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[Mrs Warbouys]

Dons already are planning to go full-time

Blue Square Premier outfit AFC Wimbledon have revealed pans to go full-time after an encouraging debut season in the top flight of non-league football.


Dons boss Terry Brown plans to trim his squad at the end of the current campaign and replace those outgoing players with promising youngsters.


Brown told the Surrey Herald: "The fact that we are going to go full-time is a real bonus for me.


"I would not have been interested in bringing in youngsters and they are then part-time - that would have been suicide.


"The club has still got massive overheads in terms of paying for our stadium and we will not be in a position to compete with the top teams as we have nowhere near their budgets.


"We need to cut our cloth accordingly and I want to add one or two senior players to the spine of our team and bring in young, hungry players that we want to be Football League players.


"It is going to be the hardest rebuilding job that I have had in my life because the finances are not there to replace senior players with other senior players and it will not be a big squad."

[Ballers]

"The club has still got massive overheads in terms of paying for our stadium and we will not be in a position to compete with the top teams as we have nowhere near their budgets.

"We need to cut our cloth accordingly.

"It is going to be the hardest rebuilding job that I have had in my life because the finances are not there to replace senior players with other senior players and it will not be a big squad."

The finances aren't there? Don't do it then. Next.

[taxi Phil]

AFCW - the new Grays Athletic. End of.

[RockyRobin]

And they were doing so well too. Eight years of common sense down the tube.

[SW]

I think in fairness the inference is that they will stick to a budget rather than spend what they don't have. Their biggest worry I'd say is whether their gates will hold up around the 3500 mark. When they got stuck in The Ryman for three years or so the gates dropped a fair bit. They have a certain section of support who seem to regard success as a right, although most of them are fine.

[markecky]

AFCW - the new Grays Athletic. End of.

The difference between them and Grays though is that they will always find a wealthy fan to put something in if needed.

I've read that article about three times and I still think it says "woohooo we're going full time.....oh but we won't be any good"

[Leon]

I think it's perfectly sensible for Wimbledon to be going full-time, with their crowds.

[joe]

They won't be the next Grays due to the fact they get decent gates. Grays spent stupid money on gates smaller than ours which was their main problem.

[taxi Phil]

They won't be the next Grays due to the fact they get decent gates. Grays spent stupid money on gates smaller than ours which was their main problem.

Good point, but going full time when they haven't even got their own ground seems rash to me. I wish them luck because I admire what they've achieved - but I genuinely fear for them.

[Ballers]

I think it's perfectly sensible for Wimbledon to be going full-time, with their crowds.

Negated apparently by the cost of the stadium but I always think there's a bit of smoke and mirrors going on. Crowds wise I agree, you need at least 2,000 average to consider it and they've got the fan base. I'm just questioning whether it's worth doing it on the cheap. You'll just end up with players who aren't good enough, young or old.

They have been full time for a while now anyway despite what Terry Brown comes out with.

[Leon]

I think it's perfectly sensible for Wimbledon to be going full-time, with their crowds.

Negated apparently by the cost of the stadium but I always think there's a bit of smoke and mirrors going on. Crowds wise I agree, you need at least 2,000 average to consider it and they've got the fan base. I'm just questioning whether it's worth doing it on the cheap. You'll just end up with players who aren't good enough, young or old.

They have been full time for a while now anyway despite what Terry Brown comes out with.

Yes, I'd assumed they must be most of the way towards being full-time already - I'd guess they're about where Burton Albion were when they were still officially 'part-time'.

Don't know how much it costs them to use Kingsmeadow but I'd be surprised if it's so prohbitive that they couldn't operate along the lines of, say, Kidderminster and then you get into the question of whether it's better to be one of the best-paying part-time clubs or one of the worst-paying full-time clubs. Given how much we make of the disadvantage of being part-time, I'd be inclined to agree that turning full-time would be advantageous for any club that can afford it.

[SW]

Wimbledon now own Kingsmeadow, Kingstonian are their tenants.

[bigcol]

I'd hate to be in their position - on the one hand being PT is correct and sensible, but on the other hand Darlo & Grimsby aren't going to make the league any easier to get out next season.

Another good season folks and we might have this tough nut to ponder.

[taxi Phil]

Another good season folks and we might have this tough nut to ponder.
[/quote]

Bring it on !

[Brian Flynn]

They won't be the next Grays due to the fact they get decent gates. Grays spent stupid money on gates smaller than ours which was their main problem.

Good point, but going full time when they haven't even got their own ground seems rash to me. I wish them luck because I admire what they've achieved - but I genuinely fear for them.

Phil le Taxi-I am reliably informed that you were the Times Crossword Champion on a couple of occasions....is this true???

Kind Regards
Brian Chantal Paradis