Are AFC Wimbledon strong enough for the Football League?

By Tony Alvarez

 Following Saturday’s nerve wrecking victory with a penalty shoot out win over Luton after the clubs played out a 0-0 draw atManchesterCity’s Eastland ground AFC Wimbledon will be in the Football League next season.

The club who were famously formed in 2002 after Wimbledon FC moved to Milton Keynes and were renamed the MK Dons had finished 2^nd in the league table and have now confirmed their promotion along with Blue sq championsCrawleyTown.

As you can imagine for a club that is only 9 years old this is the defining moment in their history to date, however the club do boast Footballing records, they went 78 consecutive matches unbeaten which is a record for a senior Football side in England.

Of course Shouts from the stands offer our congratulations to the club and it is brilliant to see what real fans can achieve when they put their minds together and work in unity. But that’s not really what this article is about its about where AFC can go from here.

Things bode well for the future the gap between the Blue sq Premier and Football League 2 is not the greatest, as can be shown by Stevenage’s success this season finishing 6^th and Oxford who finished 12th, in fact a former conference player said to me the year his side were promoted to the Football League “ The gap isn’t major we wont be battling for our lives I wouldn’t be surprised if we make the play offs, there is more Football played in the League which makes it better to watch and look like the quality of the teams are better but it does not make it much harder to play against”.

The club who have kept the name “the crazy gang” going from the former club Wimbledon FC also have some Football League pedigree amongst their playing squad.  Defender Ismail Yakubu spent 9 years at Barnet of which most was in the Football League as well as Yakubu the club also have players such as Kirk Hudson who is on loan from Brentford after spending 2 years in League two at Aldershot Town, his loan spell is widely expected to be made permanent as he is no longer in the managers plans at Brentford.

They also have defender Brett Johnson who has had spells in the Football League with bothNorthamptonand Brentford.

On top of the above players who have a good amount of Football League experience and others the club also boast a huge fan base which in turn has left the club in a good financial position should they feel the need to bolster their squad ahead of their maiden Football League campaign.

Of course there are negatives or new experience for the side too manager Terry Brown has never risen above the conference or Blue Sq Premier so League Football is a new experience for him, does he have the tactical ability in the higher divisions only time will tell.

I expect a comfortable season for AFC they wont be in danger of relegation but I don’t think they will be involved in a title race, however with a bit of luck they could push for a play off spot and from their anything could happen, of course this is all dependant on how much money the club spend as a few signings could significantly change the look of the side and the way the side performs.

What do you think? Have you even started thinking about the Football League yet or are you still revelling in yesterday’s success? Will you be able to keep your head above water in League 2? Is Terry Brown the man to take you forward? What areas do you need to strengthen to be successful? Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts.

Blue Square Premier Play-Off Preview

The City of Manchester Stadium will host the Blue Square Premier Play-off final on the 21st May

By Laurie Fitzgerald

AFC Wimbledon and Luton Town took a big step towards reaching the Blue Square Premier Play-off final after a weekend of semi-final action.

The Dons won at Fleetwood Town 2-0, while the Hatters recorded an impressive 3-0 triumph over Wrexham.

It means that both sides are overwhelming favourites to reach the non-league showpiece at the City of Manchester stadium on Saturday 21st May.

For AFC Wimbledon, promotion to the Football League would mark an incredible rise since the creation of the club back in 2002.

When it was announced that Wimbledon were to move to Milton Keynes, the fans decided to create a new football club that would carry the soul and passion that was to be ripped from its controversial relocation.

It would be a remarkable achievement if they were to achieve league status in less than a decade of its existence.

Manager Terry Brown has played a big part in that; if the 58 year-old was to guide the Dons to League Two football, it would be his third promotion in just four years in charge at Kingsmeadow.

They have been the form team of recent weeks, with seven wins and a draw from their last eight games.

Much depends on the goalscoring form of captain Danny Kedwell, as well as midfielders Sam Hatton and Steven Gregory pulling the strings.

But they still have a second leg to oversee against a manager that has achieved great things himself over the last few years.

When Micky Mellon took over Fleetwood in 2008. they were bottom of the Conference North.

Now, less than three years later and the Trawlermen have become contenders for Football League promotion.

The Dons will do well not to underestimate a side that has been in excellent form themselves, with seven wins in their last eights matches before the first leg loss at Highbury.

Key to their revival will be striker Magno Vieira, who has scored 22 goals this campaign, as well as midfield enforcer Anthony Barry.

