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    Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui seeking inspiration from Wimbledon boys champion Henry Searle as local lad heads to training

    JULEN LOPETEGUI hopes his players find the net far more regularly than this VIP visitor who dropped into Wolves’ Compton Park training ground on Tuesday.However the Spanish boss will be delighted if his team matches Henry Searle’s success on grass once the Premier League kicks off.
    Julen Lopetegui had a special guest at Wolves training as he targets a successful 2023-24 seasonCredit: Getty
    Wolverhampton native Henry Searle visited Wolves training on Tuesday following his Wimbledon successCredit: PA
    The 17-year-old Wolverhampton native – who was part of Wolves Academy as a child – became the first British winner of the boys’ singles championship at Wimbledon for more than 60 years on Sunday.
    Searle raced to the title without dropping a set as he beat fifth seed Yaroslav Demin 6-4 6-4 to carve his place in UK tennis history.
    It meant the Brit followed in the footsteps of famous former Wimbledon boys champions such as Bjorn Borg, Ivan Lendl, Pat Cash, Stefan Edberg and Roger Federer to take the coveted prize.
    Ahead of Sunday’s final Lopetegui recorded a good luck message for the 6ft 4in teenager, which the former St Peter’s Collegiate Academy pupil admits helped fire him up for glory.
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    Searle told wolves.co.uk. “It was pretty inspiring. To see that I’ve been recognised by someone like Julen was a big push before the final. 
    “I’ve been a Wolves supporter ever since I was a little kid. I’ve always tried to get to as many games as possible and watch as many home games as I can. 
    “I love Molineux and it was pretty cool to be invited to Compton and meet a few of the players and watch them train.
    “I played as a left-winger in the academy when I was younger, but I was a little bit better at tennis than I was at football at the time of choosing between the two.
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    “I think I’ve made the right decision.”
    After being given a tour of the Compton Park training ground, Searle met Wolves’ players and was able to give them a close look at the youngster’s silverware.
    Lopetegui said: “We were really pleased to welcome Henry and his family to one of our training sessions following his incredible win at Wimbledon.
    “We watched the final together as a group on Sunday afternoon and we were delighted that he won the junior boys’ title. 
    “Everyone at the club and across Wolverhampton are very proud of his achievement.
    “Henry is part of the pack, so it was an honour for us as staff and players that we had a chance to celebrate his success with him and his family, as he joined us this week with the trophy.
    “We will be following his progress with great interest.”
    Searle started playing tennis as a three-year-old, where he progressed through the Newbridge Lawn Tennis & Squash Club – located next door to Wolves’ training ground.
    Having won the U16 LTA Junior National Championships last year, Searle attracted national attention when he reached the quarter-finals of the recent French Open before producing his heroics at Wimbledon last weekend.
    “The atmosphere was amazing,” Searle said. “It’s always incredible to play at Wimbledon and having all my family and friends there supporting me was great. 
    “Obviously, the ultimate goal is to be able to do what I did last week in the men’s tournament, but there is a long way to go yet.”
    Britain’s last Wimbledon boys’ champion 61 years ago also came from a football background.
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    Stanley Matthews was the son of legendary Blackpool, Stoke City and England winger Sir Stanley Matthews.
    However Matthews junior he gave up football for tennis when he was 12 because he was targeted for rough treatment by defenders who wanted to ‘leave one on,’ the great man’s son!  More

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    Wimbledon winner Carlos Alcaraz’s dream XI of all time revealed as fans say ‘he knows ball’

