285:, who intended to redevelop the site as a supermarket. Whilst site redevelopment plans were negotiated, the stadium remained derelict for several years until it was finally demolished in 2002. When permission for a supermarket was ultimately refused by the local authority, Safeway sold the site and it was eventually developed as a private housing development known as Reynolds Gate, named after former Wimbledon F.C. striker
398:, the price paid by Black for the stadium would have been equal to £143,097 in 2009 — this became significant as one of the conditions of the sale of the ground was the insertion of a pre-emption clause stating that if the site was ever to be used for any purpose other than sport, the council would have the right to buy the ground back for the same price it had been paid, regardless of inflation. As the
47:
535:
on the site for four years but, after local residents' opposition and local authority objections to their plans, gave up in 2002. They demolished the stadium during the summer of that year and subsequently sold the vacant site to David Wilson Homes in
November 2002. Planning permission was granted to
486:
Plans to build a new 20,000-seat stadium in the London
Borough of Merton had been approved by the local council in 1988, but the club did not follow this up and the stadium was never built. A public park was later established on its planned site. Over the next decade, numerous options for a new
482:
season. This arrangement was only expected to last for a few seasons, but it would ultimately last for 12 years and would end in a very different fashion to what might have been expected at the outset. Wimbledon's final first team match at Plough Lane came on 4 May 1991, coincidentally against
465:
by August 1994, the board of the club decided that Plough Lane could not be economically redeveloped to meet the new standards. The work required to modernise Plough Lane would have been difficult and expensive, but not impossible as the board claimed. A supposedly temporary
380:
saw the capacity back around the 25,000 mark. Glass panels were fitted at each end of both stands two years later, at the cost of £90, 8s — a sum equivalent to £1,882 in 2009. Floodlights were purchased in July 1954, and the North Stand was completely rebuilt before the
449:
in 1977 and subsequent success, the club was still plagued by financial trouble. To try and ease the strain on the club, in April 1983 Wimbledon bought out the preemption clause inserted back in 1959 for £100,000. A year later, they sold the ground to club chairman
536:
the developer in
October 2005 to build 570 flats, and the development was completed in 2008. Following lobbying by Wimbledon supporters, the development agreed to adopt a Wimbledon Football Club theme, with the entire site named "Reynolds Gate" after former player
526:
Even after the departure of the
Wimbledon first team, Plough Lane continued to be used by both Wimbledon and Crystal Palace as the home ground for their reserve teams' home matches. This was the case until 1998, when Sam Hammam sold the ground to supermarket chain
393:
by chairman Sydney Black for £8,250 in
November 1959, and then donated to the club. Black announced at the same time that the floodlights purchased five years earlier would be erected on eight pylons the next year at the cost of £4,000. Due to
325:
in 1912. The pitch was consequently fenced in and the playing surface improved, while a dressing room was built. A stand holding 500 spectators was erected, and
Wimbledon played their first match at the ground on 7 September 1912, a
1084:
557:
369:
meant that extensive redevelopment was necessary after the club returned in 1944 — the South Stand had been bombed, and the incomplete fencing meant the club could not charge for admission.
1110:
82:
1454:
1429:
300:, situated approximately 200 yards (183 metres) from the original Plough Lane stadium, were approved by Merton Council in December 2015. Construction on the '
1170:
561:
461:
in 1990, which introduced new safety measures for football stadia including the regulation that the stadia of teams at the highest level be made
1419:
1221:
1140:
1299:
483:
Crystal Palace. 10,002 spectators saw
Crystal Palace beat Wimbledon 3–0, before swarming onto the pitch to bid farewell to the ground.
1459:
1118:
1414:
1038:
580:
1439:
487:
stadium to be built in either the London
Borough of Merton or elsewhere were explored, including a controversial plan to relocate to
17:
345:
During the 1920s, crowds were regularly taken at between five and eight thousand. The South Stand was added in 1923, purchased from
1434:
1264:
1449:
1444:
1393:
1330:
269:
Plough Lane was
Wimbledon F.C.'s ground from September 1912 until May 1991, when the club moved their first team home matches to
900:
358:
1196:
540:. The six individual blocks that comprise the development were also named after former players, managers and a chairman:
502:
some 70 miles away in 2003, in a controversial move which had been approved the previous year and sparked the creation of
689:
635:
608:
445:'s market— the court reckoned the distance to be five and a half miles, so no market was built. Despite election to
357:
the ground's capacity stood at 30,000. The ground was even used as the site of an amateur international match, when
479:
422:
382:
377:
350:
986:
933:
867:
801:
763:
716:
662:
1289:
281:. Both clubs' reserve teams then used Plough Lane as their home ground until 1998, when the site was sold to
1257:
75:
1225:
1174:
1148:
1065:
406:, but also meant that the stadium's value could never grow above the £8,250 that Black had paid in 1959.
