HAPPY 50th BIRTHDAY TO ME -- 30th APRIL 1969 - 2019

I have made it an annual resolution to ensure that I am never working on my birthday and once again have the whole week booked off to enjoy myself. So what to do with all that time? Well today (Tuesday 30th April) I shall first pay a visit to the crematorium and spend some time having a 'chat' with Mum and Dad, hopefully the weather will be kind. Afterwards look to find somewhere to go out and have a nice lunch somewhere, preferably by the river so might be a trip to Richmond or Kingston but will probably be alone for the day, that's fine I've plenty of other things to do this week and will hopefully meet up with few friends and family. There is a slight chance of meeting up with a dear friend Kate, and if that happens then I will be delighted and make the day free to see her as lunch with good company is an enjoyable way to spend the day. 

Later on this week we have planned some days out which begin with an annual excursion to Ascot races on Wednesday will be joined by my older Brother and all being well a few others. It's an annual event going racing for this meeting in particular we've been doing it for the last 15 years or so, usually a nice day out, plenty to see and do. Certainly a cause for a few beers, and maybe a meal out after racing back in Twickenham perhaps. 

What else can I expect for my 50th, not too much planned for the week although if Wednesday goes to plan we can get out later in the week too. The main aim for today is to enjoy yourself, whatever you get up to try and stop worrying about things that you cannot control and concentrate on changing the things that you can have influence over.

AFC WIMBLEDON FC -- LEAGUE ONE END OF SEASON REVIEW 2018 - 2019

This weekend is the final game of the season in League One and it's an away fixture for AFC Wimbledon who will travel to relegated Bradford City to bring the curtain down on another successful season in our short history. During our third season in League One the Dons spent most of it threatened by relegation themselves and battled superbly to recover from being ten points adrift at the bottom at one point to finally end outside the drop zone with the last game in our hands. While the efforts ON the pitch have been mixed the season is defined by a number of personnel changes to the staff. Sadly we had to make the decision to let Neal Ardley go and make a change at the top, bringing in Wally Downes did see a big improvement given he could do little to change the squad. It's been apparent that the loan players brought in by Ardley have mostly been set aside and we've relied on Dons power as well as an excellent young goalkeeper in Aaron Ramsdale (on loan from Bournemouth) 

Here are the highlights of the 2018-19 season.
1) We will be stayed up, ensuring a fourth season in League One.
2) We said farewell to our CEO Erik Samuelson, enjoy your retirement sir, and don't be a stranger in the new stadium. 
3) The New Stadium site on plough lane is being prepared and during the next year we can look forward to updates of the new build going up. 
4) We had a few appearances on TV in the FA Cup and gave West Ham a beating 4-2 which was a nice distraction to the rotten league form, and the money helps too.

Happy days. 

The club's end-of-season awards will be made at our last home league game of the season, against Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday 27th April, we expect there to be a full house at Kingsmeadow as we seek the three points to aid our relegation woes.

As always there will be two main awards which will be decided by the fans vote.

The WISA Allen Batsford Player of the Year award was won last season by Deji Oshilaja (below right). This year's winner will be the latest in an illustrious line that stretches back to Kevin Cooper (Mk I), who received the inaugural award on the pitch at Molineux in 2002.

The 2019 winner was announced as Will Nightingale pictured above with his award. The defender who joined Wimbledon at the age of eight received three awards in a post-match presentation in the Your Golf Travel Bar after the vital 2-1 win against Wycombe Wanderers. Will said: “I can’t believe it, I’m genuinely shocked, and overwhelmed. I’ve been here a long time so this club means a lot to me. To come through the ranks, winning the Young Player of the Year award a few seasons ago, and now the Player of the Year award, means everything. All that matters though is retaining our League One status. As big an achievement as this is, I’ve just got to focus on Bradford and getting us over that line. It’s all I’ve been saying for the last two, three, four months. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve checked the table! I’m trying to improve my own game and get us over that line. That’s all I want to do.”

The Young Player of the Year will receive the Natalie Callow Memorial Trophy, donated by the Womble Underground Press. This award was won last year by Anthony Hartigan who is again in contention again. 

For this award, fans have been able to vote for any of the following players who have featured in the first team this season and who were 21 or under on 1 August, 2018, and the award goes to Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale who has been superb since arriving here and being thrown into a relegation scrap from day one he is fully deserving of this award. 