    WIMBLEDON champion Carlos Alcaraz has picked his dream XI and fans are impressed with his football knowledge.The world number one defeated Novak Djokovic 1-6 7-6 6-1 3-6 6-4 at Centre Court on Sunday to win his first title at the All England Club.
    Carlos Alcaraz impressed fans with his football knowledgeCredit: Getty
    Carlos Alcaraz picked only one star who never played in LaLiga
    As well as impressing on court, Alcaraz has also won over fans with his knowledge about football after being asked to name his perfect line-up.
    The 20-year-old named a number of greats and his selection was heavily influenced by where he grew up, with all but one player featured plying their trade in LaLiga at one point in their career.
    Alcaraz went for a star-studded team including Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo in attack.
    There are four former Barcelona players in total, including Andres Iniesta and Carles Puyol.
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    But Real Madrid boast the highest representation in the team with seven.
    World Cup winner Iker Casillas is selected in goal with his former Real team-mates Sergio Ramos and Roberto Carlos in defence.
    Luka Modric and Zinedine Zidane make up the three-man midfielder alongside Iniesta.
    While Brazil legend Cafu is the only non-LaLiga player to feature at right-back.
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    Fans love the look of Alcaraz’s team and praised the youngster’s football knowledge.
    One said: “He knows ball.”
    Another added: “Unbelievable 🔥”
    A third said: “Legendary team 😍🔥”
    And another commented: “Ball knowledge is insane.” More

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    Daniel Levy can’t agree to Harry Kane transfer at any price – Tottenham are effectively a one-man team

    WHEN Pep Guardiola called them “the Harry Kane team” in 2017, Spurs fans everywhere got the right hump.It was a harsh assessment at the time and one for which Guardiola subsequently apologised.
    Harry Kane is a transfer target for Bayern MunichCredit: Rex
    This shows Kane’s value to Tottenham
    But, as with so many other things, it turned out that the all-knowing Manchester City boss was spot on.
    Because six years after being written off as a one-man team, that’s exactly what Tottenham are in danger of turning into.
    And that’s why Daniel Levy cannot sell his club’s all-time leading scorer… for any price.
    Perennial German champions Bayern Munich have just bid £68million for Kane with the promise of another £8.8m in potential add-ons, and a delegation flew into London this evening.

