MK Dons

Officially the club was founded in 2004, but depending on how you look at things, it goes back a lot farther than that. And depending on where you’re from, this story is either (to an American) completely normal or (to everybody else) utterly bizarre and disgraceful.

Wimbledon FC, known as the Dons, was founded in 1889 and, as of the 1990s, was playing in South West London at Plough Lane. But their owners and fans wanted a new stadium – hard to pull off in London. Meanwhile, in a “new town” called Milton Keynes – these were conjured from thin air in the 1960s to ease crowding in London – developers wanted to build a stadium complex and maybe attract an established team to move there. Some clubs sniffed at it, and then in 2001 Wimbledon’s leadership said they were going – or the club would go out of business.

If you’re from the States, this is a perfectly common sports business endeavor. In England, a professional club moving to a whole new city had never happened before, hasn’t happened since, and seems to inspire something close to nausea among football supporters. The Football League and FA said they were opposed, but the club appealed, and an arbitrator approved it, famously including a shot-across-the-bow to Wimbledon’s supporters that resurrecting a new club from the ashes of Wimbledon FC “would not be in the wider interests of football.”

Those supporters promptly told everybody to fuck right off, formed a new club, and that today is the supporter-owned AFC Wimbledon. In that sense, it’s a heroic tale of resistance to greed.

And yet there’s this thing called MK Dons, shuffling along like some kind of zombie and derided by many supporters as The Franchise. Soon after the move they dropped the club crest, colors, history and everything else in a complete re-brand, keeping only the Dons name. Still, I know of groundhoppers who, in their quest to “do the 92,” refuse to attend a game there.

As for their on-field history, they were in the Championship for one season, 2015-16, and otherwise bounce between League One and League Two. What they are known for is youth development, with the most famous product being Dele Alli. They also field 16 disability teams and were one of the first clubs to have their women’s team play on the same field as the men.

So all of that seems fine, and to average about 7,000 people a game in League One and Two is perfectly normal. It’s just that this happens in a 30,000-seat stadium in a town that didn’t exist in 1960, and nobody quite seems to know what to make of it all.

2024–25 SEASON: 19th in League Two, 1st Round FA Cup, 1st Round League Cup

2025–26 SEASON: League Two (relegated in 2023)

As one might imagine, Wimbledon are a rival – probably more so on the Wimbledon side of the ledger. The first two games between them – 2012 in the FA Cup and 2014 in the League Cup – were both won by MK Dons on backheeled goals labeled “The Heel of God” and “The Heel of God II.” When they first wound up together in League One in the 2016-17 season, each team won at home. Wimbledon was even called before the League for refusing to refer to MK Dons by that name, instead calling them Milton Keynes.

The closest clubs to Milton Keynes are actually Northampton Town and Peterborough, so those affairs can get a little heated, as well. Wycombe Wanderers are also in the same county, so there might be some extra tension there, as well.

Founded in 2009, Milton Keynes Dons Women were one of the first women’s teams in the country to play in the same stadium as their club’s men. Last season they finished last in the National League South, so this year they are in the WNL Division One at tier 4.

Stadium MK is without question one of the nicest around. It hold just over 35,000 people, is comfortable and spacious, easy to get to, has restaurants nearby, and even includes a Doubletree Hotel. The funny thing about it – and many English supporters love it when this happens — is how often the away fans outnumber the home fans. It seems to happen several times per season.

TOURS: None offered

GETTING THERE: The main train station, Milton Keynes Central, is almost four miles away, so for that you’ll probably want a taxi. There are plenty at the station, so just get a phone number and arrange something for afterwards. Buses No. 1 and 6 will also go there. There is also Bletchley Railway Station about a mile away, but trains from London don’t stop there. Here’s a Google Maps link.

PUBS: The Inn on the Lake is about a 15-minute walk away and is a nice option with outdoor seating. The Doubletree at the stadium also has a bar.

GRUB: There are several chain places right across the street from the stadium, including a Nando’s, Pizza Express, Wagamama, and so on.

AROUND TOWN: I mean, it’s a new town built to house people. It’s about as enticing to the tourist as your average American suburb. The closest thing of interest is Bletchley Park, the former home of British code-breaking during World War II. It is now a museum and includes the National Museum of Computing. This is very close to the Bletchley Railway Station, so it could be part of your plans to tick off some Footbal League action at Stadium MK.