3pm 12 February 2022
English Football League, League One
AFC Wimbledon 1 Sunderland 1 (att 8,381)
As I much prefer non-League football I find occasional visits to league grounds, while necessary to re-complete 'the 92', can be a bit of a chore. But the welcome rise of AFC Wimbledon, and their return to Plough Lane, meant I was looking forward to this one.
The way fortunes can change in football, or at least used to before overseas billionaires got involved, is evidenced by that fact that Sunderland were the visitors. It doesn't seem long ago that newly-formed AFC Wimbledon joined the Combined Counties League, at a time when the Wearsiders were in the Premier League (albeit finishing bottom).
Whether they're still in the same division next season remains to be seen. Sunderland's recent poor form has meant a managerial change, but they still have a good chance of promotion. Wimbledon could be exiting League One in the opposite direction.
A draw was a fair result. A 20th minute penalty put the home side in front, before an excellent free kick 15 minutes later made it level. Other than that clear chances were limited, although with more composure up front Wimbledon in particular might have turned attacking possession into a goal.
The Cherry Red Records Stadium is what used to be Wimbledon's greyhound stadium, but with the dogs long gone it's a new build on the same site. The main stand is impressive, the other three sides less so, but it's more than adequate for now and can doubtless be improved as crowds and finances allow.
This was, I think, the biggest crowd inside the stadium so far. It was also larger than the attendance when I visited Wimbledon, then in the top flight, against Newcastle at their former Plough Lane ground in 1987. Less surprisingly, it also topped the number watching when I saw them at the hockey stadium in Milton Keynes in 2003.
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