AFC Wimbledon fans pour more money into club as Plough Lane bond total rockets past £3million

AFC Wimbledon owners The Dons Trust have brought in more than £3million to the club in a matter of days, with a bond issue.

That brings to more than £8million the total raised through the loans by the fans to the League One club, since the first one in the months leading up to its return to Plough Lane in November 2020.

It hopes to raise another £300,000 by the end of the month.

The Plough Lane Bond offers a varying financial return by loaning money to AFC Wimbledon and the Dons Trust to help reduce their reliance on external debt.

It was devised to help preserve the fan-owned status of the club.

The latest cash injections, this month, has been through their “choose your own interest rate” bond scheme – The Plough Lane Bond. The trust has dubbed it a target of all the threes: “3.3 by 30.03”.

Bonds can be bought with a “choose your own interest rate” of up to six per cent for new purchasers, or seven per cent for existing bondholders.

Dons Trust Co-Chair Xavier Wiggins said: “At a time when NFTs and Crypto schemes are dominating the headlines as they try to take advantage of football’s popularity, it’s been fantastic to see our fans and investors support the club’s aims through such a traditional investment route.

“We launched our first bond in 2020 and that raised more than £5.6m, which is in itself the biggest bond issuance in British football. Purchasers could choose their own interest rate across a 5, 10 or 25 year term.

“That enabled us to complete the stadium construction. So when we had this round of refinancing in 2022 to replace a bridging loan, it was only natural we would go back to another bond scheme. After all, all clubs look their owners for financial support – and at our place our fans are the owners.

“We are offering interest rates of up to six per cent to new bondholders and, as an additional thankyou to those who supported the initial scheme, existing bondholders can choose up to seven per cent.”

AFC Wimbledon head coach Mark Robinson added: “Our fans never cease to amaze me. Yet again they have stepped up to back our incredible story and we are grateful for every single investment.”

Capacity crowds have returned to see the team compete in League One at Plough Lane thanks to the fans who refused to let their club die after Wimbledon FC was given permission to move to Milton Keynes in 2002.

But the club has not won a game now since December 7 – a run of 18 games.

The bond is part of a process to refinance the costs of completing the stadium and finalising the fixtures and fittings.

The Plough Lane Bond offers a a financial return by loaning money to AFC Wimbledon and the Dons Trust to help reduce their reliance on external debt.

This will help preserve the fan-owned status of the club and continue its support for community initiatives including the award-winning Dons Local Action Group.