402:'s value decreased over the years, this clause became a double-edged sword — it protected the club from
417:. Arsenal beat Wimbledon 4–1. The ground remained largely unchanged until the club's election to
511:
390:
331:
117:
1424:
1388:
1250:
515:
507:
1351:
386:
1294:
430:
1042:
901:"Report of the Independent Commission on Wimbledon F.C.'s wish to relocate to Milton Keynes"
442:
438:
248:
8:
492:
471:
446:
418:
278:
235:
148:
321:
on the disused marshland at the corner of Plough Lane and
Haydons Road was purchased by
1367:
830:
462:
410:
346:
342:
A. Gill Knight boasted that the club had "the finest ground in the southern district".
334:
which was drawn 2–2. Improvements continued to be made to the ground during the
1346:
907:
297:
255:
64:
1315:
327:
156:
836:
403:
1273:
1224:. Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association. 1 December 2008. Archived from
1173:. Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association. 28 October 2005. Archived from
841:
837:"The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)"
553:
545:
537:
426:
399:
339:
322:
286:
263:
230:
225:
143:
122:
693:
1408:
1383:
1325:
503:
499:
475:
458:
409:
The first match under the new floodlights took place on 3 October 1960, in a
293:
270:
97:
84:
506:
by the majority of the club's fans. The original Wimbledon club was renamed
1012:
541:
528:
414:
366:
354:
282:
132:
1242:
639:
532:
467:
335:
301:
274:
31:
451:
127:
990:
937:
871:
805:
767:
720:
666:
612:
549:
395:
370:
318:
434:
251:
68:
960:
895:
893:
891:
889:
488:
338:, and Plough Lane soon became the pride of the club — in 1918,
259:
906:. Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association. Archived from
376:
The South Stand was restored to its former glory in 1950, and
349:. The terrace in front of the North Stand was improved during
362:
262:, England. For nearly eighty years it was the home ground of
46:
886:
478:
was announced the same year, to begin from the start of the
1016:
1085:"Phil Shaw on the strange life of reserve team football"
1117:. When Saturday Comes. 26 October 2015. Archived from
365:
on 19 January 1935. However, damage caused during the
1031:
510:
in 2004. The new Wimbledon club started life in the
441:
in 1628 forbidding any market within seven miles of
1111:"Photo of the week ~ Plough Lane's padlocked gates"
373:collections were taken to keep the club operating.
304:' began in 2018, and it opened on 3 November 2020.
581:"Final legal barrier cleared for new stadium move"
312:
1406:
1214:
1163:
825:
823:
1455:Demolished sports venues in the United Kingdom
1133:
742:
740:
738:
1430:Buildings and structures in Wimbledon, London
1258:
1103:
1005:
961:"Football Club History Database – Wimbledon"
820:
1272:
1202:. King Sturge Residential. 22 February 2007
735:
30:For the current AFC Wimbledon stadium, see
1265:
1251:
429:on the club's grounds to raise funds. The
833:inflation figures are based on data from
1189:
1076:
980:
978:
861:
859:
681:
795:
793:
791:
789:
787:
785:
602:
600:
598:
521:
14:
1407:
1063:
1420:Sport in the London Borough of Merton
1246:
1041:. Wimbledon F.C. 2003. Archived from
975:
925:
856:
834:
627:
1091:. London: Independent News and Media
1082:
952:
782:
755:
708:
654:
595:
433:ruled that this plan contravened a
24:
1460:Defunct football venues in England
1147:. 22 November 2002. Archived from
984:
958:
931:
865:
799:
761:
714:
687:
660:
633:
606:
25:
1471:
1415:Defunct football venues in London
989:. Historical Dons. Archived from
936:. Historical Dons. Archived from
870:. Historical Dons. Archived from
804:. Historical Dons. Archived from
766:. Historical Dons. Archived from
719:. Historical Dons. Archived from
692:. Historical Dons. Archived from
665:. Historical Dons. Archived from
638:. Historical Dons. Archived from
611:. Historical Dons. Archived from
457:Following the publication of the
292:Plans to build a new stadium for
51:The South Stand, pictured in 2000
1440:Sports venues demolished in 2002
1222:"Naming Ceremony at Plough Lane"
963:. Football Club History Database
583:. AFC Wimbledon. 1 February 2018
498:Finally, Wimbledon relocated to
45:
1435:Sports venues completed in 1912
1057:
425:an attempt was made to start a
313:As Wimbledon F.C.'s home ground
289:, which was completed in 2008.
