THFC Response to THST Survey re: MK Dons
Thank you for the results of the survey.
In selecting pre-season opposition, we do approach this from a football perspective, in the interests of optimum preparation for the new season.
MK Dons represents an opportunity for members of our Development Squad to gain experience in a Football League environment, on a good playing surface and against strong League One opponents that foster a positive playing style - attributes that we feel will further help our own players' development.
This criteria obviously ranks extremely high when organising pre-season fixtures, as well as the fact that the journey time to Milton Keynes ensures not too great a distance for the team or fans to travel.
The timing of the fixture and the level of opposition also affords us the option to include First Team squad members in order to provide players with further match practice and boost fitness levels ahead of the start of the Premier League campaign.
We do appreciate the sentiments that surrounded the establishment of this Club at the time it happened and we did not play them in the early days, but many years have passed, AFC Wimbledon has seen progress and has plans for a new stadium and MK Dons serves a positive role in its local community.
In respect of favouring supporter-owned clubs, I'm afraid we would be extremely limited to just four teams at the necessary level in the Football League and, given varying playing styles, it would be difficult to commit to playing them as a policy.
The timing of the fixture and the level of opposition also affords us the option to include First Team squad members in order to provide players with further match practice and boost fitness levels ahead of the start of the Premier League campaign.
We do appreciate the sentiments that surrounded the establishment of this Club at the time it happened and we did not play them in the early days, but many years have passed, AFC Wimbledon has seen progress and has plans for a new stadium and MK Dons serves a positive role in its local community.
In respect of favouring supporter-owned clubs, I'm afraid we would be extremely limited to just four teams at the necessary level in the Football League and, given varying playing styles, it would be difficult to commit to playing them as a policy.
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