In the other semi-final, everyone is hoping that there aren’t any repeats of the ugly scenes that marred the end of the first leg in Wales.

A small minority of Wrexham fans decided to show their frustration at the result by damaging seats inside the Racecourse Ground, as well as cars around the surrounding area.

It’s not the kind of support that manager Dean Saunders is looking for as he tries to lift his players for the return trip to Kenilworth Road.

The former Liverpool and Aston Villa striker has had a turbulent time in charge of his home club.

He has had to overcome calls for his head to try and get Wrexham back with Welsh counterparts Cardiff and Swansea in the Football League.

They had some momentum going into the Play-offs, with three wins and a draw in the final four games, including a 1-1 draw at their semi-final opponents.

Much will depend on their strikeforce of the two Andy’s - Morrell and Mangan – in the hope of achieving an unlikely comeback.

But it looks set to be Gary Brabin‘s side that will make the trip up to Manchester in less than a fortnight’s time.

Brabin has only been in the job for a couple of months after former boss Richard Money left the club by mutual consent.

Money paid the price after adopting a style of play that did not appease the fans, as well as failure to keep up with runaway champions Crawley Town.

The supporters must feel that they are due a good bit of fortune after seeing the club fall from the Championship to the conference in three consecutive relegations.

This was largely due to financial problems that led to points deductions, including a staggering 30-point loss that led to their drop from League Two in 2009.

Top scorer Matthew Barnes-Homer and defender Claude Gnapka have stood out for the Bedfordshire side, and with 3 wins and a draw in their last five outings, confidence will be high.

There is sure to be plenty of drama as the prize of League football awaits the winner. But who will be triumphant in 11 days time?

 So what do you think? Will it be a AFC Wimbledon-Luton final? Will Wrexham and Fleetwood Town have a say? Who will gain promotion on the 21st May? Let us know your thoughts

What next for Paul Ince?

Paul Ince is back out of management after leaving Notts County

By Laurie Fitzgerald

Over the past few years, there’s no doubt that Paul Ince has been one of the leading lights for black managers in football.

After hanging up his boots following a fantastic playing career that involved the likes of Manchester United, Inter Milan and Liverpool, Ince has spent almost five years trying to work his way to the top of English football management.

But after a bright couple of years that saw him go from League Two to the Premier League, Ince now finds himself out of work after leaving Notts County by mutual consent.

The 43 year-old started management life well when he managed to guide Macclesfield to League Two safety against all the odds and ensure survival on the last day of the 2006/07 season.

His efforts had won him many admirers, and when MK Dons manager Martin Allen left to take over at Leicester City that summer, Ince was named as his replacement at the Stadium:mk.

It proved to be a great decision from Chairman Pete Winkleman, as Ince guided the Dons to automatic promotion to League One, as well as winning the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy in the process.

Ince was carving out a reputation as one of the best young managers in the game, gaining real respect in an era where black managers aren’t given many opportunities within the game.

His efforts were richly rewarded in 2008 when Blackburn Rovers appointed them as their new boss, giving him the chance to cement a career in the top-flight.

However, it was at this point when things started to go downhill for Ince. He lasted just six months before being sacked in December that year after Rovers became embroiled in a relegation battle.

Having learnt the harsh realities of management, ‘the guvnor’ returned to Milton Keynes for a second spell in charge of the Dons, but this time in League One.

Having reached the play-offs in their debut season in the third tier of English football, expectations were high.

But Ince was unable to build on the previous campaign, and stayed for just half of the duration of his two-year deal, leaving the club for a second time having guided the side to an twelfth place finish.

Despite this disappointment, the man capped 53 times by England would not have to wait long for a chance to kickstart the latest stage of his footballing career.

After taking charge at Notts County in October, Ince began to guide the side in the right direction, with the Magpies losing just one game in twelve, including a famous FA Cup win at Sunderland and a draw at home to Manchester City.

The resurgence didn’t last long; five defeats in a row, the most recent a 2-0 loss at home to Oldham, meant that Ince was shown the exit door at Meadow Lane.

It’s difficult to see where Ince goes from here; after such a promising start, his jump to the Premier League came too soon, and he acknowledged that by going back to the MK Dons two divisions below.

The problem now is that he has now had two jobs at this level and has failed to take either side forward, leading to people questioning whether he is cut out for management.

He is young and has shown in the past he is capable of being a good manager. But if Ince does get another chance in football management, then he has to make it count.

What do you think? Is Ince’s managerial career in trouble? Has he been unfairly treated with the resources available to him? Would you like him at your club? Let us know your thoughts.