AFC Wimbledon is a club that has had more than its fair share of footballing heartbreak. From the heights of FA Cup success to the painful loss of their original team. The AFC Wimbledon story is filled with emotion. Much like the Chairboys, they have became a league one force to be reckoned with through fan ownership and belief, climbing their way to League One. They now sit above the club that once took their place.
Thanks to loyal supporter investment and consistent performances, AFC Wimbledon returned to Plough Lane in 2020. The new ground carries the same name as their original home, before this move, the Wombles played at Kingsmeadow with a capacity of just 4,850. I want to look back on our away record at Wimbledon as a whole.
I was surprised to see that Wycombe Wanderers have only ever won away at AFC Wimbledon once. That victory came in our very first encounter, during the FA Cup First Round in 2008. A young referee Anthony Taylor took charge of the match as the Chairboys swept aside a high-flying National League Wimbledon side, winning 4-1 with a hat-trick from Matt Harrold.
It would be another five years before we made the trip again. In 2013, under newly appointed manager Gareth Ainsworth, Wycombe fought back to earn a 2-2 draw against a Wimbledon side in relegation trouble. At the time, Wycombe Wanderers were sitting in 17th place. Later that year, we suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat after a first-half goal from Luke Moore.
Over the following seasons,both clubs settled into life in League Two, meetings became more regular. Each side pushed for promotion in what was a competitive period in the fourth tier. Clubs like Luton, Portsmouth, Plymouth and Coventry were all battling for the same outcome. In April 2015, Wycombe Wanderers and AFC Wimbledon played out a goalless draw in a match that would later feel like a missed opportunity. Those dropped points proved costly as Wycombe Wanderers just missed out on automatic promotion. Another draw followed later that year, 1-1, with former Wycombe loanee Ade Azeez scoring late on to deny us the win.
Our next visit came in 2019 during our return to League One. The chairboys lost 2-1, but with league one safety already secured for the first time in over 20 years at that level. Since then, we’ve recorded two more draws, one during our promotion-winning campaign in 2019 and another in 2022. Most recently, in August 2024, we returned to Plough Lane and were edged out 2-1 in the Football League Trophy.
Nearly 20 years have passed since Wycombe Wanderers last won away at AFC Wimbledon. But much has changed. With Michael Duff now guiding the team and back-to-back 2-0 wins under his leadership, there’s a growing sense of confidence. This could be the time we finally rewrite the story and walk away from Plough Lane with a well-earned win.
