I’m pleased to say we are gathering a bit of momentum with this feature; we did only intend to run it about once a month as we anticipated that fans might be unwilling to get involved but slowly and surely, a small amount of people are coming forward. We have a few in the pipeline which we are hoping to share with you soon, but of course we would like more, so if you are interested please drop a quick email to our Media Manager Derren mediamkdsa@yahoo.com and we will wing the questions across to you.
For this our latest offering we have MK Dons royalty in the shape of John Taylor aged 58 (Pictured Below) who is one of the joint presenters of the SDOWSYC podcast and joint presenter of the Radio show “After the Whistle”, it’s a great read and a real insight into the man behind the voice, hope you enjoy it, and hopefully it will inspire you to take part. Pour yourself a brew and enjoy, its a great read.
Tell us a little bit about how you became a Dons fan and what was your first game and your journey with the Dons so far?
We’d moved to MK from the West Coast of Scotland back in early ’87. I’m obviously know as a Glasgow Rangers fan, and indeed the last game I went to before we moved was against Kilmarnock, which Rangers won. I’d not so much fallen out of love with football, rather I’d forgotten about it. I’m massively into music and have played in bands all of my life. Strange as this may seem, music is the most important thing in my life. Far more than football. So, when we moved, it was music that was my life, not footy.
Getting to The Dons. It was my son’s birthday, and my wife got us tickets for Port Vale at The Hockey Stadium. It was March the 12th 2005. We drew, with big Clive Platt scoring for us. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t what I got, It was genuinely exciting. I’d forgotten what live footy was all about. In retrospect, it was probably an extremely poor game. But we loved it, and both me and my son are lifelong supporters. Indeed, I now consider The Dons my team as opposed to Rangers. Just don’t tell anyone from Glasgow.
What were your expectations for us pre-season, and have you changed your mind on what you have seen so far?
I said at the start of last season that I’d be happy to finish in mid-table obscurity. My expectations for this season are no different. Obviously, things are a bit different this year with the pandemic. So, if we stay up by one point that’ll do me. We’re so hit and miss that it’s been almost impossible to see what’s coming. We played Posh off the park, then four days later we were appalling against Plymouth. The giving away of an early goal is a massive problem. Something Russell really needs to address ASAP.
Who has been the Dons best signing and the breakout player this season and why?
Well obviously our best signing has been Scott Frazer. We’re extremely lucky to have a player of that standard, and when you consider that he’s only 25! It’s ridiculous. That post match interview he did after we’d lost where he was genuinely angry, saying that he didn’t come here to lose was fantastic.
Our breakout player in my opinion has to be Matty Sorinola. He’s still a bit raw, and his crosses are appalling, but every game I’ve seen him play in, he’s slightly better than he was in the previous one. There’s a real talent there, and we’ll be extremely lucky to keep hold of him.
What is your most favourite Dons moment?
Cliché alert… The Heel of God. Not only is it my favourite Dons moment, but it’s also one of the most important moments of my entire life, I hate them. Indeed, I hate them more than I hate Celtic. That day was something I’d forgotten about in footy. Real hatred. They’re a strange bunch. They’ve targeted me so many times that I’ve actually forgotten how many times they’ve done it. But the behaviour of one of their supporters outside the ground before kick-off is something I’ll never forget. She stood there with a massive look of disapproval on her face, tutting and shaking her head at every real Dons fan as they passed. All she needed was a Father Ted sign with “Down with this sort of thing” written on it. It was a wonderful day, and seeing the away end absolutely packed with a support that actively campaigned against other teams visiting us. Well, what can you say!
Who is your all-time favourite player and why?
Wade Small. I don’t know why. He wasn’t particularly good. A midfielder that wanted to play upfront. Which when you consider that he had Izale and big Clive ahead of him. It was a bold ambition. He played up top once. It was a Bank Holiday Monday, and he was rubbish.
I’ve still got a Wade Small mug at home. We don’t use it. Far too precious.
Who is a good tip for promotion and relegation?
I’d be amazed if Hull don’t go straight back up, and I’d be equally amazed if Wigan didn’t get relegated. We had a Wigan fella on the podcast just before we played them. A real case of be careful what you wish for. I know that Pete isn’t the most popular of Chairmen but listening to the utter nonsense that’s Wigan at the moment was a real eye opener.
