AFC Wimbledon fan ‘flabbergasted’ as sinkhole fundraiser hits £50,000 target | AFC Wimbledon

An AFC Wimbledon fan who has raised greater than £50,000 for his membership after the stadium was hit by flooding mentioned the help has been “flabbergasting”.

Graham Stacey, 50, from Hook in Hampshire, arrange the fundraiser – which has surpassed its revised goal of £50,000 – after the Cherry Pink Information Stadium was hit with flooding and appeared to have a sinkhole within the pitch after some areas of the nation noticed greater than a month’s value of rain in 24 hours on Monday. The £50,000 mark was crossed on Tuesday after a donor named “Newcastle United” gave £15,000. The goal has now been elevated to £100,000.

AFC Wimbledon had been resulting from play Newcastle within the third spherical of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday, nevertheless it was known as off and rescheduled for 1 October at St James’ Park.

Stacey mentioned that Newcastle’s help had been “unimaginable” however joked Wimbledon nonetheless intend to beat them subsequent week. “I ought to apologise as a result of they’ve been so beneficiant, and if we do [win] I’d nearly really feel unhealthy … nevertheless it’s extremely beneficiant of them,” he mentioned.

The Wimbledon fan initially set a fundraising goal of £10,000, however that was surpassed in a couple of hours and elevated to £50,000. “I’ve simply been asking folks on WhatsApp the place we go from right here, as a result of the cash will probably be wanted,” he mentioned.

The membership are supported by the American writer John Inexperienced who “donated £200 and was one of many earlier donors”. “I spoke to him on [X] and he shared our hyperlink for our crowdfunding. He put some cash in himself, which could be very beneficiant,” he mentioned. “We had a lot of donations from America, so I’m positive he’s most likely behind a whole lot of that.”

Movies of the obvious sinkhole within the membership’s stadium circulated on-line, which Stacey initially thought was generated by synthetic intelligence as the dimensions of the flooding was not one thing he had seen earlier than. “To be sincere, after I noticed the primary video, I believed it was AI,” he mentioned. “I believed somebody had superimposed a golf course on to our pitch as a result of it was so outlandish – how might that occur? It’s very dramatic trying nevertheless it was devastating due to the extent of it. I’ve not seen something like that, definitely not on a soccer pitch and never on this nation earlier than.”

He mentioned he has been touched by messages of help from followers of Wimbledon and rival golf equipment who’ve donated to his fundraiser, and described his membership as “fan-owned” with out help from a “sugar daddy”. “We’re not a wealthy membership,” he added. “We intention to be sustainable. What we put in, we get out.

“It’s been unimaginable. By no means extra so than instances like this you assume soccer’s an actual neighborhood when it comes collectively like this and it places rivalries apart. It’s been pleasant and flabbergasting in some methods as a result of the messages are nearly as rewarding because the donations.”

Stacey, who was a board member of the Dons Belief – the supporters group who oversee the membership – between 2019 and 2022, mentioned the fundraiser will go in the direction of repairing the stadium and pitch in addition to protecting the membership’s museum protected.

Stacey mentioned the flooding has been “a foul time in nearly each regard” because the membership had been near going prime of League Two. He thanked Wimbledon followers and the broader soccer neighborhood for his or her “superb spirit”. To be taught extra about Stacey’s fundraiser, go to right here.