Alfie Egan
Anthony Hartigan
Paul Kalambayi
Aaron Ramsdale (winner)
Steve Seddon
Toby Sibbick
Tennai Watson
Tommy Wood

The full list of award winners is below:
The WISA Allen Batsford Player of the Year – Will Nightingale
The Natalie Callow Memorial Trophy for Young Player of the Year (sponsored by Womble Underground Press) – Aaron Ramsdale
AFC Wimbledon Academy Player of the Year – Reuben Collins
WDON Player of the Year – Aaron Ramsdale
Players’ Player of the Year - Joe Pigott
Junior Dons Player of the Year – Will Nightingale
Community Champion - Will Nightingale.

Well done to all the winners and we will see who is still around when we come to kick off next season, but it's another season in League One and that's wonderful news with the new stadium going up too which will be something to look ahead to throughout 2019-20. 

AFC WIMBLEDON vs WYCOMBE WANDERERS -- LEAGUE ONE 2018-19 SEASON 27th APRIL

This weekend it's the Dons final home game of the season and they will be hosting Wycombe Wanderers in League One. This is a fixture that will be like friends reunited for players and staff of both clubs. Not just for Wycombe manager Gareth Ainsworth who will have Wally Downes for company on the touchline (could be fun) but it's also time to welcome back THE BEAST Adebayo Akinfenwa, still a big name (he's very big) in the lower leagues and we really hope he's not going to score the goal that might send us down to League Two. 

Wycombe are currently in 17th place in League One on 50 points with two games to go so they will still see this as another game to win and make safety assured after last Bank Holiday Monday's 1-0 success against Walsall. They have had a bit of an indifferent run in and this is a winnable game for us though we do need to start scoring a bit more frequently. The 50 point mark would usually have meant safety in most of the previous seasons but this year half the division have potentially been in the fight for the drop and with this and only the final game against Bradford City to go it's win or drop for those in the bottom four really. 

FORM GUIDE

(The last 6 matches in the league, beginning with their most recent).
AFC Wimbledon -- DDDDWL
Wycombe Wanderers -- WLWLLL

LAST TIME OUT

AFC Wimbledon 2 Luton Town 2

Wycombe Wanderers 1  Walsall 0

Updates will be published with team news and more as and when it comes through. One thing already sorted is that this game is SOLD OUT which is no surprise and looks as though we need to win this AND the final game against relegated Bradford to have any chance of survival, it's been disappointing that even with some good performances of late we have not been able to get out of the bottom four up to now. At least we made a bit of a fight of it against Luton with the last minute draw but time is beginning to run out now. 

Line Ups (confirmed);

AFC WIMBLEDON

Odds -- 29/20 (William Hill) 

Ramsdale (Gk),  Sibbick,  Kalambayi,  Nightingale,  Thomas,  Seddon,  McLoughlin,  Hartigan,  Wordsworth, ⚽⚽ Pigott,  Hanson

Subs – McDonnel (Gk),  Watson,  Soares,  Appiah,  Pinnock,  Connolly,  Folivi

WYCOMBE WANDERERS

Odds -- 19/10 (William Hill) 

 Allsop (Gk),  McCarthy,  Stewart,   El-Abd,  Harriman,  Thompson,  Gape,  Freeman,  Kashket,  Akinfenwa,  ⚽Samuel

  

Subs –  Ma-Kalambay (Gk),  Jacobson,  Bean,  Bloomfield,  Cowan-Hall,  Tyson,  Frempah

H/T Score – 1 - 0    [Pigott 38']

First Half Comment;

The final home game of this season and the Dons kick off in front of a packed ground. And in only 7 mins we are awarded a penalty, James Hansen taken down by the Wycombe keeper who is also booked, but Joe Pigott sees his shot saved and it's still 0-0, could really have done with that to calm everyone down. Wycombe have a spell of free kicks and corners but Dons keeper Aaron Ramsdale is able to keep them at bay, doesn't seem bothered by the big man Akinfenwa either, lets hope The Beast doesn't score. 

1-0 Dons. Miss a penalty but we score from a corner, this really is a weird and wonderful time Joe Pigott buries a header from very close range to the bottom left corner. 

F/T Score – 2 - 1   [Pigott 38', 53'   Samuel 49']

Match Summary;

Wow we WIN. what a game, what drama, my heart can't take this, will have to calm down. Out of the bottom four for the first time in ages, and with one game left, we can do this. Bradford won't be easy as their result today showed, but I believe we are going to be here next season and going to be a serious force under Wally Downes.

My Man of the Match – Joe Pigott.