Where do you think MK Dons will finish up this season?
I’m saying 17th. But as I said previously, one place above the relegation zone would do me.
You are a well-known voice on the popular SDOWSYC podcast, can you tell us where and how that all started?
Blimey! Sit back. Tony, my co-host, had a Dons radio show on a Friday evening with another supporter. I’d listen and contributed with stupid nonsense. It actually wasn’t a bad show. But for some reason it petered out. Tony then asked for volunteers to do a podcast. Podcasts were just getting off the ground at the time, so I took one step forward, and we’ve been partners ever since. Off the top of my head, I’d guess we’ve had three radio shows on various stations, and as many podcasts. When Tony got the gig as kit man it was impossible for him to continue. He obviously didn’t have the time, and I felt that it’d put him an impossible position with the club. We also had a spot of bother with AFC customers targeting us, so I folded the whole thing.
I had another pod with another Dons supporter that lasted for around six episodes. ‘From the Shed’ it was called. Being that we both sat in The Cowshed, and I recorded it in my shed. But as anyone that does any Dons content can attest to, getting folk to commit to anything is an unenviable task, and it folded.
There was then a huge gap, some of which was filled with the ‘Different Class’ fanzine, but that’s another story, before the current SDOWSYC iteration. The reason I thought of restarting came down to a rather tragic event. A friend of mine in Glasgow tragically died at 51. He was the sort of guy that packed an amazing amount of stuff into his life. He was a truly inspiring individual (you can read about him in Andrew O’Hagan’s ‘Mayflies’ if you’re interested) and I was sat in a Glasgow pub on the night of his funeral, surrounded by folk I hadn’t seen in over thirty years, talking about all the stuff we’d done when we were young when it suddenly struck me that I should grab what’s left of my life and try and pack as much as I could in before I shuffle of this mortal coil. So, when I got back to MK, I texted Tony asking him if he’d like to restart the pod, which he did. The rest is history. We’re on our third season, and it’s gone from strength to strength. We’ve had Malvin Kamara, Toby Lock (twice), Lee Scriven, Simon Crampton, The MKDSA, Lewie, Darren Potter, Russell, Don’s Action, and countless others as guests. My ultimate ambition is to do a whole episode with Pete. So, if anyone from the club is reading this...
Are you an MKDSA member? If yes, what do we do well and what would you like to see from us? If no what can we do to entice you to join?
I was a member, in actual fact I used to be secretary. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I was the poorest secretary the SA ever had. I was rubbish at it. I left under a cloud if I’m being honest. I had a problem with a previous committee, not this one I underline, and I threw my toys out of the pram, swearing that I’d never re-join.
However! I’m considering re-joining now. One of my biggest problems with the previous incarnations being that I was unable to understand what they actually did for the fans. I know that Digger and John Samuel did an amazing amount of work behind the scenes when the club first moved to MK, without those two individuals we wouldn’t have a club at all in my opinion, but when I was on the committee, I was always unable to answer the one question I was constantly asked. “Why should I join. What’s in it for me?”. I don’t feel this with this version. The amount of work that’s being put in is truly amazing. I know how much work goes into doing an hour’s worth of audio content per week. So, I can only imagine what it’s like doing what they do. There really is a connection between the fans and the club, and the SA play no small part of that.
I’m re-joining.
Any other comments?
I’ve made lifelong friends following this club. People I consider close friends in actual fact. I’ve been to weddings, birthdays, parties, and countless other social events with fellow supporters. I’ve had absolutely wonderful away days, fantastic home games, and equally as much dreadful home and away days following this club. I honestly wouldn’t change a thing.
I urge everyone reading this to get involved with not only SDOWSYC, but also the MK1 pod, and Maja that does the match day videos. We’re asking nothing of you but to enjoy what we do. I’d also urge you if you’re reading this to consider this new year’s resolution. If you’ve ever thought of doing your own pod, YouTube channel, fanzine, blog or whatever, do it. Don’t prevaricate, do it. I can certainly attest to the fact that it’ll be a load of work, but you’ll both enjoy it and won’t regret it.
John
COYD