    On the face of it, that seems a more than generous offer for a player who turns 30 in a fortnight’s time, has only one year left on his contract and has never won a single trophy in his career.
    But while Levy might be many things, he is not an idiot.
    He knows that even were Bayern to double their offer, it still wouldn’t compensate Spurs for the loss of their once-in-a-generation striker.
    Because for the past nine years Kane has averaged an astonishing 30 goals per season and last season alone scored 42 per cent of all his team’s Premier League total.
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    Spurs would have been 24 points worse off without Kane’s contribution last season, which would have meant finishing two points above the relegation zone.
    Obviously if he had not been playing, someone else would have taken his place and presumably taken up at least some of the slack.
    Hell, even Richarlison might have managed more than one league goal.
    But the £60m Brazilian’s struggle to make an impact in the No9 shirt explains just why Levy breaks into a cold sweat at the mere thought of life without Kane.
    With the exceptions of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe, there is no other player in the world who guarantees as many goals as the prolific England captain.
    And strikers of that extraordinary calibre don’t sign for teams who can’t even qualify for the Europa Conference League.
    Of course Kane will be tempted by Bayern’s interest, just as he was when Guardiola came knocking at his door two years ago.
    With the exceptions of Haaland and Mbappe, nobody else in the world guarantees as many goals as KaneMark Irwin
    He doesn’t want to end his career without at least one major winners’ medal and he knows in his heart of hearts that’s not going to happen with Spurs.
    But for as long as he is under contract, there is nothing he can do to force his way out of the club.
    He isn’t going to go on strike and he’s not the type to rock the boat for new boss Ange Postecoglou.
    So all he can do is threaten to run his contract down and leave as a free agent next year.
    That’s why Levy is trying to play on Kane’s loyalty and will offer him a new deal worth as much as £400,000-a-week.
    If that doesn’t work, he should just bite the bullet, keep Kane for one last season and pray that he can secure a Champions League pay day by firing them back into the top four.
    That’s a hell of a gamble when you consider the teams Tottenham will be up against in the new season.
    But what else can they do when the alternative doesn’t bear thinking about?
    No Kane, plenty of pain.
    FORMULA ONE IS THE PITTS
    PLENTY of eyebrows were raised when Lewis Hamilton declared that he supported peaceful protests by Just Stop Oil.
    Err, the clue’s in the name, Lewis, and if you’re not guzzling gas you’re not getting paid £27million-a-year by Mercedes.
    To be honest, a few protestors on the track might liven up the tedious F1 procession which allows Max Verstappen to lead every race from start to finish.
    Brad Pitt was filming at Silverstone last weekendCredit: Rex
    The highlight of Sunday’s British Grand Prix involved Brad Pitt cosplaying in the pit lane and Sky’s Martin Brundle confirming that he is the rudest man on TV.
    Yet 480,000 spectators still squeezed into Silverstone over the four day festival despite the eye-watering cost of admission.
    Maybe they’re paying for the chance to breathe the same fumes as Tom Cruise, Cara Delevingne and Romeo Beckham.
    Because they sure as hell ain’t forking out for edge-of-the-seat competition.
    BRITISH TENNIS JUST BARMY
    HOW come it’s funny when the Barmy Army coordinate their costumes at The Ashes but cringey when tennis fans do the same thing at Wimbledon?
    Centre Court spectators were even told off the other day for popping champagne corks mid-match.
    They were probably just drowning their sorrows at the demise of British tennis.
    Because you’d have to be drunk to believe any homegrown players were going to make it to the second week.
    Fans wearing Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer masks this year at WimbledonCredit: Getty
    DON’T BLUE YOUR MONEY
    CHELSEA fans are being offered the chance to buy the club’s ‘classic’ new sponsor-free shirt when it goes on sale next month.
    But it’s not so classic that it could be out of date within days of its release when the club finally comes up with a suitable backer.
    There’s even a suggestion the Blues might send out a sponsor’s logo for the early purchasers to iron onto their hastily acquired kit.
    Alternatively, you could just save your money and not be a full-kit w*****.
    Chelsea’s sponsorless kit could be out of date very quickly after its releaseCredit: instagram @chelseafc
    ONE MUIR YEAR
    KAZUYOSHI MIURA, 56, has just extended his contract with Portuguese club Oliveirense to become the oldest professional footballer in the world.
    It’s a bitter blow for Everton boss Sean Dyche, who was hoping to sign Miura to accompany 38-year-old Ashley Young as part of his team’s exciting charge into the future.
    BAIR MINIMUM
    IF the whole point of Bazball is taking 20 wickets as quickly as possible, why are England persisting with Jonny Bairstow behind the stumps?
    Ben Stokes’ loyalty to his fellow ginger nut is commendable but questionable considering Bairstow’s performances in the first three Ashes Tests.
    Ben Foakes is universally recognised as the superior wicketkeeper and it’s not as if Bairstow has been making amends for his dropped catches with a ton of runs with the bat.
    Jonny Bairstow has dropped a number of chances during The AshesCredit: Getty
    With Australia 2-1 up and the series so finally balanced, there can be no margin for error at Old Trafford next week.
    So let’s hope that butterfingers Bairstow doesn’t prove to be a risk too far for Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum.
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    TYSON TIRADE
    TYSON FURY has written off Francis Ngannou as “a big, stiff tramp” and reckons he could drink 15 pints and still beat the former MMA champion.
    The two men are due to meet in an exhibition bout in Saudi Arabia later this year and while Fury might be a world champion heavyweight in the ring, as a promoter he’s a complete flyweight. More

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    I’ve been accused of injuring my Wimbledon boyfriend by having too much SEX… it happened with my Barcelona star ex too

    TV PRESENTER Melissa Satta has hit out at online trolls after they accused her of distracting Wimbledon star Matteo Berrettini. The 37-year-old has said she has had enough of strangers online criticising her for the tennis ace’s injury struggles.
    Melissa Satta has dated some high-profile sport stars over the yearsCredit: Instagram
    The glamorous 37-year-old is a TV presenter in ItalyCredit: Instagram
    Satta is dating tennis hunk Matteo Berrettini after separating from ex-Barcelona ace Kevin-Prince Boateng after nine years of marriageCredit: Splash
    Berrettini, 27, has reached the Round of 16 in SW19 after missing the Italian and Madrid Open’s with a persistent muscle tear issue.
    But it is Satta who has found herself coming under fire from fans.
    It is all too familiar territory for the TV host who found herself accused of having “too much sex” with ex-husband Kevin-Prince Boateng and triggering his injury problems.
    She went public with her new relationship with Berrettini at the beginning of the year but has faced a strange backlash from fans.
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    Satta told Vanity Fair: “It was something that had been going on for months, when our story became known in January.
    “[They say] ‘Berrettini doesn’t win because Satta is distracting him, she’s too demanding’… But I held back.”
    Satta unleashed an epic social media rant last month where she raged against the “bullying and sexism” she had been subjected to.
    Berrettini has also hit back against the claims.
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    Melissa Satta was married to Boateng between 2011 and 2020 and the pair have a child togetherCredit: Instagram
    Satta is a TV presenter who largely works in the fashion industryCredit: The Mega Agency
    Satta added of her experiences: “[This has happened before] with my ex-husband [Boateng] who suffered from pubalgia. 
    “Even there they attacked me saying that we had too much sex and that was the cause of his physical problems.
    “[The injury Berrettini has] is an injury in the same place as the one in 2021, when I didn’t know him. But in any case – do I really have to answer to these people?”
    Boateng is still playing at the age of 36 for German club Hertha Berlin.
    He has previously played for some of Europe’s biggest clubs including Barcelona, Dortmund and AC Milan.
    The former Ghana international also appeared in the Premier League for Tottenham and Portsmouth earlier in his career.
    In 2012 Melissa said: “The reason Kevin is injured so often is because we have sex seven to 10 times a week.
    “I hate foreplay, I want to go straight for it. I prefer to be on top so that I can be in control.”
    Meanwhile, Berrettini is hunting for his first Grand Slam win after losing the 2021 Wimbledon final to Novak Djokovic – who remains on course for a record-equalling eighth title.
    Kevin-Prince Boateng is still going strong in Germany playing at the age of 36Credit: Getty
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    Arsenal fan Laura Woods can’t resist cheeky message to Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou after taking selfie at Wimbledon

    LAURA WOODS couldn’t resist taking a cheeky swipe at new Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou when the two met at Wimbledon yesterday.The Spurs gaffer has been enjoying the London sports scene since departing Celtic for the English capital.
    Despite Woody supporting Arsenal, her and Ange were all smiles at WimbledonCredit: instagram @laurawoodsy
    Laura Woods Wimbledon with friend Danielle SweeneyCredit: Instagram
    Laura Woods has been enjoying Wimbledon as part of her summer breakCredit: Instagram
    He was spotted at the cricket last month as he cheered on his native Australia at Lord’s – and was in attendance at Wimbledon yesterday.
    And Woods couldn’t resist asking for a cheeky selfie after bumping into the new Spurs manager.
    The huge Arsenal fan posted a selfie of the two and joked they wouldn’t be friends for long.
    She captioned her Instagram post with “Big Ange! Mates until the season starts alright.”
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    Postecoglou has been putting his new players through their paces after officially taking the reigns as Spurs boss on July 1.
    The Spurs boss has not had the chance to work with the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son yet as Spurs’ international players have been given an extended period of time off.
    But training videos have shown the big Australian putting the likes of Yves Bissouma, Tanguy N’Dombele and Pedro Porro through the ringer as he looks at who will play a key role in his squad next season.
    Tottenham will kick off their pre-season in Postecoglou’s native Australia with a friendly against West Ham on July 18.
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    The new manager’s first official test will come away at Brentford in Spurs’ opening Premier League game of the season on August 13.
    Woodsy meanwhile is considering her future after leaving her role at TalkSPORT as the station’s breakfast presenter.
    She will lead ITV’s coverage of the women’s World Cup in Australia this month but continues to be linked with the vacant presenter role at TNT Sports.
    Jake Humphrey stepped down from his role as BT Sports presenter at the end of the season leaving the presenter role at the rebranded TNT Sports open.
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    Wimbledon horror injury STOPS match as Alize Cornet is left in tears after knee ‘bent the wrong way’