Referee -- Our referee for this afternoon's big relegation survival game will be Mr Alan Young from Cambridge and will be ably assisted no doubt by Paul Lister and Hristo Karaivanov. Mr Young in charge isn't a good omen, having been referee for us earlier in the year with back to back 1-0 defeats to Bradford and Plymouth so he owes us one. 

Attendance – 4.850. Another full house, great support.

Next match:
Saturday 4th May vs Bradford City (Away)
League One 5:30pm 
Final Game of the 2018-19 League One Season.

AFC WIMBLEDON v LUTON TOWN -- LEAGUE ONE 2018-19 SEASON 23rd APRIL

This Tuesday night the Dons will visit League One leaders Luton Town in a fixture that will for me always evoke happy memories of our play off final victory (above) in May 2011, the match has been moved back from the traditional Bank Holiday Monday date and will mean a trek across the Thameslink Line from Wimbledon for many. 

Luton Town are led by ex Dons hard man Mick Harford, who was recently named as the Sky Bet League One Manager of the Month for March – pipping Charlton Athletic’s Lee Bowyer and AFC Wimbledon’s Wally Downes for the accolade. Harford led the Hatters to a 14-point haul from six unbeaten matches, we can hope the curse of this award continues as he's already lost the next match against Charlton last week. We also "welcome" back James Shea their starting Goalkeeper but I still prefer our man Aaron Ramsdale between the sticks so lets put Shea under pressure early. 

FORM GUIDE

(The last 6 matches in the league, beginning with their most recent).
AFC Wimbledon -- DDDWLW
Luton Town -- WLDWWD

LAST TIME OUT

AFC Wimbledon 1 Bristol Rovers 1

Accrington Stanley 0 Luton Town 3

Updates will be published with team news and more news as and when it comes through. Dons recent form is fairly good and picking up points gives us a chance now, it wasn't that long ago we were 10 points off safety, now it's just a point or two plus our poor goal difference and the fans will certainly continue to believe with only a few games to go. While the champions elect will expect a win they've been a little vulnerable recently and we have been performing better against teams towards the top of the league, it's a BIG ask but we are used to being the underdogs. 

Time to FEED THE PIG. Come on you Dons.

Line Ups (Confirmed);

AFC WIMBLEDON

Odds -- 7/1 (William Hill) 

Ramsdale (Gk),  Sibbick,  Kalambayi,  Nightingale,  McDonald,   Seddon,  Wagstaff,  Hartigan,  Wordsworth,   Pigott ⚽,  Hanson

Subs – McDonnel (Gk),  Thomas,  McLoughlin,  Appiah,  Pinnock,  Connolly,  Folivi

LUTON TOWN

Odds -- 2/5 (William Hill) 

Stecd (Gk),  Stacey,  Pearson,  Bradley,  Justin,  Shinnie,  Lee ⚽,  Collins ⚽,   Berry,  Mpanzu,   LuaLua

Subs –  Shea (Gk),  Baptiste,  Connolly,  Cummings,  Moncur,  Cornick,  Panter

H/T Score – 2 - 1 [Lee 8' Collins 39' / Pigott 28' Seddon 93']

First Half Comment;

The Dons got us underway at Kenilworth Road and hopefully we can get off to an unexpected bright start. We survive the first five minutes, Luton win the opening corner, and in under eight minutes score the opening goal (⚽ Elliot Lee 8'). An already uphill task has just become a massive one, to be fair we are still trying to go forwards. However so are the league leaders and they have several chances to increase their lead and we also get a booking for Joe Pigott and we could ill afford to lose him for the last two games. Great news on 28 minutes as a Dons attack results in an equalising goal from the aforementioned ⚽ Joe Pigott who heads home a cross supplied by Anthony Wordsworth 1-1 game on again. 

An exciting almost end to end first half sees Luton take the lead for a second time 2-1 with a ⚽ James Collins goal from a free kick which saw Steve Seddon booked.

F/T Score – 2 - 2

Match Summary;

An entertaining opening half was not really matched by the second period as Luton looked set to run out as 2-1 winners, only to be denied by an injury time equaliser from Steve Seddon. Luton are still very close to winning their Championship while the Dons remain in the bottom four with two games of the season left to go but that was an excellent performance and we go forward into those games in good form and with plenty of fight.

My Man of the Match – Steve Seddon.

Referee -- Our referee for this evening's big relegation survival game will be Ben Toner from Lancashire. Will be assisted this evening by Abbas Khan and Ian Dudley.

Attendance – 10,070. 

