Following on from our financial review at the end of the 20/21 season, the Dons Trust Board and AFC Wimbledon PLC Board would like to update members and fans on the overall picture as the refinancing deadline of April 2022 approaches.
We wrote in June:
“The most critical challenge facing the club and Trust is to refinance the £4.6m bridging loan by spring 2022.”
This remains the case. The PLC Board, Dons Trust Board and Finance Committee have been working on routes to achieve this and modelling different scenarios. The £4.6m bridging loan must be refinanced by April 2022. In this document [PDF] we have outlined some of the work that has gone on over the past year, and the plans in place to achieve the £4.6m needed.
Dons Trust Co-Chair Xavier Wiggins and Finance Committee Chair David Rey also provide their thoughts on where we stand with regards to refinancing our £4.6m loan in this video:
Refinancing ahead of the April deadline will be a key item on the AGM agenda for discussion, which is taking place at 19:30 GMT on Thursday 16 December 2021.
For now, members are reminded that the Plough Lane Bond remains open, as does the 25-year season ticket offer (which can be transferred, bequeathed or gifted). Whilst potential interest in ten-year season tickets has been noted during sales discussions of the 25-year season tickets, there are not currently plans to launch another product.
Should any fans have any further avenues for significant equity investment or debt funding they think the finance committee should be aware of, they should email the Dons Trust Treasurer via treasurer@thedonstrust.org and it will be submitted to the committee.
Download the finance update [PDF].