    ALIZE CORNET broke down in tears after suffering a nasty injury on Centre Court at Wimbledon.The French star hit the ground hard after falling at the end of the second set with the score 5-5.
    Alize Cornet burst into tears after suffering a horror injuryCredit: Reuters
    She appeared to be in a lot of main as physios rushed to help herCredit: PA
    Cornet received a lot of wrapping on her right knee to allow her to continue playing
    The French star bent her knee awkwardly as she fell
    Elena Rybakina checked on the fallen CornetCredit: Reuters
    She burst into tears as she headed back to her seat and received treatment next to the court.
    Cornet bent her knee awkwardly and appeared to be in a lot of pain as her opponent Elena Rybakina checked on her.
    She buried her face in her towel after sitting down but was soon on the mend as the medical team diagnosed her problem.
    Physios heavily wrapped Cornet’s right knee and she was able to continue playing.
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    But she did not appear to have full movement and was unable to prevent Rybakina winning the delayed game.
    However she responded well by winning her service game to send the second set into a tie-break, despite limping upon her return to court.
    That set-up a tie-break which Rybakina won to claim a straight sets victory to set up a third round meeting with Brit Katie Boulter.
    A 15-minute delay meant fans had to wait even longer for Andy Murray’s appearance on Centre Court.
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    Centre Court was treated to an action-packed day after Brit Liam Coady defeated no.4 seed Casper Ruud in five sets. More

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    Arsenal and England legend Alex Scott wows in all-white outfit at Wimbledon as fans call her a ‘beauty queen’

    ARSENAL and England legend Alex Scott has wowed in an all-white outfit at Wimbledon that had her fans calling her a “beauty queen”.The former footballer is the latest famous face to be pictured at the All England Club this week.
    Alex Scott wowed in an all-white outfit as she attended WimbledonCredit: Getty
    Fans called Alex Scott a ‘beauty queen’ as she stunned at the All England ClubCredit: Dan Charity
    Scott shared a series of snaps of her outfit, which included a white jacket draped over her shoulders and a matching bag.
    She rocked braided hair and captioned the post: “Serving up some braids at Wimbledon.”
    Her fans were left in awe of the presenter, with one commenting: “Beauty queen.”
    Another added: “Lovely outfit Alex, looking absolutely fabulous.”
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    A third follower wrote: “Looking… ace!”
    Meanwhile, one more fan swooned: “Gorgeous as always.”
    Scott was also pictured in the crowd alongside singer Jess Glynne as they watched the action on court.
    The ex-footballer, 38, headed to Wimbledon after returning from her recent Ibiza holiday.
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    She jetted off to the Spanish party island following the end of the domestic season.
    As well as sharing videos of herself relaxing in a bikini during the trip, Scott also partied with pals including Arsenal star Leah Williamson.
    Scott has forged a successful punditry and presenting career since retiring from football in 2018.
    Alex Scott attended day two at Wimbledon on TuesdayCredit: Getty
    Alex Scott was pictured in the crowd with Jess GlynneCredit: Getty
    During her playing days, she won six league titles and the Champions League amongst other honours across four spells with Arsenal.
    The full-back also won 140 caps for England, the fourth most in Lionesses history. More

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    My flat overlooks major football stadium – we can watch every game but there’s an unexpected problem about living here

