Why is MK Dons vs AFC Wimbledon a rivalry?

WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 28: The Wimbledon squad celebrate during the penalty shoot out during the Carabao Cup Second Round match between AFC Wimbledon and Ipswich Town at The Cherry Red Records Stadium on August 28, 2024 in Wimbledon, England. (Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images) Why is MK Dons vs AFC Wimbledon a rivalry?
(Image credit: Getty Images)

MK Dons and AFC Wimbledon meet in the First Round of the FA Cup on Sunday, reigniting a long-standing feud between the two clubs.

Based in Milton Keynes, MK Dons and AFC Wimbledon are more than 60 miles apart, while the latter have only been officially in existence since May 2002. The FA Cup clash will be just the 17th time they'll have played against each other in their history, too, though there'll inevitably be plenty of tension both on the pitch and in the stands.

So why is there such a rivalry between MK Dons and AFC Wimbledon? FourFourTwo highlights the reasons below...

Why is MK Dons vs AFC Wimbledon a rivalry?

MILTON KEYNES, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 02: Players and fans celebrate as Jack Midson of AFC Wimbledon scores their first goal during the FA Cup with Budweiser Second Round match between MK Dons and AFC Wimbledon at StadiumMK on December 2, 2012 in Milton Keynes, England. This match is the first meeting between the two teams following the formation of AFC Wimbledon (the football club formed in 2002 by supporters unhappy with their club's relocation to Milton Keynes) and the MK Dons (which Wimbledon F.C. controversially became). (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

AFC Wimbledon celebrate at Stadium MK (Image credit: Getty Images)

The rivalry between MK Dons and AFC Wimbledon comes down to controversial events two decades ago, when Peter Winkelman, fronting the project for a large development in Milton Keynes, which included moving a Football League club there, relocated the original Wimbledon FC to Milton Keynes.

In 2001, Wimbledon FC's board of directors decided to relocate the club to Milton Keynes, but faced plenty of opposition from the club's fans, the Football League and the FA. An FA arbitration meeting later gave the club permission to move, however, after a three-person independent commission voted 2-1 in favour of the relocation.

It still took some time for the move to happen, though, but when Wimbledon entered into administration in 2003, the move accelerated. By September 2003, Wimbledon were now playing at the National Hockey Stadium in Milton Keynes under their original name. It took another year before Winkelman eventually managed to rename the club to Milton Keynes Dons FC, choosing a new all-white kit and club crest in the process.

Ronan Curtis celebrates his 94th-minute winner for AFC Wimbledon against MK Dons in March 2024.

Ronan Curtis celebrates his 94th-minute winner for AFC Wimbledon against MK Dons in March 2024 (Image credit: Getty Images)

While some Wimbledon FC fans followed the club with the move, most stayed in south-west London to support AFC Wimbledon. AFC quickly rose from Non-League to the Football League, with the clubs first facing off in an FA Cup match in 2012. MK Dons won, with their first league meeting coming four years later in 2016.

In relocating Wimbledon and completely rebranding the club, some AFC Wimbledon fans, however, don't even recognise MK Dons as a legitimate side.

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The rivalry goes both ways, too - MK Dons technically won the FA Cup in 1988 (Wimbledon FC lifted the trophy after beating Liverpool at Wembley) but they returned the trophy and other Wimbledon FC memorabilia to the London Borough of Merton in 2007. This was part of an agreement made in 2006 between the club, the Football Supporters Federation, and the Wimbledon and Milton Keynes Dons Supporters Associations.

MK Dons also agreed that references to the club should only refer to events after August 7, 2004, when the club first played under that name.

While the rivalry continues, Pete Winkelman has since left MK Dons, selling the club in August 2024 to a Kuwait-based consortium, with Fahad Al Ghamin replacing him as chairman.

Ryan Dabbs
Staff writer

Ryan is a staff writer for FourFourTwo, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before eventually earning himself a position with FourFourTwo permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future.