to Merton, without success, the only real option for the foreseeable future (10+ years) is Kingsmeadow.

I see it as a medium term solution for us, allowing us some stability in our embryonic years. I hope that we will one day be able to get the club back to SW19 and ask that the members of the Stadium Working Group continue to pursue workable options to achieve that.

Difficult Question, I am reminded of a Business expression “Rigid Flexibility”.

At this moment I see Kingsmeadow as permanent, it is essential that we all see it as such in order that we can progress and develop without reservation. However I would like to think that we could ultimately relocate in Wimbledon and as such should remain vigilant to opportunities. I do not support a move to The London Borough of Merton for the sake of it the LB of M is a new concept compared to (AFC) Wimbledon (FC). Any subsequent move should be considered against the needs of the Trust and the Community.

I see it as a medium-term solution. Realistically, we are likely to play there for a number of years, but I think in the long term we should look to find our own ground. The work that the Stadium Working Group have done has indicated that there may not be anywhere available now. However, sites may become available in the future, and we should be ready to take advantage of them if they do, with a clear business plan in place so that we can. I think we should be wary of spending excessively on ground improvements at Kingsmeadow unless they are clearly needed (such as safety improvements), as these could lead to the ground becoming permanent ‘by default'.

This is a difficult question to answer. I would hope that the long-term objective would be to return to Wimbledon (SW19 as opposed to Merton). However, land values, council support, financing and investment in Kingsmeadow may prevent this in the immediate future. I think that we need to accept Kingsmeadow as a medium term interim solution.

Temporary. I feel if we become more successful on the pitch Merton Council will want us back in the borough and not in Kingston, and will find us a site.

Currently it is our permanent home and should be treated as such. However, we must always be investigating and open to the possibility of moving back to Wimbledon or very close to it. I don't see the point of making an unsuitable move to Merton purely for the sake of being within an arbitrary set of political boundaries. However, if a site in Plough Lane (or close to it) ever became available, and that is not impossible, then we should do whatever we can to make that work.

I would like us to return to Merton but I don't think it will be possible from a financial point of view as it is unlikely we could have sufficient money to buy the land or build a stadium, but I will keep hoping as I would love to see our team play at Plough Lane in our own stadium. I also think it is very unlikely that Merton Council will help us find land or build a stadium.

Ideally I would like to see AFC Wimbledon return to Wimbledon one day in my lifetime and it should remain the ultimate aim. However I think we all have to accept that it is very unlikely to happen in the short or medium-term, as we do not have the fundraising capability to build a ground in Wimbledon even if we could find the land.

I believe it will be a permanent home for many years but hope that as the club becomes more successful both in the league and financially it will look to move back to Merton.

I do not know the answer to that.

It is likely to be our home for at least the next 5 years, with a strong probability of even longer.

My heart says we should return to Wimbledon , but practically speaking, my head tells me how hard it will be. Furthermore, the work and analysis done by the Stadium Working Group has shown how difficult it will be to find the land and funding to achieve that dream.

However, I will push for us to keep up that ambition by working to get a stadium for AFC Wimbledon included in the Merton Unitary Plan.

Home for now, but the return to Merton if possible and prudent should not be ruled out. This matter should be dictated by the membership.

Permanent, as long as we can get planning permission to expand the capacity when we move up the leagues.

We will need a 20,000 Seated Stadium for the Premier League, so hopefully we can redevelop the Fans Stadium.

Certainly medium term I can see us being at Kingsmeadow. In the long term who knows? As we are currently struggling to pay off Kingsmeadow and given the cost of land/building a brand new stadium, it wouldn't surprise me if we are at Kingsmeadow for a long time. Is this preferable to a stadium on Plough Lane , of course not, but until we raise enough money without sacrificing the power that we as a fan base own, a return to Wimbledon is a very distant dream.

If someone offers us ownership of an affordable or free stadium in the Wimbledon area then we should move but if not we should stay at KM

I will always see at as the most secure current mid term solution but ultimately I want my football club back home in Merton somewhere (at least before I die!).

I am not sure. The excellent research that was done by the Stadium Working Group showed that even if we could find land in Merton, we would be very lucky to get planning permission to build a stadium on it and, if we could, it would probably take many years (at least 5 years and possibly as many as 10, with no certainty of success). We must continue to search in Merton and re-build relationships with the council and residents, but at the moment it is hard to see where the answer might come from. But that is no reason not to try.

More important, we should ask the members what they want and explain what it might entail.

At the present time, and for the foreseeable future, I can see no chance of a home for AFCW nearer to Merton than Kingsmeadow. Regretfully I have no confidence that Merton Council will be particularly helpful in this regard. Kingsmeadow is appropriate for our present level of football and probably to the low reaches of the league. As a long term aim, in common with most fans, I would like to see Wimbledon playing in Wimbledon .