Dons warned over MK move

Leo Spall13 April 2012

Football League chief executive David Burns today said there is no way Wimbledon can resurrect their plan to move to Milton Keynes.

The scheme to relocate to a purpose-built 28,000-seat stadium more than 60 miles from their current base at Selhurst Park was thrown out by a unanimous vote of the League board last night.

Wimbledon chairman Charles Koppel was today considering the next step, and there were suggestions that he could challenge the decision in the courts, claiming restraint of trade.

Burns told Standard Sport, however, that the board's decision is final. He said: "I cannot see any way they can keep the plan to move to Milton Keynes alive.

"I am sure the club will be consulting with their lawyers and advisers but there is no restraint of trade because they are still trading today.

"You cannot just pick up a football club and move it around. If you allow a club to move away from their traditional-base you would destroy what football is about."

The board were empowered to grant Wimbledon's application if they believed the club had a special case but they felt strongly that they did not.

A Standard Sport column opposing the move to Milton Keynes was submitted to the League as part of the evidence produced by campaigning supporters groups, who mobilised immediately the controversial scheme was confirmed.

Last night the overjoyed fans celebrated and today Wimbledon Independent Supporters' Association chairman Kris Stewart said: "We're delighted the League made the right decision in support of the club and for football in general. We've won the battle, but we haven't won the war - we need to find our home. We now call on the club to reengage with the fans and harness the passion we've seen over the last couple of weeks.

"We're working very closely with Merton Council and hope the club will rejoin the process, which they left a couple of weeks before announcing the intention to move to Milton Keynes."

Brentford's application to ground share with Conference side Woking (which, like the Wimbledon plan, was first revealed by Standard Sport) was also turned down by the League.

They said the move would be temporary while Griffin Park is redeveloped, but the League ruled there was no guarantee they would return to their roots.

Burns said a similar situation had existed when Wimbledon were allowed to do that when they left Plough Lane for Selhurst Park 10 years ago and that was at the heart of their current problems. "Previous experience has taught us of the dangers of allowing clubs to move out of their home conurbation without having definite plans in place for a return."

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