We Have No History

Milton Keynes is created as a 'new town'.

Bletchley Town FC change their name to Milton Keynes City FC. Later a phoenix club plays at Wolverton Park. It folds in 2003.

The Wimbledon Chairman says he has entered talks to move Wimbledon to MK. He buys a controlling interest in MK City and installs Wimbledon directors. A year later he sold his interest in the MK club, and five years later it folded.

The Wimbledon FC board decide their ground in Wimbledon is beyond development after new rules requiring all-seater stadiums come into force, and the club moves to Selhurst Park, home to Crystal Palace FC.

The Wimbledon Chairman reports ongoing challenges with Merton Council and that he has abandoned plans to secure the Greyhound Stadium in Wimbledon.

Wimbledon's Managing Director reports discussions to move to Wales and Dublin. He also said he had met every borough in London without success, and that the possibility of going back to Merton was "dead". Two years later Plough Lane was sold to the Safeway supermarket company.

A consortium led by Pete Winkelman and supported by Asda & Ikea propose a Football League stadium in Bletchley. The new Chairman of Wimbledon FC states he is in favour of moving the club to MK to stop it going out of business. The Football League oppose the move, but the club appeal to the FA, who set up an independent commission.

The Wimbledon Supporters Association state that they are opposed to the club moving to MK and would form a new club if necessary. That new club was later formed in 2002.

Merton Council's updated planning policy for Plough Lane doesn't support a stadium and designates the site for housing & offices; the stadium was demolished in 2002. Pete Winkelman writes to MK Council highlighting a new stadium as a way to regenerate Bletchley, and works on a planning application that has the support of the Council, English Partnerships and the stadium developers.

The commission rule in favour of the move to MK (2–1).

Wimbledon FC goes into administration; however, Pete Winkelman secures funds for the administrators to keep the club operating, moving the club to the National Hockey Stadium in MK.

The club changed its name to Milton Keynes Dons (MK Dons for short), with a new badge and colours. The team's first game was a 1–1 draw against Barnsley, with Izale McLeod scoring. In November, manager Stuart Murdoch is sacked and replaced by Danny Wilson, who kept MK Dons in League 1 on the final game of the season.

MK Dons, MKDSA, the Wimbledon Supporters Association (WISA) and the Football Supporters Federation (FSF) entered into an Accord, in which MK Dons donated Wimbledon FC trophies, memorabilia and records to Merton Council. Outside of the Accord, MK Dons continue to pay ex-Wimbledon FC players' pensions. On the playing field, MK Dons are relegated to League 2 and Danny Wilson is sacked, with Martin Allen taking over.

MK Dons are in contention for promotion right up to the last game of the season but finish 4th and suffer their first playoff defeat, to Shrewsbury, with Martin Allen leaving to take over Leicester City. The last game at the Hockey Stadium is played in May, and the Dons play their first game at Stadium MK against Chelsea in July. Meanwhile, Paul Ince started his first tenure.

MK Dons become League 2 Champions and also win the Football League Trophy at Wembley, against Grimsby. However, Paul Ince leaves for Blackburn Rovers and Roberto Di Matteo takes charge.

The Dons miss out on promotion by two points, behind Peterborough and Leicester. In what became a recurring theme, they also lose in the playoffs, to Scunthorpe, while Di Matteo leaves for West Brom. Paul Ince returns for his second tenure but resigns the following April.

The Dons finish 5th under Karl Robinson, who - as Ince's assistant manager - had been appointed manager the previous May. At the time he was the league's youngest manager, at the age of 29. Once again the Dons lose in the playoffs, this time to Peterborough.

December sees the first encounter against AFC Wimbledon in the FA Cup, who had been climbing the football pyramid. The home match raised a great deal of media and fan interest - the ground even had a home end, an away end and a neutral zone. Ironically, given the commission's verdict, the result ended 2–1: Stephen Gleeson scored a thunderbolt and Jon Otsemobor scored what became known as the 'Heel of God' goal. The media went away disappointed. The team also beat Sheffield Wednesday and QPR to reach the 5th round. The Dons once again finished 5th the following May and again lost in the playoffs, this time to Huddersfield.

