TUESDAY UPDATE: 09.12.25

Welcome to the latest 9yrspodcast Tuesday update.  As always, we invite you to add your thoughts and comments below, and if there is anything we have missed, please email 9yrs@may14.co.uk with the subject header, ‘Tuesday Update’.

Receive this update by email. Subscribe to the mailing list and you will have the Tuesday Update sent directly to your inbox. To sign-up, simply email 9yrs@may14.co.uk using the subject header, ‘Subscribe’.

On This Day in 2000 …  Wimbledon manager Terry Burton had banned his squad from having sex the day before a game, and his tactic seemed to work as the Dons won 3-0 at Birmingham City in Nationwide League Division One. Damien Francis scored twice either side of a stunning Jason Euell volley to complete victory at St Andrews for a Wimbledon team that had to cope with the sending-off of John Hartson midway through the second half. It was the Dons eighth win of the season – seven of them had come away from Selhurst Park. Wimbledon ended the season in 8th place; Birmingham lost out in the play-off semi-finals to Preston North End. You can watch the goals and the red card on YouTube.

——

Wimbledon travel to Exeter City in League One this evening. Kick-off at St. James Park is at 7.45pm. Both sides have just one win from their last six league games, but were victorious in their last competitive outings: Exeter beat Wycombe Wanderers 4-0 in the FA Cup on Saturday, whereas the Dons won in the Football League Trophy 5-1 at Cardiff City last week. Exeter boss Gary Caldwell has been in charge since October 2022, maintaining The Grecian’s position in the third tier. However, financial pressures are mounting, and the team find themselves 20th in the division at present – just one point above the relegation zone. They are averaging fewer than a goal a game in the league, and top scorer Josh Magennis has not scored since September. However, they are unbeaten in their last four home fixtures in all competitions. Wimbledon will be without the suspended Ryan Johnson, but otherwise have no fresh injury worries. Matty Stevens is not expected back until the new year. The Dons could be in the play-off places with a win, but defeat could drop them as low as 14th after all midweek fixtures have concluded tomorrow.

Our game with Blackpool has been postponed. The League One encounter was due to be played on Saturday 10 January, but Blackpool have progressed to the third round of the FA Cup and will travel to Ipswich Town that weekend. A new date for our game will be announced ‘in due course’.

Osman Foyo has been handed an additional two-month suspension by the FA. Foyo has already served a one-month ban for betting on football acitivities, but an appeal has seen the ban increased, and he can not be selected for matches until after 24 January 2026. He has another two-month ban suspended. His loan with Sutton United has been terminated.

The Women’s team lost 5-1 to Real Bedford Ladies on Sunday. The defeat leaves the team 10th in the Women’s National Premier League South. They now have a break until the new year and next play on Sunday 4 January, at home to Oxford United at Plough Lane.

The Dons Trust AGM is next Monday (15 December). The meeting takes place at Plough Lane at 7.00pm. Papers for the meeting can be found here, with more information about the meeting available here.

The latest Wombles Coefficient podcast is available now. Spike, Tim, and Arash looked at the numbers from our draw at Huddersfield. Listen online via Spotify.

The 9yrspodcast returned yesterday! Nick and Stu talked through the 3-3 draw at Huddersfield Town, and investigated some other football stories. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube via this link.