Stadium mk

StadiumMK
Moo Camp[1]

View of the stadium's north and east stands in 2016
Full name stadiummk
Location Denbigh, Milton Keynes, England
Coordinates 52°00′34″N 00°44′00″W / 52.00944°N 0.73333°W / 52.00944; -0.73333Coordinates: 52°00′34″N 00°44′00″W / 52.00944°N 0.73333°W / 52.00944; -0.73333
Owner Inter MK
Capacity 30,500 all seated
Record attendance 30,048 Rugby World Cup 2015 Fiji vs Uruguay
Field size 105 m x 68 m
Surface Desso GrassMaster
Construction
Broke ground 17 February 2005
Built 2007
Opened 29 November 2007 (first game 18 July 2007)
Architect Populous (then HOK Sport)
Main contractors Buckingham Group Contracting
Tenants
Milton Keynes Dons F.C.

Stadium mk (initially named stadium:mk, stylistically stadiummk, and also known locally as "Denbigh Stadium"[2][3]) is a football ground in the Denbigh district of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. Designed by Populous,[4] it is the home ground of Football League One side Milton Keynes Dons F.C.

As of May 2015, the stadium has two tiers which hold a capacity of 30,500. Should it be required, there is the option to increase the capacity of the stadium again to 45,000 with the addition of a third tier, hence the high roof. The design will comply with UEFA's Elite Stadium specifications and includes a Desso GrassMaster playing surface.

The plans of the complex included an indoor arena, arena:mk, that was to be the home of the Marshall Milton Keynes Lions professional basketball team. However, the retail developments that would have provided enabling funding were deferred due to lack of financing, leaving the Lions without a home.[5] Following the conclusion of the 2011–12 season, the Lions could not secure a venue within Milton Keynes, resulting in a move south to the Copper Box.[6]

In addition to association football, the stadium occasionally hosts rugby union. The first such occasion was in May 2008, when Saracens (who at the time groundshared with Watford at Vicarage Road) played Bristol at Stadium mk because Watford needed their ground for a Championship play-off.[7] In 2011, Northampton Saints RFC used the ground for their Heineken Cup quarter and semi-final matches because their home ground is too small for major events. The stadium hosted three matches in the 2015 Rugby World Cup.[8]

History

Milton Keynes Stadium Consortium

A man in a dark suit with wispy brown hair and a wide smile looks into the camera.
Pete Winkelman, who led Inter MK and the Milton Keynes Stadium Consortium, and subsequently became chairman of Milton Keynes Dons F.C. (2011 photograph)

From the first days of Milton Keynes as a new town, designated in 1967, the Milton Keynes Development Corporation (1967–1992) envisaged a stadium capable of accommodating a top-flight football team.[9][10] What would become Stadium MK was first proposed in 2000 by the Milton Keynes Stadium Consortium or "Stadium MK", led by Pete Winkelman and his company Inter MK Group.[11][12] This consortium proposed a large development in the southern Milton Keynes district of Denbigh North, including a 30,000-capacity football stadium, a 150,000-square-foot (13,935 m2) Asda hypermarket, an IKEA store, a hotel, a conference centre, and a retail park.[13][14][15][16] The plan to build a ground of this size was complicated by the fact that there was no professional football club in Milton Keynes and that the highest-ranked team in the town, Milton Keynes City—based in Wolverton in northern Milton Keynes, and formerly known as Mercedes-Benz F.C.—played in the then eighth-tier Spartan South Midlands League, four divisions below the Football League.[17] The developers could not justify building such a stadium for a club of this small stature.[15][18] Rather than wait for MK City or another local team to rise to the professional leagues by promotion, Winkelman resolved to "import" an established League club to use the ground.[15][18][19]

Winkelman, an ex-CBS Records executive and music promoter, had moved to the Milton Keynes area from London in 1993.[20] He attested to a vast untapped fanbase for football in Milton Keynes—a "football frenzy waiting to happen", he said.[21] Critics of this claim pointed to the apparent lack of public interest in Milton Keynes City and the other local non-League clubs,[11][21] and argued that Milton Keynes residents interested specifically in League football already had ample access with Luton Town, Northampton Town and Rushden & Diamonds all within 25 miles (40 km).[11] In Winkelman's own words, in a 2013 interview, he "didn't have a clue about football" when he was proposing to move a League club from another town—indeed looking back he said "it was that naivety that enabled me to go and do it."[22] He was the only person in Milton Keynes publicly associated with the project;[13] his financial supporters, later revealed to be Asda (a subsidiary of Walmart) and Ikea,[15][19] were kept strictly anonymous.[13]

Opponents of such a move surmised that the stadium was a "Trojan Horse" included in the blueprint to bypass planning rules, and that although the consortium described the larger development as enabling the construction of the stadium, the reverse was the case—Winkelman's consortium, they claimed, had to have a professional team in place right away to justify the ground so the development could get planning permission.[15][18][19][23] David Conn of The Guardian corroborated this assessment. "The whole project was indeed dependent on Asda and Ikea," Conn summarised in a 2012 article, after interviewing Winkelman. "Having seen the opportunity to build a stadium Milton Keynes lacked, and realised Asda did not have a store in the town, Winkelman acquired options to buy the land from its three owners, including the council. Asda would not have been granted planning permission for a huge out-of-town superstore unless it gave the council the benefit of building the stadium. [A League club] would move up, permission would be granted, then [Winkelman] would exercise the option to buy all the land, sell it to Asda and IKEA for very much more, and the difference would be used to build the stadium."[19] Conn retrospectively described this as the "deal of a lifetime".[19]

Relocation of Wimbledon F.C.; Milton Keynes Dons F.C.

Starting in 2000 the consortium offered this proposition to several Football League clubs, including Luton Town, Crystal Palace, Barnet,[24] Queens Park Rangers,[25] and Wimbledon F.C..[12] Wimbledon F.C., who had groundshared at Crystal Palace's Selhurst Park ground since 1991, adopted the Milton Keynes plan after the appointment of a new chairman, Charles Koppel, in January 2001.[26] Koppel said that such action was necessary to prevent Wimbledon F.C.'s going out of business.[12] He announced Wimbledon F.C.'s intent to move on 2 August 2001 with a letter to the Football League requesting approval, stating that Wimbledon had already signed an agreement to relocate and "subject to the necessary planning and regulatory consents being obtained" intended to be playing home games at a newly built stadium in Milton Keynes by the start of the 2003–04 season.[27] The proposed move was opposed in most quarters;[27] the League board unanimously rejected Wimbledon's proposed move in August 2001.[27] Koppel appealed against this decision, leading to a Football Association (FA) arbitration hearing and subsequently the appointment of a three-man independent commission by the FA in May 2002 to make a final and binding verdict.[28] The League and FA stated opposition but the commissioners ruled in favour, two to one.[29][30]

Wimbledon F.C. hoped to move to Milton Keynes immediately, but as the new ground was yet to be built an interim home in the town would have to be found first. The first proposal, to start the 2002–03 season at the National Hockey Stadium in central Milton Keynes, was abandoned because it did not meet Football League stadium criteria. While alternative temporary options were examined—Winkelman suggested converting the National Bowl music venue[31]—Wimbledon F.C. started the season at Selhurst Park and set a target of playing in MK by Christmas 2002.[32] A group of Wimbledon F.C. fans protested by setting up AFC Wimbledon, to which the vast majority of Wimbledon F.C. fans switched allegiance, in June 2002.[33] A temporary stadium in Milton Keynes proved difficult to arrange and Wimbledon F.C. remained in south London at the end of the 2002–03 season. Koppel announced a plan to convert the National Hockey Stadium for football and play there from the start of the 2003–04 season until the new stadium was built.[34]

MK Dons (white shirts) playing at the National Hockey Stadium during the 2004–05 season

Wimbledon F.C. entered administration in June 2003.[35] After the club missed a deadline to invest in renovations to the Hockey Stadium,[36] confusion arose as to whether Wimbledon F.C. would move and where they would play if they did.[37] The administrators arranged a return to Selhurst Park.[38] With the move threatened and the club facing liquidation, Winkelman made "the life-defining decision", to quote Conn, "of taking it on himself".[19] He secured funds from his consortium for the administrators to pay the players' wages, keep the club operating, and pay for the necessary renovations for the National Hockey Stadium to host League football.[36] Meanwhile, Milton Keynes City F.C. went out of business before the start of the season following an unsuccessful drive for new directors and investors.[11][21][39][40]

After hosting the first few home matches of the 2003–04 campaign at Selhurst Park, Wimbledon F.C. played their first match in Milton Keynes in September 2003.[41] A company voluntary arrangement was put together in March 2004 under which Winkelman's consortium would take Wimbledon F.C. out of administration, reportedly using a holding company called MK Dons.[16] The Football League threatened to expel the club if the takeover were not completed by 31 July.[42] Winkelman's Inter MK Group brought Wimbledon F.C. out of administration in late June 2004 and concurrently announced changes to its name, badge and colours.[43][44] The new name was Milton Keynes Dons F.C. (commonly shortened to MK Dons).[44]

Milton Keynes Dons continued to play at the National Hockey Stadium while the development including the new ground was constructed in Denbigh. Asda paid Inter MK £35 million for its section of the site, IKEA £24 million.[19] Ground was broken on the stadium in February 2005.[45] In December 2005 MK Dons set a target of playing at the new ground by January 2007;[46] in February 2007 they revised their proposal to a 22,000-seater stadium ready in July of that year, with provision for expansion to 32,000 (it had originally been intended to seat 30,000).[47] The new ground, Stadium mk, hosted its first match in July 2007.[48] Four months later, on 29 November 2007, it was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II.[49]

Proposed temporary use by Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

In late 2014, it was reported that Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur were in negotiations with MK Dons over a temporary groundshare at Stadium mk for a season, during renovations at Spurs' White Hart Lane ground.[50] According to press reports, Tottenham proposed to play most home matches in MK and a small number at Wembley Stadium.[51] The idea of playing home matches in Milton Keynes, even temporarily, is largely unpopular with Spurs fans.[52][53] The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters Trust stated in September 2014 that it would have "serious issues" with such an arrangement.[54] In a London Evening Standard poll of 206 Tottenham fans two months later, 71 (34%) said they would attend home matches at Stadium mk if the club played there temporarily, while 135 (66%) said they would not.[55] The Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore stated in July 2015 that the Premier League would have no objection to Tottenham groundsharing temporarily—either with MK Dons or with Chelsea at Wembley—but to defend "the integrity of the competition" would not allow Tottenham to play home matches at more than one location in the same season.[56] Two months later, the FA chief executive Martin Glenn indicated that he supported the idea of clubs playing temporarily at Wembley while their grounds were redeveloped.[57]

Stadium size

Initially there were concerns that the size of the stadium may have been too optimistic. Although attendances increased since leaving the National Hockey stadium, the stadium has yet to sell out for Dons' games.[58] The MK Dons average attendance of 10,550[59] during the 2008–09 League One season remains below half the ground capacity. The MK Dons average home attendance for the first part of the 2009–10 season was ranked 6th out of 24 teams in League One.[60] The average attendance for the 2012–13 season was just 8,612, in the 2013–14 season it was 9,047.[61]

The record attendance for a football match at Stadium MK was on 31 January 2016 when a crowd of 28,127 attended Milton Keynes Dons' 5–1 defeat in the FA Cup by Chelsea.[62] On 6 October 2015, StadiumMK hosted the rugby World Cup match, Uruguay Vs Fiji and this set the new record attendance to 30,043. On 19 March 2016 a record league attendance of 21,345 was set against Brighton & Hove Albion in the Football League Championship.

Events

Although Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the stadium in November 2007, it hosted its first game on 18 July 2007, a match against a Chelsea XI, which resulted in a 4–3 win for the home side. Later in July an England Legends XI took on a World Legends XI in a match in memory of the late England footballer Alan Ball.

