We were up at the crack of dawn as the White Army was finally back on the move, after our lockdown sabbatical. All roads led to Wimbledon as we were privileged to witness their emotional return to Plough Lane after a gap of 40 years. This was a special moment for any football fan who knows of the traumatic history of AFC Wimbledon.
We arrived in good time as our driver avoided the delays on the motorways with his intimate knowledge of London and then navigated the labyrinth of streets around the new Plough Lane stadium to locate the designated parking bays for the coaches. We chose the Halfway House for our pre-match refreshments and discussions. It was brilliant to meet up with fellow supporters again, particularly the London-based Whites. The expert analysis far outshone anything that you get on TV or in the media, as we discussed team selection and happy memories from the past. The big debates were about the goalkeeper selection and young players going out on loan, with the majority in favour of persisting with Joel Dixon to help to establish a promising young goalkeeper at this level, with the reliable Matt Gilks as cover and to use the loan system to get the younger players regular games at a decent level of football. There are no right or wrong answers as these are the challenges Ian Evatt has to face.
As it turned out, Ian Evatt went with Joel Dixon and the scene was set for what turned out to be a memorable, exciting and entertaining game in front of a packed crowd and the loud Wanderers following, who got behind the team from the start. We should have won, we could have lost, as the match ebbed and flowed. On the positive side, we played some great, creative attacking football, scoring three goals and we could have had more. But we were we up against a constant bombardment from the inspired Wombles, who fought back to earn a share of the points.
It is another valuable point on the board as we learn what life is all about in this league. A point away from home is always good, provided that we make the Unibol a fortress. It is early days in League 1, so it is difficult to put our results into perspective, but the signs are good, we are in there competing.
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