206:April 1998 (last football game)
1450:1912 establishments in England
1445:English Football League venues
1197:"Plough Lane, Wimbledon, SW19"
1083:Shaw, Phil (26 January 1993).
573:
13:
1:
567:
1064:Warren, Dan (6 April 2004).
531:. Safeway sought to build a
7:
1300:Relocation to Milton Keynes
10:
1476:
353:, and by the start of the
307:
296:on the nearby site of the
238:Reserves (1991–1998)
233:Reserves (1991–1998)
29:
1376:
1360:
1339:
1308:
1282:
1141:"Plough Lane Sale Agreed"
1039:"Financing a New Stadium"
495:, which emerged in 1995.
298:Wimbledon Greyhound track
224:
219:
211:
202:
194:
186:
178:
173:
165:
155:
139:
113:
74:
60:
56:
44:
1013:"A hard lesson to learn"
512:Combined Counties League
1331:National Hockey Stadium
1275:Wimbledon Football Club
835:Clark, Gregory (2017).
690:"1960 to 1969 pictures"
323:Wimbledon Football Club
264:Wimbledon Football Club
27:Former football stadium
1352:1988 FA Charity Shield
751:: 2. 18 December 1948.
391:Merton Borough Council
118:Merton Borough Council
98:51.428472°N 0.189667°W
747:"This is Wimbledon".
636:"Season 1912 to 1913"
454:for £3 million.
385:season. The ground's
18:Plough Lane (1912–98)
1171:"Plough Lane Update"
993:on 30 September 2011
808:on 21 September 2008
770:on 24 September 2008
723:on 21 September 2008
669:on 21 September 2008
522:After Wimbledon F.C.
443:Kingston upon Thames
103:51.428472; -0.189667
1228:on 20 February 2012
1177:on 25 December 2007
1121:on 23 December 2016
1066:"Dons' darkest day"
1045:on 23 February 2008
940:on 19 February 2012
913:on 19 November 2004
615:on 21 November 2008
493:Republic of Ireland
447:the Football League
419:the Football League
389:was purchased from
332:Carshalton Athletic
236:Crystal Palace F.C.
149:Crystal Palace F.C.
94: /
41:
1389:Milton Keynes Dons
1368:South London derby
1151:on 5 February 2012
831:Retail Price Index
508:Milton Keynes Dons
411:London Charity Cup
39:
1402:
1401:
1347:1988 FA Cup final
959:Rundle, Richard.
242:
241:
228:(1912–1991)
151:(1991–1998)
146:(1912–1998)
135:(1998–2002)
130:(1984–1998)
125:(1959–1984)
120:(1912–1959)
65:Wimbledon, London
16:(Redirected from
1467:
1316:Wimbledon Common
1276:
1267:
1260:
1253:
1244:
1243:
1238:
1237:
1235:
1233:
1218:
1212:
1211:
1209:
1207:
1201:
1193:
1187:
1186:
1184:
1182:
1167:
1161:
1160:
1158:
1156:
1137:
1131:
1130:
1128:
1126:
1107:
1101:
1100:
1098:
1096:
1080:
1074:
1073:
1061:
1055:
1054:
1052:
1050:
1035:
1029:
1028:
1026:
1024:
1009:
1003:
1002:
1000:
998:
982:
973:
972:
970:
968:
956:
950:
949:
947:
945:
929:
923:
922:
920:
918:
912:
905:
897:
884:
883:
881:
879:
874:on 11 March 2008
863:
854:
853:
851:
849:
827:
818:
817:
815:
813:
797:
780:
779:
777:
775:
759:
753:
752:
744:
733:
732:
730:
728:
712:
706:
705:
703:
701:
685:
679:
678:
676:
674:
658:
652:
651:
649:
647:
642:on 11 March 2008
631:
625:
624:
622:
620:
604:
593:
592:
590:
588:
577:
514:and reached the
421:, though during
367:Second World War
355:Second World War
109:
108:
106:
105:
104:
99:
95:
92:
91:
90:
87:
49:
42:
38:
21:
1475:
1474:
1470:
1469:
1468:
1466:
1465:
1464:
1405:
1404:
1403:
1398:
1372:
1356:
1340:Notable matches
1335:
1304:
1278:
1274:
1271:
1241:
1231:
1229:
1220:
1219:
1215:
1205:
1203:
1199:
1195:
1194:
1190:
1180:
1178:
1169:
1168:
1164:
1154:
1152:
1139:
1138:
1134:
1124:
1122:
1109:
1108:
1104:
1094:
1092:
1089:The Independent
1081:
1077:
1062:
1058:
1048:
1046:
1037:
1036:
1032:
1022:
1020:
1019:. 15 April 1999
1011:
1010:
1006:
996:
994:
983:
976:
966:
964:
957:
953:
943:
941:
930:
926:
916:
914:
910:
903:
899:
898:
887:
877:
875:
864:
857:
847:
845:
828:
821:
811:
809:
798:
783:
773:
771:
760:
756:
746:
745:
736:
726:
724:
713:
709:
699:
697:
696:on 12 June 2009
686:
682:
672:
670:
659:
655:
645:
643:
632:
628:
618:
616:
605:
596:
586:
584:
579:
578:
574:
570:
524:
516:Football League
404:asset strippers
336:First World War
315:
310:
302:New Plough Lane
277:agreement with
234:
229:
207:
147:
131:
126:
121:
102:
100:
96:
93:
88:
85:
83:
81:
80:
52:
35:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
1473:
1463:
1462:
1457:
1452:
1447:
1442:
1437:
1432:
1427:
1425:Wimbledon F.C.
1422:
1417:
1400:
1399:
1397:
1396:
1394:Belfast United
1391:
1386:
1380:
1378:
1374:
1373:
1371:
1370:
1364:
1362:
1358:
1357:
1355:
1354:
1349:
1343:
1341:
1337:
1336:
1334:
1333:
1328:
1323:
1318:
1312:
1310:
1306:
1305:
1303:
1302:
1297:
1292:
1286:
1284:
1280:
1279:
1270:
1269:
1262:
1255:
1247:
1240:
1239:
1213:
1188:
1162:
1145:Wimbledon News
1132:
1102:
1075:
1056:
1030:
1004:
987:"1980 to 1989"
985:Hambly, Dave.
974:
951:
934:"1970 to 1979"
932:Hambly, Dave.
924:
885:
868:"1960 to 1969"
866:Hambly, Dave.
855:
842:MeasuringWorth
819:
802:"1950 to 1959"
800:Hambly, Dave.
781:
764:"1940 to 1949"
762:Hambly, Dave.
754:
734:
717:"1930 to 1939"
715:Hambly, Dave.
707:
688:Hambly, Dave.
680:
663:"1920 to 1929"
661:Hambly, Dave.
653:
634:Hambly, Dave.
626:
609:"1910 to 1919"
607:Hambly, Dave.
594:
571:
569:
566:
562:Stannard House
546:Batsford House
538:Eddie Reynolds
523:
520:
472:Crystal Palace
413:match against
400:pound sterling
347:Clapton Orient
340:Vice-president
330:match against
314:
311:
309:
306:
287:Eddie Reynolds
279:Crystal Palace
240:
239:
231:Wimbledon F.C.
226:Wimbledon F.C.
222:
221:
217:
216:
213:
209:
208:
204:
200:
199:
196:
192:
191:
190:September 1912
188:
184:
183:
180:
176:
175:
171:
170:
167:
163:
162:
159:
153:
152:
144:Wimbledon F.C.
141:
137:
136:
123:Wimbledon F.C.