The highlight of the calendar year was a thumping 4–0 win against Manchester United in front of a sell-out crowd, with Will Grigg and Benik Afobe both scoring a brace. Also notable are a 6–0 thrashing of Colchester and a 7–0 demolition of Oldham.

January continued the form with a 5–0 away win against Crewe, and in May the club secured promotion to the Championship with a 5–1 beating of Yeovil. Unfortunately, the team which finally achieved promotion was broken up: Dele Alli was already a Spurs player who had been loaned back in January, Will Grigg (a loan player) wasn't to return until years later, and Benik Afobe had left in January for Wolves.

Although the 2015/16 season started with a 4–1 win against Rotherham, which took the Dons briefly to the top of the league, it was all downhill after that (despite 7 points out of 12) and they didn't win any of the final 11 games - which included a 4–0 thrashing by Rotherham - to finish 23rd and return to League 1. Back in League 1, the season starts poorly and in October Karl Robinson is sacked, after a winless run of four games, leaving them 19th.

Robbie Neilson had been appointed manager the previous December, which led to his first win against a now Robinson-led Charlton and another win against AFC. The year started with an emphatic 5–3 against Northampton, followed by a 4–0 against Peterborough, with Chuks Aneke scoring a brace that included a thunderbolt volley. The most memorable match is a 1–0 victory against Peterborough in December, with 9 men left on the pitch and 13 minutes of added time; the man of the match was a dominant Chuks Aneke, who scored with a powerful drive.

A bizarre turn of events takes Dons club captain, record appearance holder and legend Dean Lewington to train with Karl Robinson at Charlton. However, this wasn't to last, as Neilson is sacked after a run of one win in eleven league games. He is replaced by former youth coach and 'a man with a plan' Dan Micciche, who leaves after a brief sojourn with three wins in sixteen games. A third manager, Keith Millen, sees the club drop to League 2.

The Dons achieve bounce-back promotion with new manager Paul Tisdale, following a winner-takes-all decider against rival promotion hopefuls Mansfield. The start of the following season saw an injury-plagued Dons go on the worst run in their history, with one point out of twenty-seven. By November, Tisdale is sacked and one of his team, Russell Martin, is the manager.

Fixtures are suspended in March due to Covid. With the EFL calculating points per game, the Dons are awarded 19th, avoiding relegation, and achieve mid-table the following season.

In a move which caused anger among fans, Martin jumps ship just as the 2021/22 season is starting, driving away from the first game of the season to Swansea. New manager Liam Manning thrives and the team are in with a chance of promotion on the final game, but results don't go their way and yet again the Dons find the playoffs too hard, with a loss to Wycombe.

The following season doesn't replicate Manning's success and, after a poor run of form, he is replaced by Mark Jackson, a youth coach at Leeds, who registers just six wins in twenty-five. With relegation to League 2 confirmed on the final game of the season, Jackson departs. Graham Alexander takes the reins but only lasts sixteen games, failing to win any of the last eight league games and with the team in 16th position.

Following what Pete Winkelman called a return to the MK way, new coach Mike Williams restores the Dons' fortunes and the team finish 4th. However, the playoff curse strikes again and the club record their worst-ever aggregate playoff defeat, to Crawley, by 8–1. Pete Winkelman sells the club to a Kuwaiti-based consortium, with Fahad Al-Ghanim becoming the club's new Chairman and Neil Hart as the new CEO.

Mike Williams is replaced after four losses in the opening six games of the new season, and Scott Lindsey - the Crawley manager who had thumped the Dons - is given the job. However, the turnaround in form doesn't materialise and, following just two wins in fourteen games and with the Dons in 17th place, his contract is terminated.

New manager Paul Warne steadies the club's position in the league and, after avoiding relegation, the following season achieves promotion to League 1 - missing out on top spot on the final day of the season.

The story of the MK Dons is still being written.