A black-and-white photograph of a row of twelve men standing in front a football goal. The man furthest to the left is dressed in old-fashioned, but smart work clothes; the remainder are wearing football attire. While the shorts and socks worn by these men vary, the dark shirts bearing a "W" are the same except for one, worn by the man standing in the middle of the photograph, which is white.
This amateur Wimbledon first team, pictured in 1919, was the first from the club to compete in the Athenian League, which it would do for two seasons before joining the Isthmian League in 1921.

Wimbledon Football Club was an English football club from Wimbledon, south-west London, amateur from 1889 to 1964 and professional thereafter.[1] Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club,[A] an amateur club playing in local league competitions,[2] the club shortened its name to "Wimbledon" in 1905,[3] entered the FA Amateur Cup for the first time in 1905–06 and joined the Spartan League in 1909.[4][5] After going out of business a year later,[6] Wimbledon immediately reformed and returned to local leagues in 1912,[6] where the team stayed until the 1919–20 season when the club joined the Athenian League.[5][6] Moving to the Isthmian League in 1921,[5] Wimbledon won four league championships in six years during the 1930s and reached the FA Amateur Cup Final in 1935 before losing to Bishop Auckland after a replay.[5][7] The club continued to be successful following the Second World War, again reaching the Amateur Cup Final in 1947 and finishing as runners-up in the Isthmian League in 1950 and 1952.[5][8] After claiming a fourth Isthmian League crown in 1959,[5] Wimbledon then took three successive championships from 1962 to 1964,[5] as well as the 1963 FA Amateur Cup.[9]

These achievements prompted the switch to professional football, which occurred in 1964,[1] concurrently with the extension of membership from the Southern Football League.[5] Wimbledon finished second twice out of the team's first four outings in this competition,[5] before again winning three consecutive titles from 1975 to 1977.[5] The club won election to The Football League after these successes, and thus entered the Fourth Division for the first time in 1977–78.[5] Wimbledon took only ten seasons as a Football League club to reach England's top flight, winning promotion to the First Division for the 1986–87 season;[5] Wimbledon then beat League champions Liverpool 1–0 in the 1988 FA Cup Final to achieve the feat of having won both the FA Cup and its amateur equivalent (as of 2009, only two other clubs – Old Carthusians and Royal Engineers AFC – had done this).[5] Wimbledon remained in the top division until 2000, when the side was relegated.[5] The club announced an unpopular relocation to Milton Keynes in 2001,[10] which received permission a year later,[11] causing the foundation of AFC Wimbledon by the majority of Wimbledon fans,[12] who called it "the death of [their] club".[11] The club subsequently relocated to Milton Keynes in September 2003,[13] and rebranded itself as Milton Keynes Dons in 2004.[14]

Key

Champions Runners-up Promoted Relegated

Top scorer and number of goals scored shown in bold when he was also top scorer for the division
Division shown in bold when it changes due to promotion, relegation or reorganisation
League results shown in italics for abandoned or wartime competitions

Seasons

Season League FA Cup League
Cup[B] 		Other competitions Top scorer[C]
Division P W D L F A Pts Pos [15] Name #
1889–90[D] None 2 2 0 0 3 1 [1] — —
1890–91 None 23 14 6 3 50 13 [2] — —
1891–92 None — —
1892–93 None 8 4 1 3 15 11 [3] Herald Cup R1
1893–94 None 8 6 2 0 20 4 [4] — —
1894–95 S London[E] 15 7 4 4 [5] L-n Junior Cup R3
Friendlies 10 6 2 2
1895–96 Clapham[F] 7 6 1 0 [6] S.W. Cup R2
Herald[G] 12 9 2 1
Friendlies 9 5 0 4
1896–97 Clapham — —
Herald
1897–98 Clapham — —
1898–99 Clapham — —
1899–1900 Clapham — —
1900–01 Clapham — —
1901–02 Clapham — —
1902–03 S Sub'n[H] — —
Clapham
1903–04 S Sub'n — —
Clapham
1904–05 S Suburban — —
Clapham
1905–06[I] S Sub'n FA Amateur Cup R2
Mid-Surrey[J]
1906–07 S Sub'n FA Amateur Cup QR2
1907–08 S Sub'n FA Amateur Cup QR1
1908–09 W Sub'n[K] QR1 FA Amateur Cup QR1
1909–10 Spartan A[L] 12 3 2 7 17 31 8 6th QR1 FA Amateur Cup R2
S Sub'n[M]
1910–11[N] None — —
1911–12[O] None — —
1912–13[P] S Sub'n[Q] QR2 — —
1913–14 S Sub'n Pre FA Amateur Cup R1
1914–15 S Sub'n[R] ExtPre FA Amateur Cup R1
Metro[R]
The Football League, FA Cup and FA Amateur Cup were suspended between 1915 and 1919 due to the First World War.
1918–19 Utd Snr[S] no information available n/a — —
1919–20 Athenian[T] 22 8 5 9 44 43 21 7th QR4 FA Amateur Cup R5
1920–21 Athenian 42 16 12 14 61 56 44 2nd QR2 FA Amateur Cup QF
1921–22 Isthmian[U] 26 7 4 15 52 56 18 13th QR4 FA Amateur Cup R1
1922–23 Isthmian 26 10 2 14 49 50 22 11th QR4 FA Amateur Cup R5 H. Mann† 26
1923–24 Isthmian 26 8 4 14 43 62 20 10th FA Amateur Cup R1 Stanley Darvill 17
1924–25 Isthmian 26 10 2 14 50 54 22 11th FA Amateur Cup R1 Doc Dowden 16
1925–26 Isthmian 26 9 1 16 61 77 19 12th QR3 FA Amateur Cup QR2 R. Brown 21
1926–27 Isthmian 26 15 3 8 72 45 33 3rd QR2 FA Amateur Cup R1 Doc Dowden† 32
1927–28 Isthmian 26 12 3 11 57 48 27 6th QR4 FA Amateur Cup R3 Doc Dowden† 34
1928–29 Isthmian 26 9 10 7 66 54 28 4th QR2 FA Amateur Cup R1 Doc Dowden† 42
1929–30 Isthmian 26 11 2 13 64 66 24 6th R1 FA Amateur Cup SF Doc Dowden† 48
1930–31 Isthmian 26 18 6 2 69 37 42 1st R1 FA Amateur Cup R3 Doc Dowden 30
1931–32 Isthmian 26 17 2 7 60 35 36 1st R1 FA Amateur Cup QF Doc Dowden 11
1932–33 Isthmian 26 8 5 13 55 67 21 13th QR4 FA Amateur Cup R2 Doc Dowden 19
1933–34 Isthmian 26 13 7 6 63 35 33 3rd QR4 FA Amateur Cup R3
1934–35 Isthmian 26 14 7 5 63 30 35 1st R2 FA Amateur Cup RU[V]
1935–36 Isthmian 26 19 2 5 82 29 40 1st QR4 FA Amateur Cup R1
1936–37 Isthmian 26 9 7 10 52 53 25 7th QR4 FA Amateur Cup R1
1937–38 Isthmian 26 10 3 13 62 49 23 9th QR4 FA Amateur Cup R1
1938–39 Isthmian 26 14 3 9 88 56 31 5th QR1 FA Amateur Cup R1
1939–40[W] Isthmian 1 0 0 1 2 3 0 – n/a — —
The Isthmian League and FA Cup were suspended between 1939 and 1945 due to the Second World War.
1945–46 Isthmian 26 7 6 13 52 72 20 10th QR1 FA Amateur Cup R3
1946–47 Isthmian 26 10 5 11 68 64 25 8th QR2 FA Amateur Cup RU[X] Pat Edelston 31
1947–48 Isthmian 26 13 6 7 66 40 32 5th R1 FA Amateur Cup R2 Ron Head 19
1948–49 Isthmian 26 15 4 7 64 41 34 3rd QR4 FA Amateur Cup R2 Harry Stannard 33
1949–50 Isthmian 26 18 2 6 72 51 38 2nd QR1 FA Amateur Cup R3 Harry Stannard 25
1950–51 Isthmian 26 13 5 8 58 39 31 4th QR1 FA Amateur Cup QF Freddie Gauntlett
Harry Stannard 		29
1951–52 Isthmian 26 16 3 7 65 44 35 2nd Pre FA Amateur Cup QF Harry Stannard 31
1952–53 Isthmian 28 14 5 9 68 37 33 4th R1 FA Amateur Cup R1 Harry Stannard 31
1953–54 Isthmian 28 7 8 13 43 59 22 14th QR1 FA Amateur Cup R2 Freddie Gauntlett
Harry Stannard 		12
1954–55 Isthmian 28 10 2 16 48 62 22 12th QR1 FA Amateur Cup QF Jeff Darey 18
1955–56 Isthmian 28 12 2 14 51 62 26 11th QR1 FA Amateur Cup R2 Joe Wallis 23
1956–57 Isthmian 30 10 5 15 47 66 25 13th Pre FA Amateur Cup R2 Joe Wallis 26
1957–58 Isthmian 30 15 2 13 64 66 32 7th Pre FA Amateur Cup R1 Brian Martin 19
1958–59 Isthmian 30 22 3 5 91 38 47 1st Pre FA Amateur Cup R1 Eddie Reynolds 37
1959–60 Isthmian 30 18 3 9 66 36 39 3rd QR2 FA Amateur Cup R2 Eddie Reynolds 39
1960–61 Isthmian 30 18 6 6 72 43 42 3rd QR2 FA Amateur Cup QF Eddie Reynolds 47
1961–62 Isthmian 30 19 6 5 68 24 44 1st QR2 FA Amateur Cup QF Eddie Reynolds† 50
1962–63 Isthmian 30 19 8 3 84 33 46 1st R2 FA Amateur Cup W[Y] Eddie Reynolds† 53
1963–64 Isthmian 38 27 6 5 87 44 60 1st R2 FA Amateur Cup R3 Eddie Reynolds 35
1964–65[Z] South 1[AA] 42 24 13 5 108 52 61 2nd QR4 — — Eddie Reynolds‡ 53
1965–66 South P 42 20 10 12 80 47 50 5th R2 — — Ian Cooke 29
1966–67 South P 42 19 11 12 88 60 49 4th R1 — — Ian Cooke 37
1967–68 South P 42 24 7 11 85 47 55 2nd R2 — — Ian Cooke 32
1968–69 South P 42 21 12 9 66 48 54 3rd QR4 — — Eddie Bailham 24
1969–70 South P 42 19 12 11 64 52 50 5th R1 FA Trophy R1 Ian Cooke 29
1970–71 South P 42 20 8 14 72 54 48 8th R1 FA Trophy R3 Ian Cooke 37
1971–72 South P 42 19 7 16 75 64 45 10th QR4 FA Trophy R1 Ian Cooke 21
1972–73 South P 42 14 14 14 50 50 42 12th QR3 FA Trophy R3 Ian Cooke 20
1973–74 South P 42 15 11 16 50 56 41 12th R1 FA Trophy R1 Ian Cooke 24
1974–75 South P 42 25 7 10 63 33 57 1st R4 FA Trophy QF Roger Connell 31
1975–76 South P 42 26 10 6 74 29 62 1st R2 FA Trophy R2 Roger Connell 20
1976–77 South P 42 28 7 7 64 22 63 1st R3 FA Trophy R3 Roger Connell
Billy Holmes 		21
1977–78 Div 4[AB] 46 14 16 16 66 67 44 13th R1 R2 — — Roger Connell 15
1978–79 Div 4 46 25 11 10 78 46 61 3rd R3 R2 — — Alan Cork 25
1979–80 Div 3 46 10 14 22 52 81 34 24th R2 R4 — — John Leslie 17
1980–81 Div 4 46 23 9 14 64 46 55 4th R4 R2 — — Alan Cork 26
1981–82 Div 3 46 14 11 21 61 75 53 21st R2 R1 — — Francis Joseph 13
1982–83 Div 4 46 29 11 6 96 45 98 1st R1 R1 — — John Leslie 25
1983–84 Div 3 46 26 9 11 97 76 87 2nd R2 R4 Associate Members' Cup R1S Alan Cork 33
1984–85 Div 2 42 16 10 16 71 75 58 12th R5 R1 — — Stewart Evans 16
1985–86 Div 2 42 21 13 8 58 37 76 3rd R3 R3 — — Alan Cork 15
1986–87 Div 1 42 19 9 14 57 50 66 6th QF R2 Full Members Cup R2 John Fashanu 14
1987–88 Div 1 40 14 15 11 58 47 57 7th W[AC] R4 Full Members Cup R3 John Fashanu 20
1988–89 Div 1 38 14 9 15 50 46 51 12th QF R4 FA Charity Shield RU[AD] John Fashanu 16
Full Members Cup QF
Mercantile Credit Centenary Trophy QF
1989–90 Div 1 38 13 16 9 47 40 55 8th R3 R4 Full Members Cup R3S John Fashanu 13
1990–91 Div 1 38 14 14 10 53 46 56 7th R4 R2 Full Members Cup R2S John Fashanu 20
1991–92 Div 1 42 13 14 15 53 53 53 13th R3 R2 Full Members Cup R2S John Fashanu 20
1992–93 Prem[AE] 42 14 12 16 56 55 54 12th R5 R3 — — Dean Holdsworth 19
1993–94 Prem 42 18 11 13 56 53 65 6th R5 QF — — Dean Holdsworth 24
1994–95 Prem 42 15 11 16 48 65 56 9th R5 R3 — — Efan Ekoku 9
1995–96 Prem 38 10 11 17 55 70 41 14th QF R2 UEFA Intertoto Cup Grp Efan Ekoku
Dean Holdsworth 		16
1996–97 Prem 38 15 11 12 49 64 56 8th SF SF — — Marcus Gayle 13
1997–98 Prem 38 10 14 14 34 46 44 15th R5 R3 — — Jason Euell 8
1998–99 Prem 38 10 12 16 40 63 42 16th R4 SF — — Marcus Gayle 11
1999–2000 Prem 38 7 12 19 46 74 33 18th R4 QF — — Carl Cort 15
2000–01 Div 1 46 17 18 11 71 50 69 8th R5 R4 — — Jason Euell 20
2001–02 Div 1 46 18 13 15 63 57 67 9th R3 R1 — — David Connolly 18
At the end of the 2001–02 season, the club was granted permission to relocate to Milton Keynes.[11]
Soon after, most supporters split from the side to form AFC Wimbledon.[12]
For a statistical history of this club, see List of AFC Wimbledon seasons.
2002–03 Div 1 46 18 11 17 76 73 65 10th R4 R3 — — David Connolly
Neil Shipperley 		24
2003–04[AF] Div 1 46 8 5 33 41 89 29 24th R4 R1 — — Patrick Agyemang 7
Wimbledon Football Club was rebranded as "Milton Keynes Dons" before the start of the 2004–05 season.[14]
Milton Keynes Dons renounced its claim to the history of Wimbledon F.C. in 2007.[16]
For a statistical history of this club, see List of Milton Keynes Dons F.C. seasons.