The stadium was used as a centrepoint for the 40th birthday celebrations of Milton Keynes which took place during 2007.

It has hosted two England under-21 internationals. The first was a 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification Group 3 match against Bulgaria’s under-21’s on November 16, 2007. The hosts beat the visitors 2–0 with Mark Noble scoring twice (on the tenth minute and the seventeenth minute) and James Milner scoring on the twenty sixth minute with 20,222 in attendance. The other was an international friendly against Azerbaijan’s under 21’s March 31, 2009. The hosts thrashed the visitors 7–0 with Kieran Gibbs scoring twice and single goals from Michael Mancienne, Craig Gardner and Jack Rodwell as well as own goals from Elcin Sadiqov and Elvin Mammadov with 12,020 in attendance.[63]

The stadium also marked another first on 8 May 2008 when it hosted its first rugby union fixture. Guinness Premiership side Saracens entertained Bristol away from their regular Vicarage Road ground, due to Watford F.C. playing at home in the 2008 Championship play-off semi-final.

On 5 June 2010, the stadium hosted a full international friendly; Ghana beat Latvia 1–0 in their last warm-up before the World Cup in South Africa.[64]

On 1 June 2014, the stadium hosted the 2013–14 FA Women's Cup final.[65] Arsenal defeated Everton 2–0.[66]

Naming of stands

The South stand of Stadium mk is known as the Cowshed by Dons fans, as Milton Keynes is known for its Concrete Cows. This nickname was also used for the home end at the Dons' previous ground in Milton Keynes, the National Hockey Stadium, now demolished.

The North stand is known as the Boycott End, after the famous boycotting of the first fixture between the Dons and AFC Wimbledon in which the fans of the latter brought more than 3,000 fans to the game, equal to their home gates.

The side stands are known for the direction in which they are from the pitch (East and West), although the upper tier of the West stand (commonly used by the club's top brass and distinguished guests) is referred to as "Prawn Sandwiches".

England 2018 World Cup bid

In December 2009, the English FA awarded 'Candidate Host City' status to Milton Keynes. Had England won the bid, Stadium mk would have hosted some games. For this to happen, the stadium capacity would have had to be increased to 44,000.[67] However, on 2 December 2010, FIFA decided not to award the World Cup to England.

Rugby

Premiership

Saracens were the first club to host a Premiership rugby match at Stadium mk when Bristol Rugby visited on 10 May 2008, providing a grand stage for Rugby World Cup 2003 winner Richard Hill's 288th and last appearance for the men in black. A last-minute try from Kameli Ratuvou ensured Hill's 15-year club career finished on a winning note.[68]

On 30 December 2012, Saracens hosted Northampton Saints for a regular season match at Stadium MK, while their new stadium at Barnet Copthall was still being built. The Saints hosted Saracens in April 2015 before a record 27,000+ crowd, as a Premiership game and additionally as a preparation exercise for the stadium's planned hosting of the 2015 Rugby World Cup.[69]

European Rugby Champions Cup

On 24 January 2011, the Northampton Saints Rugby union club announced that their 2010–11 Heineken Cup quarter final match against Ulster would take place in the stadium, because their Franklin's Gardens ground is too small to meet the minimum 15,000 seats demanded by the organisers.[70]

The Saints had previously indicated that they might play future major games at Stadium mk as their proposal to expand Franklin's Gardens using an enabling (ASDA supermarket) development had encountered planning difficulties.[71]

Accordingly, their quarter-final match was played at the stadium on Sunday 10 April 2011 in front of a (then) stadium record crowd of 21,309 supporters[72] who witnessed the Saints (the 'home' side for the day) beat Ulster 23–13.[73] This secured for the Saints a place in the semi-final of the Heineken Cup where they went on to beat USA Perpignan, again at the Stadium mk.[74]

On 21 January 2012, Northampton Saints played their final 2011–12 Heineken Cup pool match at Stadium mk against Munster. Saints were defeated 36–51 but the game set a new stadium record attendance of 22,220.[75]

Rugby World Cup 2015

On 8 October 2012, the organisers of the 2015 Rugby World Cup announced that the stadium was one of 17 to be short-listed for detailed appraisal, leading to the final choice of 12 stadiums to be announced in March 2013[76] It was officially announced as a venue for the 2015 Rugby World Cup on 2 May, and with the venue capacity to expand to 32,000, it hosted three fixtures. The first was a Pool D match between France and Canada on October 1, 2015 with France winning 41–18 with 28,145 in attendance.[77] The second was a Pool B match between Samoa and Japan two days later with Japan winning 26–5 with 29,019 in attendance.[78] The third and final was a Pool A match between Fiji and Uruguay three days later with Fiji winning 47–15 with new stadium attendance record, with 30,048 in attendance.[79]

Northampton Saints played Saracens again at Stadium mk on 25 April 2015 in an Aviva Pemiership fixture, with an announced attendance of 27,411 present. Saints won 25–20. This event, titled 'Best of English' was formally a Rugby World Cup test event.

Location

Stadium MK, Grafton St, Denbigh, Milton Keynes, MK1 1ST
zoom in

The stadium is in south central Milton Keynes located in Denbigh, a part of the Bletchley and Fenny Stratford civil parish, near the junction of the A5 and the A421 spur.

Local/nearby facilities

There is a hotel, shopping complex, restaurants and a cinema adjacent to the stadium.

Transport

The nearest railway stations are Bletchley and Fenny Stratford. Both of these are about 1.3 miles (2.1 km) away from the stadium. Milton Keynes Central station, about 2.6 miles (4.2 km) away, has more intercity services. Milton Keynes Central and Bletchley are on the busy West Coast Main Line to London, the West Midlands and the North-West; Fenny Stratford is on the quiet Marston Vale Line to Bedford. There are shuttle bus connections from the Central and Bletchley stations. Car parking beside the stadium is limited and expensive: on some occasions, the National Bowl is used for overflow parking.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Hayes, Robert (25 August 2014). "MK Dons vs Manchester United: 'Selling out our ground makes it all worthwhile'". The Independent. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  2. ↑ Minutes of Milton Keynes Council See item 5a.
  3. ↑ Denbigh Stadium: Dare To Dream?. YouTube. 7 July 2007.
  4. ↑ "Latest projects in sports industry – Sports industry projects". sportsvenue-technology.
  5. ↑ Winkelman can't guarantee arena! – MK Citizen 26 November 2008
  6. ↑ "Lions to leave Milton Keynes". MK Citizen. 9 August 2012.
  7. ↑ Saracens to play Bristol at Stadium mk in Milton Keynes – Saracens
  8. ↑ http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/mm/Document/Tournament/Mediazone/02/06/65/07/rwc-2015-match-schedule.pdf
  9. ↑ Llewelyn-Davies, Richard; Forestier-Walker, Richard; Bor, Walter (December 1968). Milton Keynes: Interim Report to Milton Keynes Development Corporation. Bletchley: Milton Keynes Development Corporation. p. 33.
  10. ↑ Osborn, Frederic J; Whittick, Arnold (1977). New Towns: Their Origins, Achievements, and Progress. London: Leonard Hill. p. 245. ISBN 9780249441406.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Kelso, Paul (27 September 2003). "A full house in Milton Keynes is Wimbledon's ultimate sell-out". The Guardian. London: Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 16 April 2015. Winkelman is adamant Milton Keynes can support a league club in the way that Merton apparently could not, and can point to today's sell-out crowd as evidence. His reasoning, however, is idiosyncratic. 'This place is absolutely crying out for top-flight football,' he says. ... Winkelman's endgame is to move Wimbledon to a Premiership-quality home at nearby Denbeigh, complete with an Asda supermarket and a hotel. But the notion that the 250,000 residents of MK have been starved of football is undermined by a glance at a map. Northampton, Luton and Rushden & Diamonds are within 30 minutes' drive and on any given Saturday Milton Keynes station is full of supporters of clubs in London and the Midlands making their way to games. Meanwhile Milton Keynes City folded in the summer through a lack of funds and, apparently, interest.
  12. 1 2 3 Bose, Mihir (16 August 2001). "Hammam cast in villain's role as Dons seek happy ending". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  13. 1 2 3 Pollock, Ian (July 2002). "Self development". When Saturday Comes. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  14. ↑ Pollock, Ian (August 2003). "Don roaming". When Saturday Comes. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 Cloake, Martin (29 August 2014). "Why MK Dons' 4–0 victory over Manchester United didn't cause universal joy". New Statesman. London. Retrieved 16 April 2015. Asda, the world's largest supermarket chain, wanted a presence in a Tesco stronghold and wanted to build Europe's largest supermarket there. Planning rules meant that development on greenfield sites was not supported, but the proposed MK Asda would not work on a brownfield site. The only way the greenfield site restrictions could be got around was through what's called 'planning gain'—in plain English some demonstrable benefit to the local community that would come from allowing development. A football stadium would be one example of a civic amenity that would do the job. But Milton Keynes did not have a team that needed a stadium on the scale required. And with no team, there would be no stadium, and therefore no development.
  16. 1 2 Conn, David (20 March 2004). "Winkleman hints at name change after repackaging of Wimbledon". The Independent. London: Independent News & Media. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  17. ↑ Rundle, Richard. "Football Club History Database – Milton Keynes City". Football Club History Database. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  18. 1 2 3 Wright, Duncan (13 July 2003). "Dons to die if they don't get move on; Deal Hinges on Switch". Daily Mirror. London. Retrieved 16 April 2015. A consortium backed by supermarket and property developers is on the brink of an agreement with the First Division club's administrators—and it will safeguard their future. Their only demand is that if they win control of the club it MUST move to Milton Keynes. ... It is the same group which will build a new 28,000 all-seater stadium for Wimbledon as part of a major development project on the Denbigh North site which will also include an Asda superstore, other retail outlets, a hotel and offices. The building of the stadium and the arrival of the football club are vital to the project, so all parties are keen for Wimbledon to survive administration. ... Winkelman said: 'In terms of the financial side of things, they are not really a problem, and we have been working alongside Grant Thornton in order to give Wimbledon the best chance of survival. We only have three questions to be answered before we can conclude things. The first is will the club be moving to Milton Keynes and, if so, where will they play and when will it happen? Once we have those answers then we can move things on. Obviously we would only be interested if we knew the club was moving to Milton Keynes.'
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Conn, David (27 November 2012). "Peter Winkelman: 'I'm not proud of how football came to Milton Keynes'". The Guardian. London: Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  20. ↑ "Music mogul-turned-football chairman shares secrets of his success with business students". Luton: University of Bedfordshire. 23 January 2014. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  21. 1 2 3 "The Debate: Is it time to forgive Milton Keynes Dons?". The Times. London. 27 January 2008. Retrieved 26 December 2014. Milton Keynes was also where, according to Winkelman, there was a 'football frenzy waiting to happen'—yet the club drew 5,639 for their first match, with Burnley on September 27, 2003, substantially down on the 7,675 that saw the corresponding fixture at Selhurst Park in the 2001–02 season, before a supporter boycott in protest at the move began. Even now, there is negligible difference between gates at MK Dons and the club they smothered. ... Those with a tenuous grasp of history may swallow the MK fairy story—which also killed the real football club in the area, Milton Keynes City, wound up in July 2003—but no true football fan should.
  22. ↑ Hayes, Bob (26 September 2013). "It was mad and messy but it was a privilege to make history! Ten years on, MK Dons chairman Winkelman looks back at the controversial Wimbledon move". Daily Mail. London. Retrieved 30 November 2014. [Hayes:] You were the subject of protests and a lot of personal vilification when you took Wimbledon to Milton Keynes. When you look back, was it worth it? [Winkelman:] I understand all the difficulties at the beginning. Luckily, I didn't have a clue about football and it was that naivety that enabled me to go and do it. Did it have to happen? I think it did—football had to be in Milton Keynes. We had the opportunity with the backing of the council and the politicians to go and finish this aspiration of Milton Keynes for a big stadium.
  23. ↑ "Submission by the Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association to the Independent European Football Review" (PDF). Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association. 12 March 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  24. ↑ Willacy, Gavin (February 2007). "Relocation, relocation". When Saturday Comes. Retrieved 1 November 2009.
  25. ↑ Rogers, Martin (25 May 2001). "QPR May Leave London". Daily Mirror. London. Retrieved 16 April 2015. The Milton Keynes Stadium consortium wants the stricken West London club to play in its new stadium, which is due to be completed in 2003. Consortium chief Pete Winkelman is confident his bid will be successful as QPR, relegated to Division Two, suffer even more financial hardship.
  26. ↑ "Move or die: 'A whole raft of us believe it is better to live, even if somewhere else'". The Independent. London: Independent News & Media. 10 November 2002. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  27. 1 2 3 Parker, Raj; Stride, Steve; Turvey, Alan (28 May 2002). Report of the Independent Commission on Wimbledon F.C.'s wish to relocate to Milton Keynes (pdf). The Football Association. pp. 9–10. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  28. ↑ Report of the Independent Commission on Wimbledon F.C.'s wish to relocate to Milton Keynes. pp. 10–48.
  29. ↑ Report of the Independent Commission on Wimbledon F.C.'s wish to relocate to Milton Keynes. p. 1.
  30. ↑ "Dons get Milton Keynes green light". BBC. 28 May 2002. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  31. ↑ "Dons could move during season". London: BBC. 5 July 2002. Archived from the original on 19 November 2004. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
  32. ↑ "Dons fans protest as MK move beckons". London: BBC. 9 August 2002. Archived from the original on 16 March 2005. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
  33. ↑ Scrivener, Peter (26 April 2009). "From Crazy Gang to Culture Club". BBC. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  34. ↑ "Wimbledon lose their womble". London: BBC. 20 May 2003. Archived from the original on 11 March 2005. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
  35. ↑ Kelso, Paul (7 June 2003). "Milton Keynes on hold as Dons hit the wall". The Guardian. London: Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  36. 1 2 "Dons' Milton Keynes move to go ahead". The Guardian. London: Guardian News and Media. 25 July 2003. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  37. ↑ "Dons' move off again". London: BBC. 27 June 2003. Archived from the original on 11 March 2005. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
  38. ↑ "Confusion mounts over Don's home ground". London: BBC. 3 July 2003. Archived from the original on 11 March 2005. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
  39. ↑ "City left fighting for their survival". Milton Keynes Today. Milton Keynes: Johnston Press Digital Publishing. 5 June 2003. Retrieved 4 June 2009.
