Wimbledon Personalised Gifts
Our Wimbledon Gifts are unofficial products, and are in no way affiliated with Wimbledon FC, unless specifically stated in the product information.
Wimbledon Memorabilia and Gift Ideas
GoneDigging has a fabulous range of personalised Wimbledon merchandise, including unique memorabilia and great gift ideas. Below you will find a selection of our most popular Wimbledon gifts, in addition to a few interesting facts about the Dons.
Brief History of Wimbledon FC
Wimbledon FC was founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central FC; named after the Old Central School on Wimbledon Common. The club became known as Wimbledon FC in 1911 and it spent sixty-seven years as a non-league side. In 1975, Wimbledon beat Burnley in the third round of the FA Cup. This was the first time in the twentieth century that a non-league side had beaten a top division club at their own ground. The Dons became famous and subsequently joined the Fourth Division two years later. Wimbledon reached the First Division in 1986, just nine years after joining the Football League. The Dons stayed in the top division for fourteen years, achieving a high of sixth place in 1994. The team was dubbed “The Crazy Gang" in reference to boisterous supporters and a group of eccentric players, such as Vinnie Jones, Wally Downes and Lawrie Sanchez. Wimbledon won their only major trophy in 1988, beating Liverpool in the final of the FA Cup. John Motson famously announced “The Crazy Gang has beaten the Culture Club!"
The Controversial Demise of Wimbledon FC…
Wimbledon FC played at Plough Lane Stadium until 1991. The local ground faced problems when the Taylor Report was released in 1989, stipulating that all stadia should be fully seated. The club already had financial problems and could not afford to convert the ground, especially as it would have reduced capacity – and therefore revenue – by a dramatic amount. Wimbledon shared Selhurst Park with Crystal Palace until 2003 and relegation in 2000 was financially disastrous.
The club believed that relocation to somewhere outside London would be more profitable - a proposal that angered fans enormously. The move was also immediately rejected by the Football League and Football Association. The club’s owners successfully appealed against the decision of the Football Association in 2002 and fans formed a break-away club named AFC Wimbledon. The original Wimbledon FC relocated to Milton Keynes in 2003 and following a disastrous first season, new owner Peter Winkleman rebranded the club and renamed it Milton Keynes Dons FC. Many Wimbledon FC supporters had by this stage already converted to AFC Wimbledon.
Wimbledon Memorabilia
We offer an exciting range of personalised Wimbledon gifts, which include various items of Wimbledon memorabilia. These presents can be kept for years to come and are a terrific idea for any fan of the Dons.
Our Personalised Wimbledon Football Book incorporates a variety of match reports from the club’s history. Written by journalists who were there at the time, this reproduced newspaper coverage forms a fascinating record of some of the best performances of Wimbledon FC.
The Football Book features the first game that Wimbledon played in the Football League, which was against Halifax in 1977. It goes on to include subsequent promotions, such as the 1-0 victory against Huddersfield Town in 1986 which guaranteed the club top flight football. Cup highlights include the famous 0-1 win against Burnley in the 1975 FA Cup third round and the victorious FA Cup campaign of 1988. In addition to a report on the 1-0 win against Liverpool in the final, we incorporate a preview of the match and an article on the celebrations. The Wimbledon Book also contains some fantastic League Cup results, including the 2-1 victory against Manchester United in the 1988 third-round, the dramatic penalty win against Liverpool in the 1993 fourth-round and the 2-1 defeat of Chelsea in the 1998 quarter-final. There are many other exciting games to read about and high-scoring thrillers include the 0-5 thrashing of Crystal Palace in 1985, the 5-1 win against Spurs in 1991, and the 4-3 victory against Aston Villa in 1994. We also feature the first game and the first win at the new Milton Keynes stadium.
Twelve of the best match reports are featured in our Personalised Wimbledon Diary and Personalised Wimbledon Calendar. