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      Premier League offer new £200m coronavirus relief package to EFL but clubs split on accepting cash

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      THE Premier League has made  a new £200million bailout offer to the Championship.
      But the EFL’s top clubs remain SPLIT on whether to accept the money.

      The Premier League have offered a new £200m coronavirus relief package to EFL but clubs are split on accepting cashCredit: AFP

      Premier League chiefs have tabled the outline of their new offer, which emerged after huge pressure from MPs.
      It was enough for clubs in League One and Two to get the nod to sign up to their own £50m offer, which had been rejected last month because the Championship was not included.
      Yet while the new offer was welcomed in principle, there was pushback from some Championship clubs who were concerned about the details.
      Some were upset the money is in the form of loans, drawn from future ‘solidarity payments’,  rather than as a simple sum.

      And there was also a rift over how any money would be divided up.
      Some clubs want an equal split of funds but others argue their greater lost income through having no gate receipts since March means they deserve more cash.
      There was also disagreement over the terms of the offer.  It was unclear if any clubs could ask for help, or only those who need the cash to ensure their survival as a result of coronavirus — and what conditions will be imposed on those who take the money.
      One club chief said: “There was no common ground, other than a recognition that money is now on the table.

      How the PL’s best transfer XI for this summer line up

      “Some clubs believe they have run themselves properly and yet those who have not are the ones who will benefit, including when it comes to avoiding paying tax or transfer embargoes.
      “It’s also a fact that if we take the money now, solidarity payments will go down for the next two or three years.
      “The danger is that we accept the package on these terms, do nothing about the structural problems in the EFL and then end up back where we are now when the money runs out.”
      A further meeting next week will be held to try to come to an agreement.
      But the size of the planned bailout could anger some Premier League clubs who were reluctant to pay  mega-rich Championship owners.
      The change of approach from the top-flight allows the more pressing financial problems of the lower two divisions to near a conclusion, though.
      Championship clubs signalled their willingness for League One and Two teams — who held separate divisional meetings — to take up the Premier League’s £50m offer.

      The 48 lower-division sides subsequently accepted the proposal, now expected to be formally confirmed by the Premier League early next week.
      An EFL statement said: “A collective agreement in principle was made to move forward and finalise negotiations.
      “Championship clubs made clear they wanted to ensure their colleagues in League One and League Two receive the proposed £50m support package as soon as practically possible.
      “The EFL believes this represents a significant step forward and is hopeful a final agreement on the short term rescue package across all three  divisions can be reached imminently.”

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      Swindon want John Sheridan to quit crisis-hit Wigan and become their new boss to be Richie Wellens replacement

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      SWINDON TOWN want John Sheridan to quit Wigan and become their new boss. 
      Supremo Lee Power hopes to tie up a deal quickly and install Sheridan as Richie Wellens’s replacement in time for the weekend.

      John Sheridan is being lined-up for Swindon after Ritchie Wellens quit for Salford earlier this monthCredit: Rex Features

      Sheridan worked for Power at his Irish club Waterford before leaving to take the Latics post. 
      Sheridan only joined Wigan a few weeks ago but has been unable to rescue the crisis club. He was left devastated by an FA Cup defeat by Chorley. 
      Wigan’s Spanish owners in waiting are keen for Sheridan to stay but he could get more security as Swindon.
      The move would leave Wigan bottom of League One and without a manager while stuck in administration. 

      The Spanish bidders hope for an extension on their period of exclusivity as they try to answer questions posed by the EFL. 
      Along with their FA Cup upset by Chorley, Wigan have lost their last three League 1 games.

      The club have only won two games from 11 this season and have the joint worst goal difference in the league.
      Their poor start to the season follows a points deduction last season which saw them relegated into the Championship.

      They were punished after having to call in the administrators due to financial problems of their Hong Kong-based owners. More

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      EFL clubs set to accept Premier League bail-out after top-flight agrees to look after Championship sides as well

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      LOWER division clubs are set to finally accept the £50million Premier League bail-out this week – after the top flight agreed to look after Championship clubs as well.
      The League One and Two clubs will hold virtual divisional meetings on Thursday when it is expected the bail out will be agreed nearly a month after it was rejected.

