This case study provides an insight into a unique and unprecedented event in English professional football: the relocation of a major club to a completely different geographical area.
The ruling, in 2002, was hugely controversial, and effectively spawned two entirely new entities: MK Dons FC, who took the place of Wimbledon FC in the Football League and based themselves in Milton Keynes, 60 miles away from the original club; and AFC Wimbledon, a fan- owned ‘phoenix’ club which started again at the bottom of the football pyramid and is located near to Wimbledon FC’s original home.
Despite their creation resulting from the same event, the two newly created clubs are notable for their contrasting ownership models and the reaction they have received from both the media and the wider football community in Great Britain
