AFC Wimbledon have taken steps to minimise the risk of any trouble at tonight’s League One match – the historic first visit of MK Dons to Kingsmeadow.
Milton Keynes Dons were controversially formed 15 years ago when the decision was made to move the original Wimbledon to Buckinghamshire.
In reaction, AFC Wimbledon were also formed, working their way up from the bottom of the senior football pyramid in the Combined Counties League to where they are today – League One.
When the south Londoners won promotion to English football’s third tier the clashes with Milton Keynes were high of the list of key fixtures.
However, after former MK manager Karl Robinson, currently with Charlton Athletic, suffered a hostile reception at Kingsmeadow last month – caution is high ahead of tonight’s fixture.
It is expected a reduced crowd of less than 5,000 will be allowed in the ground for the midweek game with just 650 tickets sold to travelling MK Dons supporters.
There is expected to be an increased police presence at the game with larger than normal segregation.
And AFC Wimbledon chief executive Erik Samuelson believes safety is paramount given the history between the two clubs.
“Everybody in football knows the story; there is no need for me to repeat it,” he told the Guardian. “We want to get the game played safely, hopefully to win it, and move closer to our 52-point target for survival in League One .”
Samuelson’s words follow a lengthy letter to the Dons supporters in Saturday’s programme where he admitted the club had three meetings of the Safety Advisory Group (SAG) to discuss and plan the arrangements for the game.
