SkyDaz Banter: Pre-Wimbledon (FA Cup)

So Blues draw ‘recent’ cup winners Wimbledon in the FA Cup! Hard to believe that even Wimbledon have won the prestigious trophy not so long ago. I remember vaguely watching the Cup Final against Liverpool when Sanchez scored the only goal with a near post header. Although for me the most memorable moment was Vinnie Jones’s appalling challenge on Steve MacMahon that apparently gave the Wimbledon players the belief that the scousers were ripe for the taking. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy!

To be honest I couldn’t stand watching Wimbledon. Sorry Dons fans and all you others who enjoyed the ‘rags to riches’ story of the non-league team reaching the top division. A team full of has-beens, never-beens and half human beings. The beautiful game was put in the bottom drawer for a Wimbledon match and the little black book of dark ugly tactics dusted off and read out loud. The game was basic, drafted around sheer thuggery epitomised by the odious, cross-eyed dwarf Dennis Wise. Never has one man demonstrated the Small Man Syndrome so well and so often. He could have appeared on Stars in Your Eyes: ‘Tonight Matthew I am going to be Napoleon.’

Around him Wise, so badly named, had enforcers like Eric Young, Vinnie Jones, John Gayle, Mick Harford, John Fashanu. They were a team of awesome intimidation. Challenges were thunderous; revenge instant and their players were swift to get their retaliation in first. They were awful to watch but oh so effective. The players and the management knew how to get the most out of their limited ability, how to scare the opposition into defeat before the coin was tossed. Today’s FA video panel would be working around the clock looking at various misdemeanours.

What about the new Wimbledon? The displacement of the team from Plough Lane to Milton Keynes was a controversial issue that has been discussed ad nauseum. I wish the club well and hopes it finds harmony.

I saw Wimbledon play Wolves last season and was impressed by the bravery of the management to field so many unknown youngsters against a Premiership seeking side. The Dons played well, they have some exceptional talent and full credit should be given to the back room boys for unearthing players who will go on to play top grade football albeit not with Wimbledon. No doubt the transfer fees will come in handy in balancing the books but as we all know the fire sale of decent players comes at the price of ambition. Rooted to the bottom of Division One and five points adrift the Dons need their best players to survive but they also need the cash that the likes of Reo-Coker, Darlington, McAnuff and Leigterwood would bring in. The Milton Keynes public may be drawn in with fixtures against West Ham, Sunderland and West Brom but may be dissuaded by Doncaster, Colchester and Grimsby. Maybe they need some of the old fighting spirit back. It might save them, just don’t expect me to pay to watch it!

Article reproduced with kind permission of the BCFC official matchday programme.