“Appalled” – AFC Wimbledon issue statement opposing European Super League

AFC Wimbledon have issued a statement on the European Super League – describing themselves as “appalled” at the idea.

There has been a heavy backlash to the proposal which has seen 12 clubs, six of them English heavyweights, agree to join the new competition.

UEFA has threatened to throw those clubs out of their domestic competitions as well as banning players from representing their countries.

AFC Wimbledon chief executive Joe Palmer told the club’s website: “These proposals are an affront to the fans, an affront to the game, an affront to the history of the game, and an affront to everything that we – as a club – stand for.

“If there’s one expression that’s very close to our hearts then it’s ‘not in the wider interests of football’. Well, these proposals certainly fit that description.

“If any club is a living example of how precious that structure is, then it’s us. We produced one of the greatest stories in football by rising from the Combined Counties League to where we are now.

“But these proposals could plunge the pyramid into disarray. Stories like ours might never happen again and that would be a very, very sad day for football.

“We have the most competitive league in the world and that’s what makes English football so special. That’s why the Premier League is watched by millions of fans worldwide. We mustn’t let these proposals undermine all that’s great about our game.

“We need to get together and, instead of concentrating on our differences, concentrate on everything we have in common. It’s vital we take a collective approach and I urge everyone to think about that right now.”

PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD