Before this season we'd been to two AFC Wimbledon matches since returning to the League ten years ago, and that includes the Wembley Play-Off. But as a family we've been sold on the new stadium, bought merchandise, gone to the Emirates to see the team in front of 57,000 fans, check what food vans are coming to each match and decide what we will eat.

If I was asked my favourite Rugby League team I would say the London Broncos without thinking. My only link to the sport was watching Saturday afternoon matches on Grandstand, so enough to have a casual understanding of the teams and the sport. I also kept a very close eye on the Broncos when they were being founded at Fulham. But I couldn't tell you the name and ground changes since with confidence. Similar to the London Monarchs (except I went to some Wembley matches), but couldn't say where they played afterwards.

So to have an iconic team (and they are in my opinion) playing locally at a stadium I find both relaxing and a great atmosphere is brilliant. I'm especially looking forward to watching matches live rather than on TV, a very different perspective for any sport. The fact it is a summer sport makes it even more enticing.

The new Plough Lane of course replaced the Greyhound stadium. I watched the Speedway, Stock Cars and Greyhounds there at times. But it wasn't a stadium I enjoyed. At the moment the new Plough Lane itself is making it a pleasure to visit and I think it could be a bit like the Theatre. I'd like to go to the Theatre, let's see what's on. I'd like to see some sport, what's on this weekend at Plough Lane, it's the Broncos. I know that reads a bit sickly as a comment, but seriously don't underestimate it as a small positive. Many of us have been exposed to a first visit to a sport (or similar) and become either hooked or at least a partial follower/attendee. Particularly powerful if you take young kids who love the experience.

Not even Buck and Dusty. Jeez, the lazy s.

Hi crashmon,

Not at all. I've felt very welcomed by everybody on this forum. I can also feel the scars that have built up over the years. Even if the running of the club was perfect, I can't imagine the inconvenience of moving around London multiple times as a supporter.

I'm also conscious that me referring to AFC Wimbledon too often is going to indirectly grate on people. There is much wrong with that football club, so it's certainly not all rosier over there.

It is hard to see where the Broncos go from here if it's not a success in Wimbledon simply because it does feel an element of rock bottom by having to go part-time and likely finishing lower than at anytime in their history.

It's a tricky sport when teams are unevenly matched. Basketball is similar in that it can be so one sided. A sport such as football where their can be limited scores can keep the result on edge even with one team dominating. It's generally not too hard to follow a team near the bottom of a league (ten in eleven seasons for AFC Wimbledon probably!). It's the matches against the likes of Featherstone and Leigh which are going to be a tough watch, especially for somebody at their first match.

As someone from North London the move to South West London was neither convenient or welcome for me personally but, by fault or design, a relaunch was needed and a move to Wimbledon was felt a strong choice. I can see the force of that argument. The issue for me, and I think quite a few others, has mainly been the total disconnect between investing heavily in a relaunch (rent to the Dons and 2 training ground providers, advertising) whilst appearing to reduce investment in the playing and non playing staff by an unprecedented level. Not only do we risk undoing all the good work (and wasting good will with Dons supporters and upfront advertising campaigns) by having a non competitive side but we don’t seem to even have the back room staff to deliver all the little day to day things like marketing, match day experience, fan engagement, merchandise even things as micro as having mascots and keeping the website up to date. A side that is liable to be comfortably beaten by many of its competitors is not likely to maximise its potential. It’s easy to criticise and it’s easy to spend other people’s money but the big spend on the ground had to, in some way, be balanced by some kind of spend on playing and back room operation. The consensus on this forum appeared to be that the 1st 3 home games were a good guide to where we are: 3 reasonable sides but ones we would historically beat. If we lose all 3 and the games are over at half time as per Widnes: something would need to be done or this could get messy. The answer isn’t to keep recruiting from Skolars, who perennially come one from last in the league below and frankly adverts can draw people in but they stay because they enjoy the experience and much of that is about what is dished up on field. At a time where we all want to be optimistic there is a real threat we might end up in a relegation dog fight and an unintended consequence of our recruitment policy may well be that only the chaos at WWR and the obvious challenges of Cornwall working out will stop Skolars from losing every week and finishing bottom of the pile.

DH needs to get rid of the monkey and possibly the lobster and apologise to all the fans which have been told not to come back because these two did not want listen to very helpful constructive advice of years long fans. Most of the fans they have barred are longstanding fans with anything from 17 to 27 years standing. Also apologise to fans that have been removed from the forum etc. Until these two go and new knowledgeable people are appointed the club will never prosper

David Hughes doesn't take advice from anyone. It's his club and in his eyes he and his appointed staff can do no wrong......when we were relegated it was 100% down to his reaction to a hammering by Wigan in the cup, when we ruined the relationship with quins it was 100% down to his employing inept CEOs, when we opted to look away from Ealing it was again down to a breakdown in he relationship with the landlords.....
Brentford, Harlequins and even Ealing Trailfinders all seem to be doing fine without us