Pretenders To The Throne...

AFC fans have just cause to feel 'hate'
(Image © Chalfont Don)

Been struggling with this for a while now to rationalise  why many MK Dons fans hate AFC Wimbledon. I understand to an extent why many  AFC fans 'hate' the MKDons as (leaving aside their difficulties at the time) some see our club as inheriting their place in the league and destroying their original team. I understand why various other football fans 'hate' us for creating a precedent for franchise football more along the lines of American sports. 

What puzzles me is some fans hatred of AFC. This is a club that in our short history, we have never played, and is a club set up to resurrect a team which Pete Winkleman effectively disbanded after the move to Milton Keynes. Nowadays, for MK Dons fans at least, AFC is as far removed from us as any other club. MK Dons don't associate themselves with Wimbledon's history, they no longer use the name of the club that they took over. Are these people disappointed that we did not keep the name and retain the history of Wimbledon? If that's the case, and they see AFC as pretenders to the throne then I get it but I doubt it. Most of the 'haters' identify very strongly with MK Dons and not with Wimbledon.

The other argument I've heard is the hatred stems from the lies AFC push about MK Dons. To be frank, most of these 'lies' from both sides are fairly justified. It just depends which side of the fence you sit on. On the one side, Winkleman took Wimbledon and subsequently (in an albeit strategically correct action) seems to have departed from the ethos of the original agreement and rebranded it into a completely different team, he "ripped the heart out of Wimbledon". On the other side, he took a club struggling to find a home and support and in financial free fall which  would have disappeared like several other clubs and he gave it a new beginning. The net result though is no Wimbledon and therefore I can understand why many supporters of AFC are pretty emotive when stating their position. 

My feelings toward AFC Wimbledon are of complete respect. To set up a team and bring them through the leagues as they have is not an easy task. To do it so fast and aggressively is a remarkable achievement.  They have retained (and grown) the interest and attendances that they  started with and, I have no doubt, will soon be challenging in the same league as the MK Dons. Ironically, in five years time they will most likely be playing at least the same level as Wimbledon but with a stronger financial base and a wider support.

I don't therefore understand the hatred of them, jealousy perhaps but not hatred -  I'll bet I'm not alone  though in sitting back, watching their progress and wondering if Pete regrets not trying that little bit harder with MK City...

The Topsy Turvy Football League

It's early (very early) in the season but the initial shape of the  football leagues already presents an interesting picture. In a hierarchical league, one would expect that with few exceptions that the teams gaining promotion the previous year would be at best in the bottom half of the division once promoted. Indeed in a truly hierarchical scenario, ignoring purchase of talent in the close season, they should be close to the bottom three. 

After just three games it's interesting to see the opposite happening. In the championship, Southampton and Brighton are unbeaten after three games, In league Two Crawley & AFC Wimbledon have made excellent and good starts respectively and to a slightly lesser extent, Wycombe and Stevenage have made big impacts in League One. At the end of last season, Norwich of course gained successive promotions to reach the most competitive league in the world.

So, does this represent a flattening of the leagues or are other factors in play? If this is indeed down to a flattening of the leagues then it would be against  a background where cash is becoming more unevenly spread across the leagues - an environment which should create the opposite effect.  It could be though that on promotion, a team is more likely to come out with more passion, belief and the desire to prove oneself than teams who have remained in the league. Think back to Blackpool last year and Hull the previous year who started the Premiership season with real strength before dropping back to their more realistic levels.

Anyway, far too early to make a call but worth a thought and could be worth monitoring through the season

Complain about the Community or Change it?

I've heard lots of comment, tweet and news reports this week from people telling others what they need to do to to solve 'the crisis' that we find ourselves in after the rioting. I've seen many tweets comparing rioters to bankers or even to MPs, citing lack of discipline in schools or lack of community schemes as the problem.

