As you may have seen on Saturday the club are undertaking a survey into Online Commercial activity and I am trying to put together an online version of the form so in the next day or two it would be useful if you could complete the form either online or print it out and bring along to either the home game on Thursday night or the Braintree game on Tuesday week.
On Friday evening I mentioned about the total that was raised in the final quarter of 2005 £439.72 but to confirm during the whole of 2005 a total of just under £850.00 was raised for the Stadium fund.
The shop is always open so if you are looking for any sort of items click on the Amazon link on each page and any sales after that will contribute towards Stadium funds proceeds.
Sky Sports Soccer AM were at the game yesterday and did a feature on us yesterday morning on the show this is all part of their build up that they are doing featuring Michael Harvey and Ralph Little when they should both meet at Kingsmeadow on 18th February 2006.
With soccer AM promoting this game Tickets will go on sale for it from Monday 30th January 2006 as high demand is expected so if you are not a season ticket holder and wish to book your tickets call the credit card hotline during office hours.
Just to let you know the League table is back up and working after the slight technical issue I had (I will try and not delete the master spreadsheet again).
The Man of The Match vote for today's game is now open please click below to cast your vote: -
This afternoon we drew 2-2 with Slough town in a game that we scored 5 minutes either side of Half time to put us 2-0 ahead but a 10 minute spell saw Slough get two deserved goals and although we continued to pressure the defence we couldn't break through. This may look like 2 points dropped but with most the other clubs above us drawing all that technically happened is that we have used up 1 game, slough have turned the corner from the start of season and they will take points off other play-off contenders but it's important we win our next two league games.
Due to a technical problem, I am unable to update my league table at the moment so if you wish to see the current standing please check the official site one by clicking here.
This afternoon we return to Kingsmeadow for league action as we take on Slough Town, the matchday updates will be in operation as always and can be accessed by clicking the matchday link above.
The result of last weekend's man Of The Match vote is as follows: -
Anthony Howard 36 Votes 41.86%
Richard Butler 20 Votes 23.26%
Shane Smeltz 7 Votes 8.14%
Michael Harvey. 5 Votes 5.81%
Dave Sargent 5 Votes 5.81%
Wayne Finnie 4 Votes 4.65%
Barry Moore 3 Votes 3.49%
Andy Little 2 Votes 2.33%
Wes Daly 2 Votes 2.33%
Dwayne Plummer 1 Vote 1.16%
Steve Butler 1 Vote 1.16%
I have just had confirmation of the amount of commission that has been paid out from the Amazon link on the site for the 3 month period ending 31st December 2005 this figure was an amazing £439.72 and I will be handing over a cheque for this amount to the Dons Trust on Saturday so a huge thank you to everyone who purchased items during this period.
One of the pre-season favorites for the Ryman Premier title were Braintree Town well in the next 5 games we should get a very good indication if they are going to be champions as these are the games they face 24/1 Staines (A) 28/1 Worthing (H) 4/2Fisher (A) 7/2 AFC Wimbledon (A) 11/2 Staines (H). One way or another it's going to see a lot of activity at the top end of the table.
As well as Braintree vs Staines taking place on Tuesday evening Hampton & Richmond take on Heybridge Swifts in another important game after tomorrow's game we will have 4 games in hand on a couple of teams above us and therefore it's important that we pick up every point possible.
Just over a week ago I mentioned about Richard Lonsdale (also known as Soundman) is running this years Marathon and any pledges that are made by AFC Wimbledon Fans will be passed on to The Stadium Fund, so far over £200 but he hopes to raise a lot more, if you would like to make a pledge please send Richard an e-mail with your a contact details and your pledge to his e-mail.
The Amazon January Sale is still on and don't forget every sale results in proceeds being passed on to the Stadium Fund. All you need to do to is click one of the Amazon button's on the site and then search for your items and any that you buy are credited to the account.
The Man Of The Match game for today's game is now open, I was asked on the coach on the way back for "The Whole Team" as an option, but I think that's a bit easy as I would like to see how people vote so please click the link below: -
This was a game that both teams knew was important after disappointing results in their last league games, we had lost at folkestone and worthing had gone down at windsor & Eton.
