US Dons News

All submissions to the newsletter are more that welcome so if you would like send in your biography or your favourite Dons story to David Garlinge or myself it'd be gratefully received.

Welcome to four new members - Matt O'Brien, Tim Healing, Matthew Terry, Jen Teves and Kevin Joseph. One more member for a round 50 which is an excellent achievement. At one point in the Olds Central Repository Guestbook, US Dons were outnumbering home fans!

Here's a pdf of a newsletter by Robert Smith of WDSA - Wimbledon Downunder Supporters Association. It's a big old file so you may like to 'save target as' and then go and put the kettle on. Just shows what can be done - excellent work Robert.

Welcome to Nic McJannet of Charlotte, North Carolina and Pat Garrett of Sherman Oaks, California. That takes us over the 40 mark for membership which I think is awesome. A whole slew of Honorary members too so we are going strong.

We have officially sponsored Ammo's away kit although the bugger is injured at present. I am quite a bit short of the $400 that was pledged so if you did pledge some dosh and haven't had a chance to send it, please click on the 'Make a Donation' button below.

As you may have noticed, the w&ww has closed its doors for the last time. The 'Old Centrals Repository' has sprung up to fill the void and can be found here. This GB was built at very short notice by Bert and the WUP team - thanks for all of your efforts guys!

Welcome to Max Gregory of Jersey City, NJ, our 39th member, who has followed the Dons since the early eighties.

I am about to send off the dosh for the Kit Sponsorship - if you haven't been able to send your pledge as yet it would be most gratefully received. Just click on the 'Make a Donation' button below. Thanks for your generosity.

Home to Folkestone on Saturday 20th of August at 10AM Eastern. WDON will be in full swing for the game and they have been on good form for the friendly games - great entertainment. It'd be good to see as many of you guys as possible in the w&ww for the game.

Here's a little gem posted in WISA Chat by Airsy. Right click and 'Save Target As' Then you'll find that you can import it into your calendar program. With a bit of luck. Worked on mine, anyway.

All submissions to the newsletter are more that welcome so if you would like send in your biography or your favourite Dons story to Dave Garlinge or myself it'd be gratefully received.

You should know by now that AFC have an On-Line Shop where you can purchase just about everything 'AFC' related.

For reasons best known to themselves (the worst case of marketing suicide I have ever seen) they have chosen a picture of a US Don for the front cover of the 2005 Full Season Round Up DVD Part 2.

Haven't got a clue if it's going to work in American DVD players but I will let you know - Mrs. SoCal has apparently ordered a few of the buggers. I told her that we have the original picture but it made little difference.

The Kit Sponsorship has now been thrown open to all comers now and, according to The Pope (that's Richard Pope, not the chap in the Vatican) the sexiest and most sought after shirt available is the away shirt of new striker Amadou Koemans (Ammo) who has definitely signed and looks like being a first team regular.

I hope that this choice is agreeable to all. The pledges offered will more than cover the £200 so I will save the leftovers in Paypal until we find something else to sponsor - Paypal actually pay 3% interest so that'll do no harm whatsoever. As the funds are received, I will put together a spreadsheet to let you know where your dosh has gone. Many thanks to those that have donated already.

The button below will allow you to make a secure on-line payment with any credit card.

Baseball Game - The Essex Womble (Paul Jeater) and his good lady wife are passing through Los Angeles in August and we have tickets for the Anaheim Angels (sorry, LA Angels of Anaheim) against the Boston Red Sox on Sunday the 21st of August at 1.05PM. I will be picking up the tickets on the 24th of June. I thought it might be a great opportunity for SoCal based Wombles to get together for a day out. Let me know before July 1st please. Being cheapskates, we have gone for the $12 seats - and they don't get any cheaper!

Kit Sponsorship - the US Dons can sponsor a player's socks for about $40 or a shirt for about $400. If you fancy this idea, please let me know how much dosh you'd be willing to part with. Don't send any yet though, just testing the water.

Thanks to David Garlinge for putting together the first US Dons Newsletter - click on the link to download it in pdf format.

I started supporting Wimbledon in 1997 when I met a good friend Peter Cork who is a director of Wimbledon FC. Since then I made a trip to England every year to see Wimbledon play.

When they moved to MK I had no idea what to do, but after talking to all the friends I made who were fans of Wimbledon, I was leaning towards AFC Wimbledon.

Before I definitely decided, I made the trip to England in Jan. 2004 and went to both the National Hockey Stadium and the Fans Stadium. I just have to say that I would have thought the team at the Fans Stadium was in League One and the team in Milton Keynes was in the Ryman. My loyalty is now with AFC Wimbledon - Come On You Dons!!

I remember writing that on the toilet walls at Birmingham University in 1976 and then following Wimbledon all over the north of England for the next four years. A great season. The fans are obviously amazing.

We'll be back no doubt. Just not at Plough Lane (I used to live in Colliers Wood so we could go to the game have a no hassle drink in the bar after and chippies on the walk home). Hmm an innocent age I'd like to revisit.

I'm raising a glass anyway. My best Dons moment? Not the Cup Final and I was in the Truman lounge. It was a few years latter at Old Trafford. 67,000 people whistling for the end because we had them on the rack for the best part of 30 minutes. Even my red-frantic friend was visibly relieved at 3 points. I told him (in the finest tradition of the Brooklyn Dodgers) wait till next year.

John French

Can be read here - it's long and boring, however! If any of you guys are visiting the UK then you must get to a game or two - you'll be treated like royalty!

The First US Don to see an AFC Game?

This is following the Don's victory against Croydon Saturday 12th February 2005, 2 - 0. I was lucky enough to watch 3 home games, 2 wins and a draw. The wins against Croydon in the league and Cray in the Bryco cup, and the the draw against Bashley.

Why not get yourself a prestigious pop or webmail address at usdons.com? Drop me a line with your desired username@usdons.com and I'll set one up for you. Free, gratis and for nothing.

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