    FOR die-hard fans, the thought of owning a flat overlooking your team’s football pitch is a dream come true.That was the case for lifelong AFC Wimbledon supporters David Kenwery and Liam Nolan when property adjoining the club’s brand new stadium became available.
    Blocks of flats adjoin the AFC Wimbledon stadium in south west LondonCredit: Rex
    The development was supposed to provide ‘affordable’ homes for people struggling to get on the housing ladder – with the added perk that some flats overlook a football pitchCredit: Olivia West
    The friends bought a fourth floor two-bedroom, two-bathroom flat off-plan built within the grounds of the Cherry Red Records Stadium on Plough Lane – despite the fact neither of them live anywhere near it.
    Offshore wind farm site manager David is based in Hull, while IT consultant Liam, who grew up in the area, now works in Adelaide, Australia. 
    But both men regularly make the trip to south west London to watch the EFL League Two team they have supported for 40 years.
    Flats like David and Liam’s now go for a hefty £570,000 – however David, 60, tells The Sun: “For a football fan, homes built into a ground is about as good as it gets. 
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    “How could I resist having a home next to the ground for match days?”
    But living above AFC Wimbledon’s pitch can come with some strange quirks – including one particular rule.
    On a residents forum for the flats, tenants claim they’re forbidden from hanging washing out on their balconies.
    Some of the flats offer a fantastic view of the pitchCredit: Getty
    Residents of the flashy Stadia apartments say the ground rent has rocketedCredit: Cascade News
    And when we visit, some tell us their ground rent – a maintenance fee for house buyers – has DOUBLED since they moved in, making their monthly costs now the same as a typical mortgage.
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    Some tenants living in the flashy Stadia apartments run by Galliard Homes claim that as well as coughing up £500 a month in fees, they are being asked to pay a whopping £25,000 to use one of the spaces in the underground car park.
    Meanwhile people living nearby the new stadium claim their weekends can be fraught with hassle, with regular traffic jams and fans blocking drives and using their front gardens as a toilet.

