NEAL ARDLEY DEPARTS AFC WIMBLEDON

Finally...

10 days after getting the vote of confidence from the board the news is finally out that Neal Ardley has left Wimbledon by "mutual consent" after a spell of over 6 years with the club. He will be remembered as the man you kept us up in League Two when we took over from Terry Brown, and then gave us our glory moment in the Play Off final against Plymouth. Recently however he had been looking very troubled and I wish him well for the future, have a rest Neal, get your strength back and go again somewhere else, you will go far.

Ardley, 46, admitted he expected to be sacked if the Dons, who sit a point off the foot of League One, lost their FA Cup first round tie at Haringey Borough on Friday night. A last gasp 1-0 saw them into the hat for the second round, but the performance was not enough to extend his six-year stay at the helm.

The former midfielder, who made over 200 appearances for the original Wimbledon, was the third-longest serving manager in English professional football before his dismissal and, in his time at the club took them from the brink of dropping out of the Football League, into the League One via the play-offs and above fierce rivals MK Dons.

A club statement read: “We thank him for the massive role he has played for us over the last six years and wish him well in his future career.”

Neal was appointed in October 2012 and in his first season as a manager oversaw a dramatic and successful fight against relegation out of the Football League. Over the following years he transformed the Club from a playing and training point of view and also behind the scenes, where his personal drive led to a major improvement in the training facilities both in terms of improved training pitches and the working conditions for the Club staff.

As a club, Wimbledon has always punched above its weight and Neal made sure we continued to do so for the following seasons culminating in winning a play-off final in 2015/16 where he led the team out at Wembley to fulfil a long term ambition.

In the two seasons since that promotion Neal established us as a League 1 club despite the continued constraints on investment. Throughout his time with us he lived our values of openness and honesty.

Chief executive Erik Samuelson added: “Neal has been a credit to the club in everything he has done. He is a clear thinker, a superb man-manager and a fine coach. I’ve enjoyed working with him and am absolutely certain that he will achieve even greater success in his next roles. So, he leaves with my personal thanks and gratitude for what he has done in his time here at AFC Wimbledon.  “I also want to register the club’s and my personal thanks to Neil Cox who has provided massive support to Neal throughout his time here and has been a great ambassador for the club. We wish him well in his future career.”

Assistant manager, Neil Cox, has also left the club while first team coach Simon Bassey has taken the post of interim manager.