Supporter vs community-owned clubs

Posted on December 2, 2020 by The Dons Trust | Leave a comment

Tim Hillyer discusses the ongoing debate at The Football Supporters’ Association about the distinction between ‘supporter-owned’ clubs and ‘community-owned’ clubs.

Recent developments at Wrexham and Cork City have thrown supporter ownership of football clubs into question. Is this the latest in a pattern of trust-owned clubs selling out to private ownership, following Portsmouth and others? Is there a limit to the progress of fan-owned clubs?

News that 98.6% of Wrexham trust members had voted to sell their club to a..

It only took 29 years

Posted on November 3, 2020 by The Dons Trust | Leave a comment

Dons Trust Board member, Graham Stacey, looks at the journey that got us back to Plough Lane and what comes next…

When Wimbledon Old Centrals took to the field for the first time 131 years and one day ago, on 2nd November 1889, they surely had no idea of the epic scale of the journey Wimbledon’s football club was embarking on.

Sometimes in life you really do have to stand back, take a breath, and take it all in. Now..

ALL ABOARD!

Posted on October 27, 2020 by The Dons Trust | Leave a comment

Dons Trust Chair Mark Davis offers a few thoughts about serving on the Dons Trust Board (DTB)

If you are a Trust member considering standing in the board election, you have just three days left to get your application in – the closing date for nominations is 30th October. You can find out here what you need to do. It isn’t too late even if you’re starting from scratch – but you’ll need to hurry.

So, what can you expect..

An update on Junior Dons and Diversity & Inclusion

Posted on October 22, 2020 by The Dons Trust | Leave a comment

Jane Lonsdale, Dons Trust Board Vice-Chair and Chair of the Junior Dons and the Diversity and Inclusion working groups gives an update on recent activities.

Junior Dons

As members of the Trust, you will be aware that over the summer we launched the new membership packages for the Trust. Working with the club, we have been able to increase the offer and introduced the new Dons Trust Plus membership package and the stadium card. Full details of the packages can..

Now really is our time

Posted on February 13, 2020 by The Dons Trust | Leave a comment

Newly elected Dons Trust Board member Graham Stacey was planning to tell you what it’s like to be on the board. But now that will have to wait …

They do say that timing is everything. For this, my first ever Dons Trust page, I was going to be writing about what people could expect if they were ever to be elected to the Dons Trust Board. But I do hope it won’t be too often that anyone is elected..

Who governs English football?

Posted on February 9, 2020 by The Dons Trust | Leave a comment

Problems at EFL clubs in the past year have brought the governance of the game into question. Dons Trust Board member Tim Hillyer reports on an initiative by the Football Supporters’ Association to tighten things up.

The early months of this season saw the demise of Bury FC, along with points deductions for both Bolton Wanderers and Macclesfield Town. These clubs’ offenses included not paying debts, lack of realistic financial projections, no security of tenure of their stadium, not fulfilling..

It’s more than about the 90 minutes

Posted on November 23, 2019 by The Dons Trust | Leave a comment

When we get together with our mates and reminisce about games we saw many years ago, some of the best memories are of what happened before and after the game. And now, says Dons Trust Board member Luke Mackenzie, there is a new comms platform you can use to help shape your total matchday experience at the new stadium.

I’d like to start by saying hello and welcome to those who are representing Gillingham FC today. One of the duties..

The future generation

Posted on September 21, 2019 by The Dons Trust | Leave a comment

The courses run by the AFC Wimbledon Foundation on Saturdays and in summer holidays are a great way for boys and girls to get into football, says Dons Trust Board member Anna Kingsley. And they may unearth a future Dons first-team player.

For some of us at this afternoon’s game, this won’t be the first Dons performance we have watched today. My son is one of nearly a hundred boys and girls who train with AFC Wimbledon every Saturday morning..

On reflection …

Posted on September 14, 2019 by The Dons Trust | Leave a comment

Roger Evans looks back at the challenges that he and his fellow Dons Trust Board members have faced since he was first elected at the end of 2013.

After six years as a Dons Trust Board (DTB) member I have, with regret, decided not to stand for re-election. It has, however, led me to reflect on the progress, trials and tribulations the DTB has faced – and dealt with remarkably well – during that period.

In January 2014, AFC Wimbledon..