    One young couple said they had paid £750,000 for a three-bedroom flat in the new development, where the shared ownership deals on offer meant some buyers only had to pay a portion of their home’s full value.
    The woman, 27, who declined to give her name, said: “Moving here allowed us to buy our first home so we were happy and grateful for that.
    “But they doubled the ground rent after we moved in, from £350 to £700, which was not what we were expecting.
    “We complained and it has now come down to about £500. But that’s still the same amount that some people will spend on their entire mortgage!”
    Like David and Liam’s, the couple’s apartment has a direct view of AFC Wimbledon’s pitch, which means they get a free view of the team’s games when they play – but they “don’t see it as a perk”.
    Some flat owners have moaned they can’t hang washing on their balconiesCredit: Olivia West
    Traffic can be grid-locked on match daysCredit: Olivia West
    The woman’s partner, also in his 20s, adds: “We can see the pitch from our window but – let’s be honest – they’re not the best football team.
    “Another issue is that they’re demanding £25,000 to buy a parking space in the flats, which is completely unaffordable.
    “And it seems that no-one here wants to pay that as the car park is always empty. It’s ridiculous.”
    Before they were unveiled a few years ago, developers Galliard Homes boasted that around a third of the 604 homes would be available through shared ownership, which would provide “luxury living to all levels of buyers”.
    The fact that a number of the apartments overlooked the football ground was also a key selling point – with AFC Wimbledon fans in particular keen to snap up the homes.
    Emotional return
    The Plough Lane stadium’s completion marked an emotional return for a football club that had been torn away from its natural home since 2002.
    That was the year the Football Association agreed the old Wimbledon F.C. could relocate 60 miles north to Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire to prevent it from going bankrupt.
    The players were dubbed the ‘crazy gang’ in the 1980s because of their FA Cup winning heroics – upsetting Liverpool in the 1988 final – and the antics of club heroes like midfield hardman Vinnie Jones.
    So morphing into a new team called the MK Dons was never going to be accepted by the majority of supporters.
    Those that boycotted the move created AFC Wimbledon in its place and a window of opportunity emerged when Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium closed in 2017.
    The new AFC Wimbledon stadium is built on the site of an old dog trackCredit: Olivia West
    Planning permission was won for a stadium to be built on the 12-acre site just 250 yards from the club’s original ground that closed down 30 years ago.
    Galliard Homes agreed to stump up £14million for the new 9,300 capacity ground on the proviso that a number of apartment buildings would be erected alongside it.
    The company claimed that with one-bedroom flats on offer from £425,000, it would be affordable for both first time buyers and local parents looking for buy-to-let opportunities.
    But the romantic vision of a small club finally finding a home isn’t shared by some who live in the area.
    Adam Pfeiffer, 52, lives on a small private road opposite the new ground and reminisces about the peaceful weekends he used to enjoy before the club returned.
    Mechanic Adam says: “It’s a nightmare living here now and I don’t even like football.
    “The fans take the p***. They park wherever they want and litter all over the street. I regularly spot people using my front garden as a toilet on weekends.”
    On ‘event days’ you have to pay £3.20 for one hourCredit: Olivia West
    Business owners like Andrew Yeates are getting cheesed off with the new stadiumCredit: Olivia West
    Kris McKnight runs BB Plumbers close to the stadium. He says: “The dogs stadium was falling to bits so I guess they needed to do something, but it’s a shame that they got rid of it.
    “It was the last dog track in England and it was a great night out when you won.”
    Business owners are also getting cheesed off with the new stadium because they are now being made to pay £3.20 an hour for parking on match days.
    Andrew Yeates – director of the local Balloon and Kite Company – says: “The only real impact is the parking restrictions.
    “On ‘event days’ you have to pay and display for one hour and that makes parking more difficult. 
    “We have to pay for the hour when we are working and then move it around, or we have to park a long way away.
    “The biggest complaint I have is that you don’t always know when it’s an event day so you can get caught out. If you don’t know, you get a ticket, it’s that simple.”
    ‘Traffic is gridlocked’
    Roldan Aquino says the new development is a nightmare for traffic in the area, which was already congestedCredit: Olivia West
    Roldan Aquino, 50, helps run a food truck opposite the stadium where gourmet burgers cost £9. 
    He says traffic is frequently gridlocked around the new stadium.  
    “It can be a nightmare some days,” he says. “When there are temporary traffic lights here for whatever reason, it completely kills the business – people can’t get through and a 10 minute drive takes about three hours.”
    But not every business owner is downcast about the new development. Ania Ridley, 40, is landlady at the The Corner Pin pub where a pint of lager costs £5.10.
    She says: “I’ve worked here for 21 years and when the stadium was first built, I was worried because we all know what football fans can be like. 
    “But the ones that come here are really nice and polite – they even apologise if they spill their drinks.
    “And the development has brought in new people and younger people into the area, which is great for the pub.
    “It used to be mainly old people popping in for a drink but we have a younger crowd now and they are more likely to spend money.  
    “I think the new flats have given the whole area a boost.”
    The landlady of The Corner Pin pub, Ania Ridley, has welcomed the new developmentCredit: Olivia West
    A spokesperson for Galliard Homes said: “The Wimbledon Grounds development has been a resounding success, offering significant benefits to the local community.
    “One of the notable achievements of this project was the successful return of AFC Wimbledon to Plough Lane, made possible through our financial support and the generous gifting of land to the football club.
    “The Wimbledon Grounds development was undertaken as a joint venture partnership with The Peabody Trust, previously known as Catalyst Housing Association. Due to this partnership, we were able to achieve a significant increase in the number of affordable housing units, rising from an initial 60 to an impressive 181. These units were subsequently transferred to Catalyst Housing Association, who oversaw the sales and management of them as shared equity properties.

    “Parking was offered as an additional cost, due to the limited number of parking spaces available for the private units. Most spaces were held by Catalyst Housing Association for use of the affordable units.
    “The ground rents for the properties were determined in the traditional manner, based on the size of each flat. The initial rate was set at 0.1% of the property price, followed by a nominal peppercorn amount in subsequent years.” More