There's also been commentary about how this 'underclass' don't want to help themselves - that the benefit culture expect everything to be handed to them.   At the end of the day, it's pretty easy to sit around and complain and suggest that the problem is someone else's to sort out. But this attitude is not limited to the rioters. The general population are just as happy to see it as someone else's problem. It's easy to blame schools, to blame lack of community effort or even MPs for being corrupt. 

I just wonder how many people who criticise the discipline in schools or teachers for not instilling a sense of respect into these kids have bothered to look into helping out at their local school. Most schools have vacancies for Governors. A role which puts your right at the heart of the school, making strategic decisions on behaviour policies and discipline. You don't even have to be a parent - in fact it's often easier to make subjective decisions if you are not.If you don't want to make that sort of sacrifice, schools often want help reading with kids or getting involved in the fundraising for the school. 

I wonder how many people who still bleat on about MPs being corrupt and the expenses crisis actually bothered to vote. Each one of us had a chance to look at the person representing us and decide where to place our cross. How many peopel actually bothered to get out there, pound the streets and campaign. We all had a chance to remove anyone from parliament that we wanted but few got involved. In the end, it was easier to leave it to others and complain. 

I wonder how many people who say we need more youth projects, more funding for initiatives in the community have ever volunteered at one. How many have  even regularly put their hands in the pockets to help local initiatives. At the end of the day, its much easier to shoot from the sidelines

One of the most positive things that the past few days has been the clean up campaigns which have shown  that people are actually keen to support their community. Maybe that is the launchpad for others to get involved. Rather than blaming others and saying what's wrong with the country, go out and change it for yourself. 

Twitter's Rumour Mill

I'm often asked by friends "What is Twitter and what do you use it for?" For me, Twitter is like a gigantic newsfeed where I can tailor the news I receive to focus on the events that directly impact or interest me. It's different from picking up a paper or watching the bbc news as the feeds are more subjective and depending on how carefully the lists of followers is built, it can reflect views from all ends of the political spectrum. 

So, with that in mind, I was interested to note what happened on the nights of the riots. On Tuesday evening Twitter was certainly a great medium for picking up peoples thoughts on the riots and for understanding the latest outbreaks of violence. However, very quickly  Twitter rumours started to surface. The ease of retweeting meant that the speed of dissemination was amazing and before long reports of trouble across the Milton Keynes areas was being reported. Over a very short period of time, a sense of unease and even panic was coming out from Twitter around Milton Keynes. 

At that point (and mainly due to certain journalists who were keen not to scaremonger) some sort of social order set in and tweeters seemed to passively accept it. In the Milton Keynes case, the local paper (The Citizen) became the focal point for people to report their own sightings in and then for them to consolidate them and provide one source of truth. Through this method, rumours were very quickly squashed and the growing panic died away. 

So... what we ended up with on Twitter was the news coming from one source…an excellent service on the night but almost the complete opposite of my definition of why I use Twitter.

Teaching Parenthood

It was with mixed feelings last week that I heard reports of a government initiative to give parenting the  the fruit and vegetable five a day overhaul. Should my tax money be going to fund high level pointers into how to bring up my children? Should governments even be getting involved to this level of detail in peoples everyday lives? Who are they to be tell us how to bring up our children?

The problem is that on reflection they probably have a point. Bringing up children is bloody hard work. Like playing golf, being the best always seems a few steps away. Constantly beating yourself up, are we being too hard on them, too soft, playing with them too much or too little, too pushy or too laid back? So actually any guidance is probably useful. Five quick steps to double check that you have done your best for your kids that day are not going to hurt anyone, even if they may not necessarily add anything. The issue I still had is whether the funding that went into developing this is the best use of tax layers money.

And then one looks at the events of this week, those involved in the riots and the looting are often incredibly young. The first question that comes into mind is where are the parents? What parent would not know where their offspring was at 9,10 or 11 at night. And then one lands at  the root of the problem, this social group that has been created with little parental guidance. The group with no parental role models, no parental respect and therefore little respect for authority, rules or the community. The benefits culture creates a reliance on others, a culture of dependance where it is easy to see everything as someone elses fault.