115:
111:
110:
78:
72:
71:
62:
58:
57:
54:
53:
50:
26:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1472:
1461:
1458:
1456:
1453:
1451:
1448:
1446:
1443:
1441:
1438:
1436:
1433:
1431:
1428:
1426:
1423:
1421:
1418:
1416:
1413:
1412:
1410:
1395:
1392:
1390:
1387:
1385:
1384:AFC Wimbledon
1382:
1381:
1379:
1375:
1369:
1366:
1365:
1363:
1359:
1353:
1350:
1348:
1345:
1344:
1342:
1338:
1332:
1329:
1327:
1326:Selhurst Park
1324:
1322:
1319:
1317:
1314:
1313:
1311:
1307:
1301:
1298:
1296:
1293:
1291:
1288:
1287:
1285:
1281:
1277:
1268:
1263:
1261:
1256:
1254:
1249:
1248:
1245:
1227:
1223:
1217:
1198:
1192:
1176:
1172:
1166:
1150:
1146:
1142:
1136:
1120:
1116:
1112:
1106:
1090:
1086:
1079:
1071:
1067:
1060:
1044:
1040:
1034:
1018:
1014:
1008:
992:
988:
981:
979:
962:
955:
939:
935:
928:
909:
902:
896:
894:
892:
890:
873:
869:
862:
860:
844:
843:
838:
832:
826:
824:
807:
803:
796:
794:
792:
790:
788:
786:
769:
765:
758:
750:
749:Amateur Sport
743:
741:
739:
722:
718:
711:
695:
691:
684:
668:
664:
657:
641:
637:
630:
614:
610:
603:
601:
599:
582:
576:
572:
565:
563:
559:
555:
551:
547:
543:
542:Bassett House
539:
534:
530:
519:
517:
513:
509:
505:
504:AFC Wimbledon
501:
500:Milton Keynes
496:
494:
490:
484:
481:
480:1991–92
477:
476:Selhurst Park
473:
469:
464:
460:
459:Taylor Report
455:
453:
448:
444:
440:
436:
432:
428:
424:
423:1971–72
420:
416:
412:
407:
405:
401:
397:
392:
388:
384:
383:1957–58
379:
378:1950–51
374:
372:
368:
364:
360:
356:
352:
351:1932–33
348:
343:
341:
337:
333:
329:
324:
320:
305:
303:
299:
295:
294:AFC Wimbledon
290:
288:
284:
280:
276:
273:as part of a
272:
271:Selhurst Park
267:
265:
261:
258:, south west
257:
253:
250:
246:
237:
232:
227:
223:
218:
214:
210:
205:
201:
197:
193:
189:
185:
181:
177:
172:
168:
164:
160:
158:
154:
150:
145:
142:
138:
134:
129:
124:
119:
116:
112:
107:
79:
77:
73:
70:
66:
63:
59:
55:
48:
43:
37:
33:
19:
1320:
1230:. Retrieved
1226:the original
1216:
1204:. Retrieved
1191:
1179:. Retrieved
1175:the original
1165:
1153:. Retrieved
1149:the original
1144:
1135:
1123:. Retrieved
1119:the original
1114:
1105:
1093:. Retrieved
1088:
1078:
1069:
1059:
1047:. Retrieved
1043:the original
1033:
1021:. Retrieved
1007:
995:. Retrieved
991:the original
965:. Retrieved
954:
942:. Retrieved
938:the original
927:
915:. Retrieved
908:the original
876:. Retrieved
872:the original
846:. Retrieved
840:
810:. Retrieved
806:the original
772:. Retrieved
768:the original
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575:
554:Lawrie House
525:
497:
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408:
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344:
316:
291:
268:
244:
243:
174:Construction
86:51°25′42.5″N
36:
1321:Plough Lane
1125:22 December
533:supermarket
468:groundshare
437:decreed by
275:groundshare
245:Plough Lane
101: /
89:0°11′22.8″W
76:Coordinates
40:Plough Lane
32:Plough Lane
1409:Categories
1295:Crazy Gang
587:3 February
568:References
558:Reed House
550:Cork House
463:all-seater
452:Sam Hammam
431:High Court
212:Demolished
128:Sam Hammam
1361:Rivalries
1115:wsc.co.uk
518:in 2011.
491:, in the
439:Charles I
396:inflation
371:Half-time
319:leasehold
256:Wimbledon
195:Renovated
1070:BBC News
387:freehold
361:took on
328:friendly
249:football
157:Capacity
140:Operator
61:Location
1377:Related
1309:Grounds
1290:Seasons
1283:History
529:Safeway
435:statute
415:Arsenal
359:England
308:History
283:Safeway
252:stadium
220:Tenants
166:Surface
133:Safeway
69:England
1232:5 June
1206:5 June
1181:5 June
1155:5 June
1095:5 June
1049:5 June
1023:4 June
997:5 June
967:6 June
944:5 June
917:5 June
878:5 June
812:5 June
774:5 June
727:5 June
700:5 June
673:5 June
646:5 June
619:5 June
489:Dublin
427:market
260:London
247:was a
203:Closed
187:Opened
161:15,876
1200:(PDF)
911:(PDF)
904:(PDF)
848:7 May
470:with
363:Wales
179:Built
169:Grass
114:Owner
1234:2009
1208:2009
1183:2009
1157:2009
1127:2016
1097:2009
1051:2009
1025:2009
999:2009
969:2009
946:2009
919:2009
880:2009
850:2024
814:2009
776:2009
729:2009
702:2009
675:2009
648:2009
621:2009
589:2018
560:and
317:The
215:2002
198:1957
182:1912
1017:BBC
829:UK
474:at
254:in
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