AFC Wimbledon provide update as second match is postponed after sinkhole damage

AFC Wimbledon person confirmed that their lucifer with Accrington Stanley has been postponed contempt tankers removing much than 100,000 litres of h2o from their Plough Lane transportation this week.

An tremendous sinkhole opened up connected the waterlogged turf astatine the Dons’ location crushed aft dense rainfall successful the superior connected Sunday night.

Extensive flooding in the country – caused by the River Wandle breaking its banks – besides damaged the club’s offices, retail store and museum.

It’s understood repairs to AFC Wimbledon’s stadium could outgo up to £1million.

Wimbledon’s Carabao Cup third-round necktie with Newcastle was subsequently pushed backmost to October 1, which resulted successful the club’s League Two clash with Crewe – owed to instrumentality spot that time – besides being postponed.

On Wednesday it was confirmed that Wimbledon’s league contention with Accrington Stanley, primitively acceptable to instrumentality spot this Saturday, had met the aforesaid fate.

Wimbledon had hoped to signifier their brushwood with Accrington astatine different stadium but a ‘viable alternative’ has not been recovered – and a caller day for the fixture volition beryllium announced successful owed course.

‘Despite important efforts astatine AFC Wimbledon successful the past 48 hours, it has not been imaginable to unafraid a viable alternate crushed for Saturday,’ a connection connected Wimbledon’s website read.

‘With immense regret, the EFL person truthful postponed the lucifer versus Accrington Stanley.

‘Tickets volition stay valid for the rearranged date, with much details to travel successful owed course.’

A crowdfunding page, acceptable up by a Wimbledon instrumentality named Graham Stacey, had aimed to rise £50,000 to assistance hole the extended harm to the waterlogged transportation astatine Plough Lane, officially named the Cherry Red Records Stadium.

At the clip of writing, donations person surpassed £103,000, with Premier League giants Newcastle – the squad Wimbledon had been owed to look – pledging £15,000 to the cause.

In a connection connected their website, the League Two outfit confirmed that a drama fundraiser volition spell up arsenic planned connected Friday evening.

‘More than 100,000 litres of h2o was removed from the grounds precocious connected Monday nighttime via tankers. Since then, respective autarkic experts person been connected tract to inspect the transportation astatine aboveground level,’ the connection read.

‘Meanwhile, nine unit and volunteers person begun the clean-up cognition astatine crushed level including the shop, museum, offices and passageway area. Johnnie Jackson and his coaching unit visited the stadium yesterday to inspect the harm and talk with unit connected site.

‘Since 6am this morning, diggers person begun the excavation of the transportation area. All stadium unit person returned to work, up of the reopening of the stadium planned for Friday, with our drama fundraising evening proceeding arsenic planned.

‘We person been overwhelmed by generous fiscal contributions from Wimbledon supporters, and supporters of a fig of different clubs, to the Justgiving page established by protagonist Graham Stacey. Donations present basal astatine £100,000 from much than 2,000 donors – including a important donation from Newcastle United. 

‘From everyone astatine the Club, convey you to each and each idiosyncratic and organisation who has done so. We are eternally grateful. Come connected you Dons!’

Wimbledon sealed their spot successful the 3rd circular of the Carabao Cup with a penalty-shootout triumph implicit Ipswich past month.

Johnnie Jackson’s men beryllium 5th successful League Two aft a promising commencement to the campaign, winning 4 of their opening six games.

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