The English Football League (EFL) has confirmed that AFC Wimbledon's Carabao Cup third-round tie against Newcastle United has been rescheduled to take place at St James’ Park. The initial game was postponed due to flooding at the Cherry Red Records Stadium. The match, originally scheduled for Tuesday, September 24, has been moved to Tuesday, October 1. Wimbledon were set to face Crewe Alexandra in League Two on that date, but that fixture has been postponed.
The stadium was left under water after the nearby River Wandle broke its banks on Sunday night. The pitch has suffered significant damage. The club's managing director, James Woodroof, told BBC Radio London that more than 100,000 litres of water had been pumped out of the stadium. Wimbledon supporter Graham Stacey's JustGiving page has raised more than £50,000 to help the club repair the damage caused by the flooding, with a target of £100,000.
The Impact of Flooding
The flooding has caused widespread disruption to the club's schedule, with the League Two game against Crewe Alexandra also postponed. The club is hoping to stage Saturday's league game against Accrington Stanley at another venue in south London. The next home game after that is against Carlisle United on Saturday, 12 October, and Woodroof said it is their “real intention to fulfil that fixture”.
Woodroof said he woke up to “images from my stadium team. I thought it was AI [artificial intelligence]”. He described the scene as “horrendous” and said the pitch had “significant damage”. He explained that the flooding was caused by an “enormous” amount of water that had “nowhere for it to go”.
The Road to Recovery
Wimbledon have made a strong start to the season, sitting fifth in League Two with 13 points from their first six matches. They are undefeated in five home games in all competitions. The club is now focused on repairing the damage and getting back to playing at their home stadium.
The club has insurance for the stadium and pitch and is working closely with insurers. They are also working with the EFL and Accrington on a solution for the postponed League Two game. Woodroof urged Magpies fans to buy tickets for the rearranged tie, adding: “There’s a revenue share, so we get 45% of the gate. If you live in Newcastle please come down - by supporting your team you are supporting us.”
A Community Effort
The club has received an outpouring of support from fans, fellow clubs, and even Newcastle United, who have pledged £15,000 to help with the repairs. Woodroof said the support has been “extraordinary” and typifies the “relentless resilience and community spirit” of the club. He said the club has “another obstacle in our path” but is confident they will “be back and I’m hopeful it’s sooner rather than later”.
The flooding is a reminder of the challenges that can face football clubs, especially those operating on a smaller budget. However, the spirit of the AFC Wimbledon community is evident in the way they have rallied together to overcome this obstacle. It is a testament to the power of football to bring people together, even in the face of adversity.
A Sinkhole, A Fan, and a Generous Donation
The flooding has been described as “a bad time in just about every regard” by Stacey, who is a board member of the Dons Trust – the supporters group who oversee the club. He was surprised by the scale of the flooding, initially believing that a video of the stadium was generated by artificial intelligence. He has been touched by the messages of support from fans of Wimbledon and rival clubs who have donated to his fundraiser, and described his club as “fan-owned” without support from a “sugar daddy”.
The Future
The club will be looking to the future and hoping to bounce back from this setback. The fans will continue to support their team and the club will be working hard to get back on track. The story of AFC Wimbledon's resilience and community spirit will continue to be told as they navigate this difficult situation.