Solutions will focus on those bits that are more easily controlled. Pumping money into youth projects to create community identification, creating extra jobs and opportunities for a group of people who are from environments where no one in their family has worked. Blaming teachers for not teaching social responsibility. And yet they miss the underlying issue. Ultimately everyone's child is a reflection of their parent. Some children go off the rails as they grow up but core values are taught within the family circle.

Of course getting those 5 steps to successful parenthood from those who are constantly looking for better ways to improve their children's upbringing to those who have no idea where their children are at 11pm is more difficult. Launching it on radio four as they did last week just may not do the trick...

The Positive Side Of Rioting

It's all too easy to focus on the hugely negative aspects of the violent behaviour this week and indeed at times words are difficult to find to summarise events. Attempting to explain to my 8 year old son what was happening brought home how pointless and without reason the actions were. Clearly, politics, economics, poverty or the shooting by the police of a man carrying a loaded pistol had little to do with the motives of the majority.

Bringing Out The Community Spirit
(Image © Burma Democratic Concern)

As one tweeter put it last night 'only in the UK could people wearing £100 trainers and organising violence on their £300 smart phones claim poverty'.

And yet times like these bring real heroism to light. Jozsef Toth who walked in front of a group of riot police asking the rioters to cease their hostilities in order that an injured, elderly woman could be rescued, a group of Sikh's banding together and protecting their community, Millwall fans out in force safeguarding the local community, staff in a restaurant using rolling pins to  protect innocent customers from rioters and worshipers in a mosque defending that building and then the wider community from the onslaught. And of course the twitter account set up to clean up our capital, which led to 100s of residents coming out together to protest in a different way.

One of the most touching stories of all was that of the 80 year old owner of the burnt down furniture business who, after seeing his family business burnt to the ground was still keen to get the delivery van in and get orders out to customers. Still desperate to do an honest day's work even after what he had been through The irony of that, that many of the rioters and looters have never bothered to do a days work, sums it all up for me. For them, violence, looting and complaint about people not doing enough to help them presents a much easier way out.

For me, it's people like this that deserve the gongs in the honours lists. People who are focussed on protecting their community, safeguarding other individuals and continuing to work hard in the light of extreme adversity. These are the people that make Britain strong.

Season Tickets - Value for Money?

The study published yesterday into the price of watching football (and associated 'Pie' Charts) got me thinking about whether a season ticket is actually good value at the Dons. I've thought about it a few times over the past season as friends were able to snap up cheap tickets for lower category games. I think there are two main reasons for buying a season ticket: To ensure your seat for all games and to reduce costs.

MKDons is one of the few clubs I've supported where there is a real option as to whether to buy a season ticket. (For my definition of supported see 'I'm not a real football fan') We have a fantastic ground built to accommodate the increasing support as we move up the leagues. That means though that at present there is plenty of space. In most grounds, even if not full, there is restricted space around the best areas of the ground - the ones where you want to buy your season ticket. At Stadium MK, there is loads of space and therefore one of the main reasons for buying a season ticket disappears. You can be sure of getting a ticket in your preferred area of the ground for pretty much any game. 

With regard to the second point, I was interested to see what the financial benefit was of purchasing up front. I will assume a model with all home games included (as it's my own fault if I miss games due to holiday etc. My season ticket cost me (admittedly I bought it late!) £668 which breaks down as £440 for me and £228 for an under 18 in East Premium. I've taken Grade A & B prices at non member prices. 

Over the first nine games (as these are the only fixtures with pricing categories are assigned), the saving is already £87.  Pro Rata that for a season and you get a saving of £223 over the year by having a season ticket.

Now wouldn't that have been a great stat for the club to put out to secure that last push for the 5000 season tickets? If they had wanted to of course...

What Price an Away Shirt?

As MK Dons confirm that their season ticket promotion topped out at around 4800, it strikes me as a great result for the club but a poor one for their customers. For those not close to the Dons, the club announced with a great fanfare that if they sold 5000 season tickets before 5pm on 1st August, they would reward each purchaser with a free away shirt. 

