Wimbledon has a good pedigree when it comes to picking yourself up and brushing yourself off. Back in the early 1900s, Wimbledon had no ground to play on, no kit and no supporters to speak of, in fact, they nearly went belly-up and in 1910 existed in name only, hardly playing at all. In 1912 the Titanic may have sunk but Wimbledon was raised, and merged with a local rival that played on the dog track and they kept the name of Wimbledon. They gained the councils backing and built a ground next to the dog track which was reclaimed from a patch of swampland, but the ground did not sink nor did the club, and Plough Lane was home to the club until they had to share Selhurst with Crystal Palace from 1991. A new home had to be found and a brave decision had to be made, the rest they say is MK Dons.
But the fans were not “avin none of it” so they got together and AFC Wimbledon were raised phoenix-like from the ashes of the old board. Today I am editing this page to announce a footballing triumph. A show of what fans can achieve together because today is Tuesday, the Third of November, 2020, and today AFC Wimbledon after nearly 30 years, move back to Plough Lane and into a new ground. The only thing that spoils this magnificent feat is the virus that is keeping us all away from our football grounds. From every football fan in the country, WELL DONE WIMBLEDON. Now MK Dons can pack up and turn their ground into flats for the very rich.
The new badge (PIC 1) and the old badge (PIC 2) of Wimbledon would not look out of place on a German uniform, and Kaiser derives from Caesar as does the double-headed eagle on the badge. The eagle comes from Wimbledon’s coat of arms. Legend has it that Julius Caesar camped out on Wimbledon Common after a battle there, but this is just a local legend as are the Wombles, and there are no facts to support it, or them. There is a place on the common called Caesar’s Camp.
The arms are described as thus: A double-headed eagle displayed sable armed, or wings out to you and me, on the Dexter wing a gold rose and on the sinister a gold fret, a fret is a piece of interlaced work. Dexter is right and sinister is left. (PIC 3) The rose is from the badge of King Edward I, and the gold fret from the arms of Merton Priory. Merton is the borough in which Wimbledon lies. The crest has choughs from the arms of Thomas Cromwell, one-time lord of Wimbledon. A chough, pronounced ‘chuff’, is often mistaken for a crow but has a red beak and belongs to another family of bird altogether. The mural crown refers to city walls and the garb or wheatsheaf symbolises its agricultural rural past. The motto “SINE LABE DECUS” means, Honour Without Stain. Many thanks, go to Tracy Chappell for her help with this part of the story.
The club toyed with another design before deciding to change the name of the club and move lock, stock and smoking barrel to Milton Keynes. It was adopted from the eagle’s head but given a more modern makeover, a simple eagles head with the club’s old name underneath. (PIC 4) AFC Wimbledon’s ground is the 4,850 capacity Kingsmeadow Stadium, which is in Kingston upon Thames, not far from Wimbledon so local rivals remain Millwall, Charlton, and Crystal Palace, all in south London. Nicknames include “The Wombles” and “The Dons”. The name Wimbledon means Wynnman’s Hill. Wynnman is a middle England family name and don is from the Gaelic dun meaning a hillfort. If you need to know more about the Dons then womble down to www.afcwimbledon.co.uk
