TUESDAY UPDATE: 16.09.25

Welcome to the latest 9yrspodcast Tuesday update.  It has been an interesting few days off the pitch. Please add your thoughts and comments below, and as always, if there is anything we have missed, please email 9yrs@may14.co.uk with the subject header, ‘Tuesday Update’.

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On This Day in 1998 … Wimbledon hammered Millwall 5-1 in a League Cup Second Round, First Leg tie at Selhurst. The Premier League Dons were far too good for their third tier visitors, despite making eight changes to the team that had won 3-1 away at Newcastle United three days earlier. Carl Cort (2), Andy Clarke, Jason Euell, and Stewart Castledine scored Wimbledon’s goals; Dave Savage had given Millwall an early lead. In the Second Leg a fortnight late at The Den, the Dons cruised to a 4-1 victory to proceed to the Third Round 9-2 on aggregate. Extended highlights of the game can be found on YouTube.

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Saturday’s 2-1 win over Rotherham United sits the Dons 11th in League One. It was the first time in 61 games that Wimbledon have won a game having been behind (2-1 away vs Bromley; 13 August 2024). Johnnie Jackson said it was a “funny game“, as we were “poor” in the first-half but “outstanding” in the second. Jordan Hugill (38′) gave the visitors the lead, but Jake Reeves (50′) and a Matty Stevens penalty (67′) earned Wimbledon a second consecutive home win in the league, and only their second over Rotherham in their previous 11 meetings. Millers’ boss Matt Hamshaw questioned the decision by referee Lee Swabey to award a penalty for a foul on Stevens, but admitted that his side “cost (themselves) the game“. Highlights can be found on YouTube.

Sam Hammam was at Plough Lane on Saturday. The former owner of Wimbledon FC was seeking a ticket for the game, but was denied entry to the stadium. We are told he was turned away for his own safety; there has been no comment from the club or Hammam on the matter.

We travel to Doncaster Rovers in our next League One fixture. Kick-off is at 3.00pm this Saturday, 20 September, and tickets can be bought on the Dons ticketing web site – £23 for adults, with concession prices ranging from £7 to £19. Rovers are fifth in the table and haven’t lost at home in the league since February 15.

We host Crystal Palace Under-21s in the Vertu Trophy this evening. Kick-off at Plough Lane is at 7.00pm. The Dons lost 5-1 at home to Stevenage in the first game in Southern Group E; Palace Under-21s lost 4-3 on penalties (yes, in a group game) to Bromley after a 3-3 draw in normal time.

Ian Robinson and Simon Hood have resigned from The Dons Trust Board. Hood will continue to seek re-election as part of this year’s election process. Two other candidates for election – Matt Thornett and Ian Hicks – have withdrawn their nominations. We believe this means that there are now six candidates for six vacancies on the Board, meaning there will not be a contested election this year, but the Trust have yet to confirm this. The resignations and withdrawals stem from the allegation that the nomination of Shane Bellamy was blocked by the Election Steering Group under Rule 10 of the Election Rules, and concerns over the Board’s accountability and ability to properly challenge the PLC. Again, the Trust have yet to comment on these matters. Manifestos for candidates can still be viewed on the Trust web site.

The Women’s team drew 1-1 at Plymouth Argyle on Sunday. Ellie Dorey scored an injury time equaliser for the Dons, after Phoebe Poole had scored a first-half penalty for the hosts. Manager Kevin Foster praised his side’s “resilience and togetherness” after a tough start to their Women’s National League Premier Division South campaign. They host Gwalia United on Sunday (21 September) at Imperial Fields; kick-off is at 2.00pm and tickets are available now.

Mick Dore’s latest blog post is available now. Mick departs from football chat to discuss mental health in the wake of Ricky Hatton’s passing. Read the article here. On football matters, Rob Dunford’s report on the win over Rotherham, including his thoughts on Sam Hammam, can be found on the SW19’s Army web site.

The latest edition of the 9yrspodcast was released on Friday. Nick and Stu discussed the bad day at Bolton; the Trust season ticket survey; and the Fair Game Index report. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube via this link.