AFC Wimbledon New Ground Proposal

Is this it? Will we finally have a ground of our own in the borough of Merton for the first time since 1991?

The club has drafted plans to build an 11,000-capacity stadium. The plans allow for the stadium to be expanded to 20,000 at a later date, presumably subject to meeting league requirements should the club be promoted a few divisions!

Galliard Homes are partnering the proposal and the idea is to build some 600 new homes, and commercial outlets as part of the redevelopment.

The proposed site is the current Greyhound Stadium although there are alternatives plans that have been submitted. AFC Wimbledon chief executive Erik Samuelson said: “There is a long way to go before our plans become a reality.” (Source: AFCW Official site)

Indeed there is a long way to go as the plans need the support of Merton Council before a formal application can be submitted.

Either way, raising the £16m estimated build cost will be hard. Yes, it’s not as much as the Emirates Stadium cost, but for a club with lean resources and without a billionaire owner, it will be a hard but not impossible.

So is this it? WIll we finally have a stadium in Merton of our own? I’m beginning to believe again!