Now, I'm sure that the figure of 5000 was always an ambitious one - it makes sense with a promotion like this to set a stretching target. What seemed odd to me was the lack of information coming out of the club as the figure got closer and closer. As was well documented on Twitter over the past couple of weeks, it has become very difficult to get firm numbers out of the club. If MKDons were keen to hit the promotional target one would expect regular updates over the past couple of weeks to encourage a late push for tickets. Yet is was down to a small group of fans in the Twitter community to try and create that last push.

Once the club reached the 4750 / 4800 figure (which one would imagine would be their internal target) the promotion aim seems to have changed. It was massively in their interests not to hit the 5000 ticket figure at which point they have an exposure of 5000 shirts which even at cost price probably equated to about £100k. (roughly 50% of RRP). Indeed the announcement that came out yesterday that season ticket holders would be eligible to buy an away shirt at half price plays even more into their court. Like most half price marketing promotions, this will encourage the increased sale of away shirts (which they probably wouldn't have previously sold). Even at half price, the club are likely to be making a small profit from each sale or are at least increasing footfall into the club shop. 

Of course there is the view that good news financially for the club is good news for the supporters. Increased season ticket sales & £100k saved on free shirts might be £100k to spend on the salary of a loaned player. Extra away shirt revenue from the half price promotion together with increased sponsor exposure from additional away short sales also boosts the coffers. I can't help thinking though that this has been acheived at the expense of the supporters through a promotion which had very little chance of ever delivering. 

Maybe I'm just being cynical. It would be interesting to know what the season ticket total was last season to understand how high the bar was originally set and to understand why it was so difficult to get any information from the club as the target got ever closer. 

The Absolute Right To Privacy

The discussion around super injunctions provides the tabloids with an easy ‘get out’ argument. The debate about whether the super-rich should use their money to gain privacy that a mere mortal on the average salary could not enjoy is clearly a valid one. It’s easy to bash the rich. In fact bashing successful people is practically a national sport in the UK. The debate though around the need for injunctions or super injunctions. I am not suggesting that the tabloids be given free rein to report whatever topic they see fit but rather that we re-examine the principle of privacy rather than public interest.

The Public Interest Justification is
 Overused to the detriment of privacy
(Image ©Sean MacEntee)

The public interest argument is one that is parroted all the time when the injunction issue is raised in public debate. Should a politician who is standing on a family friendly ticket be exposed for extra marital dalliances? That is probably a matter of public interest since it shows that he (sic) is not practicing what he is preaching. Even that of course doesn’t mean that their political statement is flawed but we will let that go. The problem is that having established that right to report on the MP, that right seems to then be transferred to any public figure. The same argument cannot be used to apply to a footballer or sportsman apart from in exceptional circumstances perhaps. Tiger Woods could be argued to have made money from sponsorship from his clean cut image for example. The real cases of public interest are few and far between though – not all politicians fall into this category, very few sportsman or celebrities do.

Even where there is public interest it does not give an excuse to report on anything else. Salacious kiss and tell stories do not address the public interest angle or at least only obliquely. Finding out that a politician wore his Chelsea shirt in bed adds nothing to any argument that we must know that a particular stated principle is being breached.

Which leads on to the privacy issue. These arguments all centre round affairs, sexual liasons etc. The real problem is much lower level than that. Through the years, the public have come to expect a public intrusion into celebrities lives. Public intrusion which, in any other walk of life would be a criminal matter. As a example, a photo appeared in one of tabloids last week of an Olympic rower changing after a race. The photo was professionally taken – not just snapped by a passer-by so clearly the photographer had been waiting for this opportunity. If someone stalked me or you in this manner, taking unauthorised candid pictures, is that not a matter for the local constabulary? And yet this event just passes by with a self depreciating comment by the celebrity on Twitter. 

