Photo Courtesy of AFC Wimbledon
Plough Lane was on my schedule for a football match when I visited London in a couple of weeks. However, that might not be the case as the club works to repair its pitch in hopes of hosting another game soon.
The home of AFC Wimbledon received heavy damage from recent floodings from the nearby River Wandle, which broke its banks following a period of heavy rain. The club does not know when it will be able to return home.
The entire pitch, concourse, buildings, and ground floor were completely underwater. It resulted in the pitch resembling a golf course with sandy bunkers and more than 26,417 gallons of water pumped out of the stadium. The torrential rains also opened up a sinkhole in the corner of the pitch.
Club management could spend close to ￡1.5 million to repair the pitch, and club supporter Graham Stacey set up a JustGiving site that has raised ￡108,151 out of 150,000 of its goals for repairs. Volunteers have helped clear away debris inside the stadium this week.
The Wombles League Two match with Accrington was postponed after failing to find a suitable stadium in London to play. Its midweek Carabao Cup match against Newcastle will be staged at St James’s Park on Tuesday, October 1. Newcastle will donate ￡15,000 and half of the gate fees will also go to repair the pitch at Plough Lane.
James Woodroof, the club’s managing director, told the BBC that he thought the images were AI.
"We didn't realise it was going to be to this extent... It's been 60 years since the water had reached this level, and essentially,AF we were totally overwhelmed by it.”
The current stadium, known as Cherry Red Records Stadium, for advertising purposes opened in November 2020.
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