      EFL chairman Rick Parry (above) and Prem chief executive Richard Masters signalled a deal was at handCredit: Rex Features

      Since then, intensive discussions between the Prem and EFL chiefs have taken place as the cash crisis has deepened.
      And both EFL chairman Rick Parry and Prem chief executive Richard Masters signalled a deal was at hand.
      Speaking to MPs on the DCMS Select Committee, Masters explained: “We have put a proposal for League One and League Two and we’ll be happy to do one separately and then come to a resolution on the championship.
      “But we need the EFL and the clubs to bind on for that.”

      Parry, who has been at odds with Masters for more than a month, responded: “We would very much like to come to a deal with the Premier League and we are having constructive dialogue.
      “In a gesture of solidarity, the League One and Two clubs said they did not want to abandon the Championship and wanted a deal for the league as a whole which was commendable.
      “The Premier League has now said it is willing to consider a deal for the Championship so we can now move forward on that basis.”
      Masters is aware that the EFL would prefer the whole of the £50m package to be available as a grant, rather than the initial offer with the second tranche of £30m as a loan.

      That is likely to be agreed ahead of tomorrow’s meeting, allowing clubs to start accessing Prem funds, which Masters confirmed would take the total from the top flight to £100m.
      The remaining sticking point had been a reluctance from Prem clubs to make an official offer to the Championship, many of whose owners are wealthier than those in the top flight.
      But last week’s official confirmation from the Prem that “Championship clubs who are suffering significant COVID-19-related hardship” were able to ask for help was seen as a critical move to unblock the logjam.
      Parry added: “Now we have a commitment that the Championship is going to be involved we can move forward with that.
      “We have club meetings this week and will be taking that forward.”

      How the PL’s best transfer XI for this summer line up

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      Tony Waiters dead at 83: Tributes paid to ex-England and Blackpool legend who led Canada to only World Cup in 1986

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      FORMER England and Blackpool goalkeeper Tony Waiters has died aged 83.
      Waiters led Canada to their only World Cup appearance in 1986 and tributes have poured in for the former Burnley star.

      Former England goalkeeper Tom Waters has died aged 83Credit: PA:Empics Sport

      The stopper played more than 250 times for Blackpool and won five England caps during that period.
      Alf Ramsey called him up as backup to Gordon Banks in 1964.
      Waiters started his professional career at Macclesfield Town in 1958 before moving to Blackpool where he spent eight years.
      His playing career finished at Burnley before the experienced keeper went into management.

      Waiters took charge at Plymouth Argyle from 1972 to 1977 – reaching the League Cup semi-final and getting them promoted to the Second Division.
      And he then made the transatlantic trip to Canada.
      He managed the Whitecaps for two years from 1977 before the Canadian national team came calling in 1981.
      Their decision paid dividends five years later when the country reached the 1986 Mexico World Cup for the only time in their history.

      Waiters played club football for Blackpool and BurnleyCredit: PA:Press Association

      The goalie won five England caps in 1964 as Alf Ramsey’s backup to Gordon BanksCredit: Rex Features

      Canada finished bottom of Group C behind the Soviet Union, France and Hungary and Waiters left soon after.
      He returned for a brief spell from 1990-91 before walking away from management and launching coaching company World of Soccer.
      England led tributes on Twitter with a message which read: “We’re sad to learn that Tony Waiters, who won five caps for the #ThreeLions in 1964, has died at the age of 83.
      “Our thoughts and sympathies are with Tony’s family, friends and former clubs.”
      Blackpool tweeted: “The club is saddened to learn of the passing of former goalkeeper Tony Waiters.
      “Tony made more than 250 league appearances for the Seasiders and received five England caps.
      “Our thoughts and condolences go out to his wife Anne and all the family.”
      And Burnley wrote: “Burnley Football Club is saddened to hear of the death of former England and Clarets goalkeeper Tony Waiters, at the age of 83.
      “The thoughts of everyone at Turf Moor are with his family and friends. RIP.”
      Waiters was inducted into the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame in 2001.

      TONY WAITERS | Burnley Football Club is saddened to hear of the death of former England and Clarets’ goalkeeper Tony Waiters, at the age of 83. The thoughts of everyone at Turf Moor are with his family and friends. RIP. pic.twitter.com/vO2ee7GHmC
      — Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) November 10, 2020

      Waiters went on to have a successful management career with Plymouth, the Vancouver Whitecaps and the Canadian national teamCredit: Getty Images – Getty More

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      Jamal Lowe was always on a high when he watched Swansea and now is starring for them

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      LITTLE did Jamal Lowe know as a starry-eyed kid tweeting about Swansea that he would one day be playing for them.
      When the rookie was 17 and turning out for Barnet Under-18s, the Swans had just won promotion to the Premier League.

      Jamal Lowe is now starring for Swansea years after falling in love with themCredit: Nigel Keene/ProSports

      And Lowe fell in love with the Welsh club for their swashbuckling style under first Brendan Rodgers and then Michael Laudrup.
      Now nine years later he is hoping to help shoot them back into the big-time.
      After Swansea lost 1-0 at home to Manchester United in 2011, Lowe enthusiastically tweeted: “Watching Match Of The Day. Well done Swansea, great passing side!”
      In another – after seeing them thump Fulham 3-0 at Craven Cottage – he gushed: “Swansea’s all orange kit is swag.”

      And he was bowled over when he was elevated into the Barnet Under-21s side and had the chance to take on the Welsh kids.
      First he tweeted, “I’m buzzin’ for trips like Swansea away this season” then, after losing 1-0 at The Hive, he wrote, “Swansea was a very good side.”
      So Lowe, now 26, jumped at the chance to move to the Liberty Stadium from Wigan during the summer.

      Jamal Lowe started tweeting about his love for Swansea when he was 17
      And he said: “I don’t know how they found those tweets from all those years ago … incredible.

      “I was a kid tweeting what I was seeing. I was watching Swansea and became inspired about the way they played.
      “Wayne Routledge and Nathan Dyer are still here from the time I started watching them while Andre Ayew and Kyle Naughton were big players for the club in the Premier League.
      “In my view, it was only Arsenal at the time who were playing that type of tippy-tappy football. They had been newly promoted to the Premier League and stuck to their philosophy all the way. It was just so slick and took everyone by surprise.
      “And, even today, it’s the way the club want to play. It’s ingrained into their DNA.”
      The second-placed Swans travel to Norwich in third for what is the Championship’s game of the day on Saturday.
      Victory could even take the Welsh club top if Reading lose at home to Stoke.
      Boss Steve Cooper’s credentials – like his predecessor Graham Potter – are rapidly rising. Having led England to winning the Under-17s World Cup in 2017, he guided the Swans to the play-offs last season but is hoping to go one better this time.

      Steve Cooper definitely can become a Premier League manager – and we’re all pushing to get him there as we all want to be at that level too.”

      And Lowe said: “What I love about Steve is his approachability. It’s a big thing compared to other managers who are daunting or hard to approach, especially when you need to have a tough conversation.
      “He’s told me his phone number is there if I need to call him or the door open if I need to see him. That’s a huge thing when you’re a new player and are welcomed into the club like that.
      “He definitely can become a Premier League manager – and we’re all pushing to get him there as we all want to be at that level too.”
      If Lowe reaches his dream of playing in the top division, he will have done it the hard way.
      The winger has played in six of the top seven tiers of English football.Having started out with Barnet, he has also had spells at Hayes & Yeading, Boreham Wood, Hitchin, St Albans, Farnborough, Hemel Hempstead, Hampton & Richmond, Portsmouth and Wigan.
      And he is proud of his non-league roots even if at the time he found it challenging – especially after his release from Barnet in 2015.
      He said: “It’s real-life football. The fouls you get in the Championship wouldn’t be given in National League South because it’s rougher.

      Jamal Lowe was on the books at Barnet and played in non-leagueCredit: Barnet FC
      “Non-league is a mixed bag – you get people like myself who want to become pros while there are others who are decent footballers content at that level and go out for a few beers on a Friday night.
      “Then you have the ones who just want to release all their anger on a Saturday. It was a case of dealing with all those things.
      “There are some players who don’t have the same aspirations or goals you have and it can be difficult because they can affect the outcome of the game. If someone doesn’t care as much about the game as you do, it affects the team.
      “It’s not their fault – and I don’t criticise them either – it’s just a factor you must deal with. You can’t hold it against people for wanting to live a normal life.
      “I had to go part-time and worked as a PE teacher and teams started to train in the morning and be more full-time – that was tough because it ruled out a lot of clubs. I could only play for teams that trained on a Tuesday and Thursday evening.
      “It was a very humbling way to progress because when you get to the higher levels like I am now you know how life is down the other side.

      QPR turned me down because they had this lad, Raheem Sterling, playing in my position who was pretty good. To be fair, he hasn’t done too badly since has he?”

      “Don’t get wrong, it would’ve been great to have turned pro at a top Premier League club at 18 and still be there.
      “But this has been a great journey and it’s one that can inspire others never to give up.”
      The irony is Lowe’s dream of being signed by a top academy was dashed by a player who has gone on to win the Premier League and play for England … Raheem Sterling.Lowe laughed: “QPR turned me down because they had this lad, Raheem Sterling, playing in my position who was pretty good. To be fair, he hasn’t done too badly since has he?”

      Jamal Lowe played for St Albans City as he progressed through non-leagueCredit: Jamal Lowe
      Lowe got snapped up by Portsmouth and helped them get promoted from League Two and then spent last season at Wigan, which ended in the heartbreak of relegation after the EFL docked them 12 points at the end of the season.
      He said: “It was one of the most unjust decisions. It was crazy how they told us they’d take the 12 points off our only if it put us into a relegation position but would apply it next season if it didn’t – what sort of decision is that?”
      But things are going great in the Valleys now and Swansea are most definitely looking the business.
      One of the star performers has been Ayew. The Ghana striker top scored last season with 18 goals and has five already this time around.
      It was a huge boost for fans that Swansea managed to keep their talisman.
      And Lowe said: “He’s the ultimate professional, he doesn’t mess about. His quality off the pitch is the thing that surprised me.
      “Everyone knows how good he is on the pitch – but the way he is around the group with some of the older boys and younger boys, he mixes with everyone.

      Andre Ayew celebrates his fifth Swansea goal of the season at Brentford Credit: Huw Jenkins Agency

      “On the field, he has just developed a know-how. He always manages to get in the right place at the right time. It’s massive. Even if it’s a deflection, it drops to him because he is there.
      “The man has done it in every league across Europe that he’s played in as well as for his country. He’s the one we all wants to learn from and turn to for inspiration.”
      Lowe is certainly motivated and driven to reach the top.
      He said: “It’s hard to imagine three-and-a-half years ago I was playing in the National League at Hampton & Richmond – and now I’m just one step away from the Premier League.”

      Lowe will rip out seats himself if fans let in

      JAMAL LOWE says he will personally get a screwdriver and rip out some seats if it means fans will be let safely back into stadiums.

      The Swansea ace cannot understand why supporters were not allowed back into grounds earlier and wants the government to ensure they are once the current lockdown is over.
      He said: “What confuses me is when I go home from a huge stadium with no fans, I switch on television and Strictly Come Dancing is on with a small audience in a studio.
      “It makes absolutely no sense. Football have the biggest arenas in the country, all outside, yet the government cannot allow a restricted number of supporters in. It’s baffling.
      “Club can easily take some of the seats out temporarily to ensure fans are at a safe social distance. You will get so many volunteers who will help with that – and I will be the first one out there, with many other players I am sure, with a screwdriver ripping them out if it means fans return to the games.” More

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      Arsenal and Newcastle icon Malcolm Macdonald on playing full-back for Tonbridge – who are in FA Cup first round action

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      MALCOLM MACDONALD was one of the great iconic strikers of English football in the Seventies.
      Supermac enjoys legendary status at Newcastle, Luton and Arsenal and got capped 14 times by England.

      Malcolm Macdonald (far left) started his football career at Tonbridge in 1967Credit: Tonbridge Angels FC

      But the 70-year-old – who also played for Fulham – would not have had that career without the club that started it.
      And today he will be watching National League South team Tonbridge on TV as they appear in the FA Cup first round for the first time in 48 years when they host Bradford.

      Another old local newspaper cutting shows Malcolm Macdonald (centre) in action against Dagenham in 1967 on a snowy pitch
      Macdonald was just 17 when the Kent side handed him his first contract in July 1967.
      The striker – then a left-back – was running his family’s tobacconist and confectionery shop in the small Sussex village of Forest Row, 17 miles from Tonbridge.

      Supermac told SunSport: “My father had died so my mother sold our house in Fulham to move to Forest Row after Christmas in 1966 and we lived above the shop.
      “I turned 17 in the New Year and started my driving lessons and the instructor, whose name sadly escapes me, was an ex-pro at Coventry and we got talking about football.
      “And I told him I’d been on the books at Barnet as a youth and played for London Grammar Schools but couldn’t find a level good enough for me in Sussex.
      “He recommended I join a senior team in Sevenoaks called Knole Juniors. It was there I got spotted by Harry Haslam, who was Tonbridge manager, and he signed me.”

      It seems hard to imagine that Macdonald then was a full-back when you consider he went on to score 58 goals in 101 games for Luton, 138 in 257 outings for Newcastle and 57 in 108 for Arsenal.
      Macdonald settled on left-back because in his youth he was on the diminutive side and felt he would get bossed about at centre-half, centre-midfield or centre-forward against the older players – and could instead use his blistering pace on the flank.

      Malcolm Macdonald was a Newcastle legend, scoring 95 goals in 187 games

      Malcolm Macdonald celebrates scoring for Arsenal against Newcastle
      And it was by a complete fluke that Haslam stumbled across Macdonald’s potential up front after playing him out of position as a right-back!
      Supermac said: “Tonbridge had an accomplished left-back – a certain Vic Akers, who went on to become Arsenal’s first-ever ladies manager where he won everything and got an OBE. Arsene Wenger was so impressed he made him the club’s kit manager.
      “But Harry told me, ‘I’m going to teach you how to kick with your right foot if it’s the death of me.’
      “I was always happy to use my right peg as I didn’t want to be a one-trick pony.
      “But what I found interesting playing at right-back was when I got forward, I cut inside on to my stronger foot. So I started scoring quite a few goals from there.
      “Once Harry saw that, he’d play me right-back in a Southern League game on the Saturday then centre-forward in the midweek Floodlight Cup games and I started banging in goals on a serious basis.”

      It was when Malcolm Macdonald was switched to right-back that Tonbridge manager Harry Haslam recognised his goalsoring potential
      Back then Macdonald was earning £10 a week but the players also got paid appearance money and bonuses for wins and draws.
      And the ex-England star remembers: “We ended up getting good money because we were playing Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday so the appearance and bonus money mounted up.
      “The club was successful and we were getting crowds up to 1,700 and had a lively bar there as well. It was a great place to be.”
      Haslam – who went on to become a legendary Luton manager by leading them into the top flight in 1974 as well as Sheffield United boss – was a jovial character but taught Macdonald a huge lesson one evening that has remained with him to this day.

      Macdonald (fifth from centre) celebrates with Tonbridge team-mates
      Supermac said: “He was known as ‘Happy Harry’ because he always had this huge smile on his face. He was telling jokes all the time.
      “You’d go inside Tonbridge Football Club and it didn’t matter where you were you’d hear his voice or laugh. It was great to come up in that environment.
      “But during that season I was running the shop for my mum during the day and I’d rely on her to come and do the last hour so I could rush off in my old Hillman Minx car for training or an evening game. If we were playing away, I’d have to leave even earlier.
      “And I was somewhat on the tardy side and would turn up late sometimes. I kept explaining how I was running this shop for my mum. Harry wouldn’t say anything but you could tell he wasn’t impressed.

      Macdonald’s career

      All competitions

      CLUB                              Games  Goals
      1967-68 Tonbridge FC        74         11
      1968-69 Fulham                      13         5
      1969-71 Luton                        101         58
      1971-76 Newcastle               257      138
      1976-79 Arsenal                108         57
      1979     Djurgarden                9          2
                  TOTAL                       562      271
      INTERNATIONAL
      1972     England U23              4        4
      1972-75 England                   14       6

      “On one occasion I was 10 minutes late for a game on a Thursday and the club secretary came into the dressing room with all our wages, paid in cash then, in brown envelopes.
      “I got mine and thought, ‘Bloody hell, this is heavy. I’ve had a real bumper week here.’
      “So I opened it up, there was a bit of money in there but I noticed £10 was missing.
      “But inside the bottom of the envelope was a wristwatch and as I took it out Harry stood in the middle of the room, looking across at me, and said, ‘You won’t be late from here on, son, will you?’
      “It was a lesson learned. In professional football, there is no excuse for being late!”
      Another huge lesson he learned in those non-league days was never to react to bullying centre-halves.

      Inside the envelope was a wristwatch and, as I took it out, Harry looked across at me, and said, ‘You won’t be late from here on, son, will you?’
      Malcolm Macdonald

      Macdonald said: “I learned it doesn’t matter how hard you get hit by a challenge, get up and walk away. The centre half is then thinking, ‘I hit him with the best one I could muster and it’s not even shaken him.’
      “Just once I reacted. We were at home to Merthyr Tydfil. They had a right rough sod who came over and booted me up in the air and smashed my shoulder up.
      “That was one time I couldn’t walk away. I missed a couple of games for that. It was a lesson learned.”
      One man Macdonald was indebted to was former Manchester United left-back Joe Carolan, who spent the last six years of his career at the Kent club.
      And Supermac said: “I learned so much from him. He would sit down with you and talk through everything – a great fella.”
      In total Macdonald scored 11 goals in 74 games for Tonbridge – playing mostly as right-back before being signed by Bobby Robson at Fulham in 1968 for £1,750.
      He said: “Harry left Tonbridge to become Fulham chief scout and although Bobby had never seen me play he told him, ‘Trust me, you’ve got to sign this player.’
      “One year later and they’ve sold me to Luton for 10 times that amount!”
      The rest is history as Macdonald won the Golden Boot with Newcastle in 1976 and Arsenal in 1977 and once famously scored FIVE goals for England against Cyprus in 1975 – a feat that has not been repeated since.

      Malcolm Macdonald, third from left, in action for Tonbridge against Bexley

      Malcolm Macdonald is still loved and idolised in the streets of Newcastle and even appears on a regular podcast called NUFC Matters

      Macdonald, years later while manager of Fulham, returned to Tonbridge after the club went bust and reformed themselves as the now Tonbridge Angels.
      He said: “I’ve always followed Tonbridge ever since I left. I look out for their results in the newspaper every Sunday morning.
      “The club ran into difficulties and rebooted themselves at Tonbridge Angels in the early 1980s and I contacted them to offer bringing down a Fulham team to lay on a friendly to earn them a few quid. They were delighted.
      “I was just so happy to help them get back on their feet.
      “It’s great they are back in the first round again and I’ll definitely be watching and hoping they can win.”

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      EFL ‘give green light’ to Abu Dhabi royal family’s Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s £60m Derby takeover

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      FOOTBALL LEAGUE bosses have reportedly given the thumbs-up for Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s takeover of Derby.
      The struggling Rams are lodged in 23rd in the Championship table and have been in flux since Mel Morris put the club up for sale.

      Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nahyan is part of the Abu Dhabi royal family, which is thought to be worth £115bn

      Derby are struggling near the foot of the Championship tableCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Manager Phillip Cocu is widely expected to lose his job when a new owner comes in.
      And that could be a step closer after the EFL green lit Sheikh Khaled’s £60million purchase of the club, according to the Mail.
      It is said the matter was discussed during a board meeting on Thursday, with no objections raised.
      The finer details of the Abu Dhabi royal family member’s takeover are still to be agreed.

      But they will buoyed by the EFL’s happiness with the proposal despite claims of a conflict of interest.
      Sheikh Khaled, 61, is the cousin of Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

      I don’t try to think too much because we have to focus on the team and the players who are available.
      Phillip Cocu

      The investor, who established the Bin Zayed Group in 1988, attended university in the United States and is not a first-time bidder for a major English football club.
      In 2018, he failed with a £2billion bid for Liverpool.

      And a £350million offer for Newcastle failed to come to anything in the summer of last year.
      Sheikh Zayed’s enterprises include construction, real estate and technology and the Abu Dhabi royal family is thought to be worth over £115billion.

      A late 1-0 defeat at home to QPR on Wednesday was Derby’s seventh defeat of the campaign and the new owner is expected to dispense with Cocu.
      The Dutchman has reportedly kept his job to avoid disrupting the takeover process.
      Cocu said last night: “I don’t try to think too much because we have to focus on the team and the players who are available, and that part of the club I leave to Mel Morris and [CEO] Stephen Pearce.”

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      AFC Wimbledon make emotional return to Plough Lane after 29 years away but Doncaster deny Dons fairytale win

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      WIMBLEDON were denied a dream return to Plough Lane after Doncaster proved to be party poopers.
      Joe Pigott looked to have won it for the Dons with just seven minutes remaining, but James Coppinger’s deflected shot in stoppage time spoiled their night.

      Wimbledon made an emotional return to Plough Lane after 29 yearsCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      A late goal from Doncaster saw the game end 2-2Credit: Getty Images – Getty

      But in fairness, nothing was really going to take the gloss of this evening for AFC Wimbledon as they played their first home game in 29 and a half years.
      It has been a long wait, as I can testify.
      On May 4th, 1991 I was on the terraces for their last game at Plough Lane and, after 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace thanks to an Ian Wright hat-trick, I was part of the crowd who ran on the pitch singing “we’ll never go to Selhurst!”
      In fact, fans did and the ground-share agreement was tolerated in the hope that Plough Lane would be redeveloped to meet the standards set out by the Taylor Report.

      Instead, former Wimbledon chairman, Sam Hammam, sold the club to two Norweigans and the ground was flogged to supermarket chain Safeway.
      It started the club’s demise and the subsequent franchise to Milton Keynes was rubber stamped by the FA in 2002. Their commission’s famous line that it would “not in the wider interests of football” to form a new club. How wrong they were.
      Those fans who followed the club formed their own team and the rise of AFC Wimbledon since their formation in 2002 is one of football’s greatest phoenix stories.
      A rapid rise through the non-League pyramid to reach League One was one thing, but for Dons’ fans there was always something missing.

      Wimbledon moved out of their beloved home in 1991Credit: Rex Features

      The Dons were forced to groundshare with Crystal Palace as part of their long waitCredit: Rex Features

      A return to the club’s spiritual home in Plough Lane that had always seemed so unlikely.
      But after negotiating plenty of red tape, and with those fans again stumping up £11million of the final bill, they are back in Plough Lane, just a stone’s throw from the site of the old pitch.
      Hemmed in by the blocks of flats that are being built around this 9,300 capacity stadium, much of the site is still a hardhat zone.
      It’s not yet ready for those fans, not that they would be allowed in at the moment due to the coronavirus rules.
      Perhaps never has a new ground deserved to be christened by its supporters more, given their dedication and that AFC Wimbledon remains a fans-owned club.
      But what is just another few months when you have been waiting nearly three decades?

      Joe Pigott thought he’d won the game for Wimbledon with an 83rd minute strikeCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Cut-outs of fans adorned the seats with supporters not allowed inCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      For some Dons’ fans, though, they could not let this opportunity pass as they sat in the Corner Pin pub nearby.
      Others braved the cold by drinking outside while wearing their blue and yellow scarves at the By The Horns brewery next to the stadium.
      It was poignant that they were led out by captain Will Nightingale, who was not even born when the Dons last played at Plough Lane, but has been at AFC Wimbledon since he was nine years old, as they ushered in a new era.
      And they made a dream start as Pigott put them ahead on 18 minutes.
      After good work from Steve Seddon and Terrel Thomas, Josef Bursik could only parry Thomas’ cross and Pigott pounced for his fifth goal of the season.
      But their lead was short-lived as Wimbledon once again switched off after taking the lead.

      The Dons will be hoping for better fortune from here on outCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Boss Glyn Hodges was not happy with Wimbledon’s performanceCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      This time it lasted six minutes as Doncaster broke forward and Matthew Smith was able to fire past Connal Trueman.
      Jon Taylor was then denied by Seddon with an excellent last-ditch tackle as the visitors carved out the better chances.
      Dons keeper Trueman was kept the busier of the two stoppers and needed to be alert to save smartly from Ben Whiteman’s header.
      Trueman then was all full stretch to turn away Reece James’s effort while he was then relieved to catch Tom Anderson’s tame header.
      But Pigott restored the Dons’s lead on 83 minutes when he converted from Seddon’s cross that looked to have won it.
      But once again in stoppage time the Dons let the lead slip as Coppinger’s effort took a wicked deflection and looped into the net.
      Glyn Hodges, Dons boss, said: “It was our worst performance of the season. I tried to take the emotion out of it but it wasn’t to be but we will take a point and move on. 
      “It was not quite the level of play we have been having recently. Came out of the blocks bit ot worse as the game went on and nice to get a point when we probably didn’t deserve it.
      “Glad to get this game out of the way but I know we will have a homecoming once the fans are allowed to come here. There will be a bit of a party then.”
      Darren Moore, Doncaster boss, added: “We dominated the game in long spells and when you conceded a late like that you fear the worst, so credit to the players to keep going.”

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