We all have a right to privacy. As set out above, there are very few examples where that privacy should be breached as a matter of public interest. The need for injunctions, super or otherwise should therefore be slight. Unfortunately though, until  it is not seen as perfectly normal for photographers to creep around in bushes taking unauthorised pictures, the need for protection remains.

Sharing The Love of The Game

Have we forgotten the Love of the Game?
(Image © Richard Matthews Richard_Of_England)

I was recently lucky enough to take in a Chicago Cubs baseball game whilst on business in the US. The game was against their ‘local’ rivals St Louis Cardinals who hail from just down the road (by American standards anyway!). My evening started with an hour train ride into central Chicago which was an experience in itself. The carriage which rapidly filled up as we journeyed through the suburbs contained both Cardinals and Cubs fans and it was like being in a cosy village pub. Everyone chatting to each other (even the solo Englishman in the corner), passing around beer and some pretty knowledgeable light hearted banter between the two sets of fans. In the stadium I sat between a group of Cardinals fans and Cubs fans and the banter and chat continued. By the end of the night, fans were exchanging details and buying each other beer. The result – a uncharacteristic drubbing of the Cardinals - was passionately celebrated but didn’t get in the way of a great evening of social interaction. Don’t get me wrong, these were not part time fans. They loved their clubs, the support had  in some cases been passed down from generation to generation as it is in football. Often, they were more knowledgeable in the history, stats, strengths and weaknesses of their players than the average football fan is here. Yes, they definitely love their team. What also struck me though was that they loved Baseball.

It put me in mind of a conversation I had at work last season with  a Chelsea season ticket holder. This is an intelligent man, a man significantly higher up the food chain than the average mortal. He was talking about his disbelief that an opposition fan was sitting next to him during a game. He was angry, no furious even, that this had been allowed to happen.  It had all started, he said, when the guy next to him had the cheek to stand and applaud his team as they were announced. You can imagine how that made him feel he said. It got worse. On the first attack of the game, he shouted the strikers name and issued the standard oooooohhh as the ball was blazed wide. Luckily, said my subject, at that point someone behind him told the alien fan to “shut the f*** up!” and he retook his seat. Unfortunately, when the opposition scored, the fan was unable to contain his excitement and leaped in the air. A stand up confrontation, started (with full admission) by my work colleague led to a steward being summonsed and the fan was ejected. “It was a good job 'cos I was ready to hit him. Could I believe that this has happened?” I was asked.

I’m afraid I cannot get my head around this sort of manic tribalism. I understand the passion of the football fan. I understand that the majority pick (or are handed down) the support of one club and embrace that for life. What I don’t understand is how two grown adults, intelligent grown adults, cannot sit next to each other and accept that the passion they hold for their team might not be the same as their neighbor. I find it incredible that two people who in theory should have the passionate support of football in common cannot get past the sole focus on their own club. 


I generally sit in the area of the ground where the contents of my sandwich are inspected rather than my ticket and the fans are slightly more mixed. I admit to a thrill when I see opposition supporters sitting around me. It generally means an afternoon of banter, of background and assessment of both teams with the rivalry between the two teams thrown in for good measure.

The occasional event to a certain extent restores my faith in human nature. I noted that in both the Forest and MK Dons playoff finals that, with very few exceptions, the invading and celebrating fans of the opposition teams consoled the defeated players rather than taunted them. The community on Twitter that on the whole  engages in lighthearted and well informed banter makes me see light at the end of the tunnel. It makes me think back to Chicago and reminds me that we do share a love. Not of individual teams but of football itself. 

It's Not About The Money...

Where the streets are paved wIth gold
(Image © Tophee)

Karl Robinson has had a promising first season with MK Dons. In a season of cost cutting, to reach the playoffs and allow us another glimpse of the promised land was a great achievement. I have to acknowledge that I was firmly against the appointment when it was originally announced. Even though the end result was the same (with a knockout in the play off semi final) the season of 2009/10 was a massive disappointment. A negative style of football led to the club ending bottom of the fair play table by some 48 points (more than half again as the club above!). This from a club that has built a reputation as a family friendly club and which depends on that reputation to attract new supporters. The loss of Paul Ince who had seemed distant and tactically inept was no great surprise but I wasn’t alone in thinking that we needed a clear out of the management team rather than to promote from within.