Next match:
Saturday 27th April vs Wycombe Wanderers (Home)
League One 3:00pm

AFC WIMBLEDON v BRISTOL ROVERS -- LEAGUE ONE 2018-19 SEASON 19th APRIL

This Easter weekend could be pivotal in the Dons survival quest and we begin on Good Friday with a home game against fellow strugglers Bristol Rovers where the three points are needed as we have runaway leaders Luton Town after the Easter break to follow (that game has been moved from Easter Monday to the Tuesday evening). Back to back draws against Accrington Stanley (1-1) and Oxford United (0-0) does mean that the Dons remain in the bottom four, 21st position, one point off the safe zone with only four games left of the season. 

I would still be including everyone from 14th position down as still being in the relegation dogfight and that includes our opponents today Bristol Rovers (14th on 49 points). Rovers beat Bradford City last weekend 3-2 thanks to a late winner from Jonson Clarke-Harris to disappoint the "doomed" bantams who had only just equalised themselves. This is a winnable game for us though, we still in decent form and held a good Oxford side away last weekend so home support and a little bit of luck we might finally get that win that would take us out of the relegation places before the last week games. 

FORM GUIDE 
(Last 6 matches in the league, starting with most recent)

AFC Wimbledon -- DDWLWW
Bristol Rovers -- WDLLDD








LAST TIME OUT

Oxford U 0  AFC Wimbledon 0

Bristol Rovers 3  Bradford City 2





Updates will be published with team news and more news as and when it comes through. It's not considered as an all ticket match but with the Easter Holidays and only a few games left it may well prove to be very popular and close to a sell out crowd expected the Dons recent form is good and the fans will certainly begin to believe. The game is now Sold Out. Going to be less cold and grey out there, a lovely Easter weekend is forecast hopefully the action on the pitch will also warm up the crowd, hopefully we'll have all strikers fit and ready especially if winger Dylan Connolly fit to fly down the wings (he's on the subs bench again today sadly) and a good service to Joe Pigott to steer us to safety. Some more luck in front of goal today as another win will surely bring us out of the bottom four at last and in amongst a host of sides above us. Come on you Dons.  FEED THE PIG !! (YES) 

Line Ups (Confirmed);

AFC WIMBLEDON

Odds -- 7/5 (William Hill) 

Ramsdale (Gk),   Nightingale,  Seddon,  Kalambayi,  Sibbick,  Wagstaff,  Hanson,  Hartigan,  McDonald,  Pigott,  Wordsworth

Subs – McDonnel (Gk),  Thomas,  Pinnock,  Connolly,  Soares,  McLoughlin,  Folivi

BRISTOL ROVERS

Odds -- 9/4 (William Hill) 

Bonham (Gk),  Partington,  Craig,  Holmes-Dennis,  J Clarke,   Lockyer (c),  Upson,  Reilly,   O'Clarke,  Ogogo,  Clarke-Harris

Subs –  Smith (Gk),  Sercombe,  Nichols,  Jakubiak,  Sinclair,  Kilgour,  Rodman

H/T Score – 1 - 0 (Pigott 22')

First Half Comment;

The Dons get us underway on Good Friday here at Kingsmeadow, a sell out crowd and lots to cheer about we hope. Plenty of possession and movement but no clear cut chances in the opening fifteen minutes, lets settle down and play. Still nothing to report as the Dons win their first corner on the twenty minute mark, the corner is cleared but the opening goal comes soon after from Joe Pigott who receives a lovely pass from Anthony Hartigan and The Pig superbly curls his shot over the Rovers keeper into the corner 1-0 Dons. Feed The Pig!  Rovers captain Tom Lockyer is booked on 43 mins and the Dons see out the opening half to go in with a small but deserved 1-0 lead. 

F/T Score – 1 - 1

Match Summary;

Gutted we threw away another glorious opportunity to climb out of the bottom four, throw away a lead and allow attack after attack it was only a matter of time before Bristol equalised which they did with a superb goal. Still in 21st place and we have Luton next so it's going to need something against Wycombe now. So disappointing all that work and it's keeps on going to waste.

My Man of the Match – Aaron Ramsdale (again, some outstanding saves and player of the season favourite).

Referee -- Our referee for this afternoon's big relegation survival game will be Graham Salisbury (56) from Lancashire, ably assisted today by Nicholas Cooper and Stephen Brown. This is his first Dons fixture of the season and has divided his duties between League One and League Two this term. Doesn't appear to be too card happy, averages about three a match and only three reds all season.  

Attendance – 4,850. A full house and great support.

Next match:
Tuesday 23rd April vs Luton Town (Away)
League One 7:45pm