Luton v AFC Wimbledon

I’m going to miss the Blue Square Conference Play-Off Final on Saturday, but like many other neutrals the game pulls a little at my heart strings.

Any football fan can relate to AFC Wimbledon’s story, a story that Vinny Jones should be banging on the door of Hollywood directors to star in. It is only 9 years since their de-facto extinction and the supporter-owned club has had as an incredible journey to rival that of the Crazy Gang’s in the 1980’s.

Nine years ago AFC Wimbledon had nothing, just a hardy, loyal and determined bunch of displaced fans. The club reformed but had no players, so they held trials on Wimbledon Common to put together a team for their first season in the Combined Counties League.

It’s also worth remembering the fate dealt to Luton Town. Now, to me Luton used to be a team hard to love. Plastic pitches, away fan bans, David Pleat skipping across the pitch and I could go on, but they found some new found affection when the FA’s old farts slapped them with a 30-point ban during the 2008/9 season effectively dumping them out of the league.

It was a classic case of one rule for the well-heeled and one for, well everyone else and whilst the Premier League rolled their eyes at a team that missed out on being founding members of the countries football elite by a season, the rest of us doubled over at the Hatters pain. I also have a lot of time for Nick Owen, who talks about the club he runs like the real fan that he is.

Sadly there will have to be a loser on Saturday but what this game at the City of Manchester Stadium proves is that football is still a game for dreamers, and despite English football’s rich tapestry, it is important to look forward and not back.