After the recent dismal wintry days a lovely bright day greeted both teams down on the south coast and with a large crowd in attendance they hoped for an enjoyable afternoon. The first half saw a very even contest with both sides showing why they are at the top end of the table. But with the teams level at half time with the deadlock not having been broken both knew how important the first goal would beThe deadlock was broken on 53 minutes following the award of a free kick on the right hand side in line with the 18 yard line and was played in by Wes Daly after a number of headers in the area it came out to Antony Howard some 12 yards out who shot into the back of the net. It was only a few minutes later that we could celebrate again this time it was Richard Butler who's hard work was rewarded he picked up the ball on the right hand edge of the box and fired across the keeper and into the back of the net. After 52 minutes with very few chances we had scored 2 goals in 3 minutes. worthing were aware they needed to get back into the game and quick but few meaningful chances came their way, and when they did the efforts were spurned with shots high and wide of the goal. Worthing striker Richard Pacquette wasps getting frustrated and tried to complain about Andy Little time wasting but he was as guilty as anyone with a couple of efforts that got in the way of the houses more than Andy Little's goal, When he was eventually substituted late on he didn't exactly sprint off the pitch either.We played out time well and this was an excellent all-round performance the defence ensured that Sam Francis failed to score against us and midfield and the forwards used the ball well. As we hoped this was a huge result and it's important that we make the most of this to launch us toward the remainder of the season.
This afternoon we Visit Worthing in the league in a very important game. Worthing are a very strong team especially at home where their record this season at home has been 10 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeat and having scored 31 goals and only conceded 12 goals.
But last week's defeat at Windsor may have knocked them and lets hope we can return with all the points. If you cant make the game I will be doing text updates of all the action and you can follow it by clicking the matchday link above.
On Tuesday night two games of note took place first Fisher moved up to second in the league after a 2-1 victory at Bromley and Worthing progressed to the quarter Final's stage of the League Cup with a 2-1 victory at Harrow Borough lets hope it was a hard game and we can take advantage on Saturday.
After our defeat at Folkestone on Saturday week it looked like even more damage would be done to the League Table at the weekend just gone by with us not playing but on checking the scores on Saturday afternoon I am sure everyone was amazed to see the fact that of the teams above us only Braintree, and Staines had won, a victory for Heybridge moved them above us, in effect we won 3-0 as that was the score when we played Maldon Town who we were due to originally play on Saturday. This makes Saturday's trip to Worthing even more crucial.
The result of the Man Of The Match poll from last weeks game is as follows: -
Dave Sargent 20 Votes 27.03%
Mark Peters 17 Votes 22.97%
Dwayne Plummer 6 Votes 8.11%
Wayne Finnie 5 Votes 6.76%
Andy Little 5 Votes 6.76%
Shane Smeltz 5 Votes 6.76%
Anthony Howard 5 Votes 6.76%
Steve Butler 3 Votes 4.05%
Nas Richardson 2 Votes 2.70%
Barry Moore 2 Votes 2.70%
Chris Gell. 2 Votes 2.70%
Robert Ursell 2 Votes 2.70%
With a number of first team players involved in this afternoon's reserve game at Kingsmeadow I will be doing some sort of update service on the game so if you cant make the game and want to follow the action click the matchday link above and you can see how the game is going.
On Sunday the 24th April 2006 the London Marathon will be taking place and Richard Lonsdale or Soundman as most people know him as will be taking part this year, This will be the third time that Soundman has undertaken the Marathon in 2003 he completed it in 5 hours 21 Minutes and 41 seconds and last year (2005) he completed it in 5 hours 19 Minutes 31 seconds.
Although Richard is raising money for Charity he would also like to raise funds for the Stadium Fund and therefore any money that is pledge by AFC Wimbledon fans will go direct to The Stadium Fund. If you wish to sponsor him the easiest way is find him or Jane (his wife) in the back bar before any home game where they will have sponsorship forms, you can also send them an e-mail with details of your name a contact number and also amount of sponsorship.
His previous times are the equivalent of over 3 1/2 football matches so lets encourage soundman to the finish line and maybe he might even beat the 5 hour mark (Only joking soundman).With no first team game this weekend our next game is a trip to Worthing on Saturday week, this is a huge game and it would be nice if we could take a large number of supporters to it, like we did to Hampton and Staines away the club is running coaches to the game so to reserve your place phone up and book your place, don't forget the coaches also pick-up and drop-off at Wimbledon Park (The Woodman Pub) as well as Kingsmeadow, please specify your pickup point when you book.
It's important to book as quickly as possible so extra coaches can be ordered if needed. The prices are £11 for adults and £7 for all concessions.
After little change in the top place of the League Table in the first half of the season we have had three new teams at the top of the league in the past 3 weeks. First up Fisher wen top of the table only to be replaced by Worthing and then last night as Braintree played one of their many games in hand they replaced worthing on goal difference.
The Man of The Match vote is now open please click the link below to cast your vote: -
After the valuable points gained against Walton and Staines it felt like we had gone back a step today as we lost 1-0. It's been a week of two super goals on Monday Rob Ursell but to be fair to Folkestone the finish for the goal was as good today as Rob's at staines.
The afternoon that Richard Butler had failed a fitness test and although named on the bench would be unlikely to take part in any part of the game as we only had 16 players who made the trip.
After what one of The folkestone locals described as a heavy night's rain the pitch was very bobbly and heavy in some areas but this performance didn't really have any major clear chances and once Folkestone took the lead on 38 minutes they were happy to do everything they could to stop us even getting 1 goal, in fact they could of and perhaps should of got a second.
Lets hope that when we next play in 2 weeks time we can re find the form of Staines and Walton as we take on current leaders Worthing.
This afternoon we take on Folkestone in the league and you can follow all the action as it happens by clicking the matchday link above. I will try and post the team news as soon as I have it and then all the action from Kick off at 15:00 to the full time whistle.
After what seemed like it would bee a very close run thing for the Man of The Match vote after Monday's game at Staines, one person ended up running away with the poll. It was more than likely helped by the Video evidence of the first goal, but well done to Rob Ursell and the full result is below: -
Robert Ursell: 30 votes 34.88%
Shane Smeltz: 13 votes 15.12%
Dave Sargent: 11 votes 12.79%
Barry Moore: 7 votes 8.14%
Andy Little: 5 votes 5.81%
Steve Butler: 5 votes 5.81%
Anthony Howard: 4 votes 4.65%
Chris Gell.: 4 votes 4.65%
Richard Butler: 3 votes 3.49%
Wayne Finnie: 3 votes 3.49%
Sonny Farr: 1 vote 1.16%
On Saturday we are off to the Kent Coast for a league game against Folkestone, we of course met on the opening day of the season when we came out 4-1 winners and we will be looking to bring the points back to continue our good run.
Although the weather over the next couple of days is due to turn very wintry thee indications are that we should be ok at Folkestone and the ground is even a bit inland so we might not have to face a sea breeze like at some costal grounds. If your traveling by train the nearest station is Folkestone West but not all trains stop at that station but the main one Folkestone Central is fairly nearby.
Information regarding arrangements at the ground can be found on the Official Site.
Well it will be after Sunday night when the 2005/06 Pantomime season comes to an end at the Epsom Playhouse. A contact has offered up to 25 tickets available at the price of £11.50 with a 30% donation to the stadium fund for each ticket sold.
The show starts at 14:30 and more information can be obtained from Graham on either e-mail or by mobile 07812 954412.
Yesterday afternoon at least 3 video cameras were in operation in the main stand, 1 as always was our good mates at Donsonline but the other two seem to be part of the Staines Town "FC Video" Crew they have put together a highlights package that lasts for just under 5 minutes and is 7.6mb in size, they even a couple of times have multiple camera angle on incidents. The clip can be downloaded by clicking here. They are selling the whole match for £5.00 and I have ordered a copy of the game. If you wish to order a copy of this game or the Westview Cup game you can via their Web site www.fcvideo.co.uk.
With the Donsonline crew trying to get all the clips up as quick as possible but wanting as many people as possible to be able to see it, they have asked me to host the Rob Ursell goal for the time being. The clip is 6.2mb and is just brilliant you can view it by clicking here.
The Man Of The Match Vote is now open please click the link below to cast your vote: -
This was a game that everyone knew was really important to get a result, and what a result we got. The pattern was set early when Rob Ursell picked the ball up a good 25 yards out and hit it straight into the top corner, Rob's goals always look pleasing to the eye but being in the fortunate position of directly behind Rob and up high myself and the other members of the press box we could see that from the moment it left Rob's boot it was heading top corner and only a world class save would get anywhere near it, the save didn't come and we were 1-0 up on 9 minutes.
We were well on top for the first half and passed the ball about very well so we had a 1-0 lead at half time. On 51 minutes a controversial moment when after a goal mouth scramble a dons shot was saved by at least 1 defender the ref awarded a penalty and after a long discussion with his assistant he sent the Staines number 4 off. After the recent worry of who could score penalties up stepped Dave Sargent again and fired home for a 2-0 lead.
10 minutes later we were 3-0 up as Richard Butler broke through the offside trap and seemed to be almost in the keepers arms when he placed the ball past the keeper and into the back of the net. With the points looking more than safe it was important to keep a clean sheet and when needed Andy Little pulled off a few good saves but this was a good performance all round.
This afternoon we visit Staines for what the Current Form Guide has as a 1st Vs 2nd match up. This could be one of the games that has a big impact on how the final table end's up at the end of the season so both teams will be battling hard for the points.
If you cant make the game the Matchday service will be in operation, I will try and bring you team news as soon as I have it but otherwise it will be all the action as it happens in this important game. All you need to do to follow the action is click the "Matchday" link above and your screen should automatically refresh every 2 minutes.
The result of the Boxing Day Man Of The Match Vote against Walton & Hersham is as follows: -
Chris Gell. 18 Votes 29.03%
Shane Smeltz 17 Votes 27.42%
Steve Butler 14 Votes 22.58%
Richard Butler 4 Votes 6.45%
Wes Daly 3 Votes 4.84%
Anthony Howard 2 Votes 3.23%
Nas Richardson 1 Votes 1.61%
Mark Peters 1 Votes 1.61%
Dave Sargent 1 Votes 1.61%
Robert Ursell 1 Votes 1.61%
Back to Football tomorrow (Yippee) it seems strange that while some leagues have played 4 games over the Christmas holiday period we were only scheduled two but onwards we go. If your going by public transport it's a nice easy train ride with trains direct from Clapham Junction to Staines and depart Clapham Junction every 15 minutes, it's from the same platform and trains as the trip to Windsor, the journey takes about 30 minutes and is then a good 15 minute walk you can see a map here the ground is to thee south of thee picture the station to the north.
The day return fair from Clapham is apparently £5.60, please note that Staines is just outside the zone 6 boundary so a normal travel card wont get you their if you are going in a group (more than 2 people) you can get the train offer where up to 4 people can travel for the price of two, all you have to do is travel both ways at the same time.
If you are driving the car park at Staines is limited and gets full very early but an overspill car park will be available on the day at Staines cricket club in Worple Road at a cost of £2 per car, I presume this is the large green area on the map to the right of the screen.
We are halfway through the season having played 21 games but it's fair to say the Run-in starts here as this month we have Staines and Worthing both away two huge games.
An unwritten rule is that if you average 2 points a game you should make the play off's so far this season we are just 5 points away from this and therefore to make this target we need 47 points from our remaining 21 games. Most people will agree that the squad looks very settled now and so the time to push on is with us. If we can get results against Staines and Worthing that will make up the 5 points difference from the first half of the season and of course will mean they are on less points and the game will really be on.
We know how brilliant our support can be so lets get behind the team and turn out in numbers where we can, like we did at Hampton and show the team our full support.
The vote for Man of The Match at the Walton game on Boxing day is currently neck and neck so if you haven't voted yet and wish to please click the link above and cast your vote.
The reporting period for the final quarter of 2005 came to an end last night and it was a bumper period for the stadium fund, so a big thank you to everyone who purchased items from the link and helped the Stadium Fund in the process.
Early indications show that the Stadium fund will of benefited by around £800.00 during 2005 thanks to this link, the final result for the last quarter and therefore the full year should be known in a few weeks and I will confirm it then, in the mean time the Amazon sale has started so if you are looking for any post christmas items click the Amazon button and have a look remembering all sales help the Stadium Fund.