Footnotes

References

General
Specific
  1. ^ a b c Hambly, Dave. "1960 to 1969". Historical Dons. Archived from the original on 11 March 2008. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
  2. ^ a b c d e Hambly, Dave. "1889 to 1899". Historical Dons. Archived from the original on 19 November 2010. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Hambly, Dave. "1900 to 1909". Historical Dons. Archived from the original on 19 November 2010. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
  4. ^ Samuel (2003). p. 15. ((cite book)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Rundle. "Football Club History Database – Wimbledon".
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Hambly, Dave. "1910 to 1919". Historical Dons. Archived from the original on 21 November 2008. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
  7. ^ a b Samuel (2003). p. 42. ((cite book)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. ^ a b Samuel (2003). p. 48. ((cite book)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  9. ^ a b Samuel (2003). p. 68. ((cite book)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. ^ "League warns Dons over move". BBC. 10 August 2001. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
  11. ^ a b c "Dons get Milton Keynes green light". BBC. 28 May 2002. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
  12. ^ a b Heller, Ivor (1 September 2002). "Wombles are on their way". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
  13. ^ a b Pryce, Robert (29 September 2003). "Wimbledon's happy ending is pure Hollywood". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
  14. ^ a b "Wimbledon become MK Dons FC". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. 21 June 2004. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
  15. ^ Memories of the Dons, Historical Dons. Retrieved Nov 2012.
  16. ^ "History and Honours of Wimbledon FC returned to Merton". Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association. 2 August 2007. Archived from the original on 20 February 2012. Retrieved 4 November 2009.
  17. ^ Ross, James. "England – List of FA Charity/Community Shield Matches". RSSSF. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
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