  40. ↑ "City club on the brink of folding". Milton Keynes Today. Milton Keynes: Johnston Press Digital Publishing. 3 July 2003. Retrieved 4 June 2009.
  41. ↑ "Wimbledon 2–2 Burnley". London: BBC. 26 September 2003. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  42. ↑ "Dons set for takeover". BBC. 27 May 2004. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
  43. ↑ "Wimbledon to change name". BBC. 21 June 2004. Retrieved 5 June 2009.
  44. 1 2 "Wimbledon become MK Dons FC". The Guardian. London: Guardian News and Media. 21 June 2004. Retrieved 4 June 2009.
  45. ↑ "First turf cut for Dons' stadium". BBC. 17 February 2005. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  46. ↑ Sinnott, John (5 December 2005). "MK Dons fix stadium launch date". BBC. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  47. ↑ "Milton Keynes stadium is on track". BBC. 15 February 2007. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  48. ↑ "Dons open stadium against Chelsea". BBC. 19 July 2007. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  49. ↑ The Queen visits Milton Keynes BBC News
  50. ↑ Palmer, Kevin (22 October 2014). "Sources: Spurs not interested in Upton Park; talks ongoing with MK Dons". ESPN FC. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  51. ↑ "Tottenham: Spurs move to Milton Keynes 'on the way'". MKWeb. Cambridge: Iliffe News and Media. 16 October 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014. Tottenham are looking to juggle both stadiummk and Wembley as a place to play whilst their new ground is under construction, but there has been no confirmation by the Premier League.
  52. ↑ Fitch, Dan (20 November 2014). "Tottenham out of touch with their fans". ESPN FC. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  53. ↑ Samuel, Martin (18 September 2014). "Tottenham should've asked Arsenal if they could share the Emirates—but when you float that idea over here, people go bananas (and it takes a world war for them to see sense)". Daily Mail. London: DMG Media. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  54. ↑ Rodger, James (11 September 2014). "Moving to Milton Keynes, Spurs? Advice from Coventry City fans on how to survive a groundshare". Coventry Telegraph. Trinity Mirror. The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters Trust was damning of the suggestion of a relocation to Milton Keynes, though, stating: "There would be some serious issues with that."
  55. ↑ "Poll: Two thirds of Tottenham fans would stop going to home games if club made temporary Milton Keynes switch". Standard Sport. London Evening Standard. 19 November 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  56. ↑ Callow, Nick (2015-07-17). "Tottenham told Premier League home matches must all be at one ground". The Guardian. London: Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 2015-09-12.
  57. ↑ Jackson, Jamie (2015-09-09). "FA happy for Chelsea and Tottenham to use Wembley as temporary home". The Guardian. London: Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 2015-09-12.
  58. ↑ "Milton Keynes Dons Club Profile". Ciderspace. Retrieved 18 March 2010.
  59. ↑ "Milton Keynes Dons Club Statistics – English League One Football – ESPN Soccernet". ESPN. Retrieved 18 March 2010.
  60. ↑ "Milton Keynes Dons Divisional Attendance". Retrieved 18 March 2010.
  61. ↑ "Milton Keynes Dons FC". HISTORY OF ENGLISH FOOTBALL. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  62. ↑ "MK Dons Statistics". ESPN FC. ESPN. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  63. ↑ "Rampant England in seventh heaven". MK Dons Official website. 8 June 2009. Retrieved 9 June 2009.
  64. ↑ "Ghana 1 Latvia 0: match report". The Daily Telegraph. London. 5 June 2010. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  65. ↑ "Women's FA Cup: Milton Keynes Dons to host final". BBC Sports. 19 February 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  66. ↑ Women's FA Cup Final: Everton 0 – 2 Arsenal Arsenal F.C..com 1 June 2014
  67. ↑ Milton Keynes in dreamland after being selected for World Cup bid The Times, 17 December 2009
  68. ↑ http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/home/news/newsid=2067542.html
  69. ↑ Northampton Saints 25 – 20 Saracens  – Premiershiprugby.com, 25 April 2015
  70. ↑ Northampton forced to move Ulster tie to Milton Keynes – BBC Sport
  71. ↑ Northampton Saints chief considering Stadium mk move BBC Sport 27 August 2010
  72. ↑ https://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5i_121s1CkdCCvwFqpgxUokceSyZQ?docId=N0506681302446580231A
  73. ↑ "Northampton 23–13 Ulster". BBC News.
  74. ↑ Heineken Cup semi-final: Northampton Saints 23–7 Perpignan Northampton's Jim Mallinder wants more after reaching Heineken Cup final – The Guardian, 1 May 2011
  75. ↑ "Northampton Saints 36 – 51 Munster Rugby". European Rugby Cup. 27 January 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  76. ↑ Stadium mk in the running to host World Cup rugby matches in 2015 – Milton Keynes Citizen, 8 October 2012
  77. ↑ "Pool D, Stadiummk, Milton Keynes". Rugby World Cup. 1 October 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  78. ↑ "Pool B, Stadiummk, Milton Keynes". Rugby World Cup. 3 October 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  79. ↑ "Pool A, Stadiummk, Milton Keynes". Rugby World Cup. 6 October 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
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