Robinson though has been a breath of fresh air. His man management skills are self-evident. He and his management team look cohesive and passionate. The players clearly enjoy playing for him and have found the desire that was missing for much of the previous season. His skill in getting the fans onside so quickly was enviable – his trademark final wave to the supporters (win or lose)  is a small gesture but a powerful one and unifies the fans behind the team. Above all though, he has reverted to the football style that we had become accustomed to at the club, keeping the ball at all costs with fluid passing forward and back.

The problem now is one that affects many lower league clubs. One good season and the premier league clubs come sniffing around.  It happened with Ince the first time round and he was lured to Blackburn far too quickly, relatively unproven and untested. The result, sacking from Blackburn, a poor return to the Dons and following his sacking by Notts County this season I would expect a career in the media is the best case scenario.

My point is that Robinson will get offers and offers that will be financially very attractive. He is young, clearly builds relationships fast and already has a solid reputation. My hope is that he will stay another year  (two would be hoping too much). With two years’ experience, he can probably afford to take the premiership job, fail once and still have another chance.  If he goes now and fails, suddenly the year with the MK Dons will seem very short lived.

I'm Not A Real Football Fan

Every time I sit down to watch an MK Dons game, Twitter on my iPhone and Bovril on the wall in front of me, I am confronted on said Twitter by a repeated question. This often takes the form of "Franchise Wa***rs, not real football fans, wonder who they supported before?"

Now I know I should turn the other cheek. It's easy sport for op

Loyalty to Football Or The Club
(Image © Mariusz Cieszewski: PolandMFA)

position fans. I'm not sure I wholy agree with the Wimbledon / Dons transition either (although it's certainly not as black and white as many make it). It's not the franchise bit that gets me. It's the inference that because the 'accuser' has only ever supported one club, has followed them home and away, sleet and snow, promotion and relegation etc they are real football fans whilst the rest of us aren't.

My guess is that MK Dons draw from a diverse range of  football fans. I know many dads who have given up lifelong season tickets at Arsenal, Chelski and Spurs because of two reasons. Firstly, The MK Dons invest a lot into local schools, the kids see them and ultimately drag dad (and mum) along. Before long, the season ticket has gone and the Dons have become the norm. Secondly, the reality of life kicks in. Following your team home and away was great whilst single, childless and without  job comitments. However, time moves on and the difference between leaving at 2:30 and back at 5:30 for a game locally to a full saturday out becomes marked. Suddenly family life is part of the individuals time equation.  I guarantee in the mind of the ' Twitter Accusers' that this in itself means you are not a 'real football fan'.

Then there's the other category (which I fall into). And I fully admit, many of my mates just don't get this! I have always supported my local club. I've had season tickets at York City, Hull City, Nottingham Forest, Swindon Town, Rushden & Diamonds and MK Dons. Many of those I have followed passionately - home and away, through relegation and promotion, sleet and snow etc. Guessing though that again, because I have not followed one club from cradle to grave I am not a 'real football fan'.

In addition to that, particularly in my younger days, I would watch several teams in one week. So I might do York City on a Saturday, Leeds on a Monday, Scarborough Tuesday and Harrogate Town on a Wednesday. In short I couldn't get enough of live football at whatever level. I've watched football on holiday, created holidays so I can watch football even.  Many of those games I would be impartial but others I would take sides. Again, the 'Twitter Accuser' indicates that this short term loyalty it means I'm not a 'real football fan'.

In summary, I've probably seen more sides, more grounds and watched football at more grounds than many of the fans that fervantly follow one club. My lack of loyalty means I can often comment more objectively on a football match that I watch.

But hey what do I know? Right now, and because of my family growing up with them, probably forever, I am an MK Dons fan and therefore I know nothing: I am not a 'real football fan'.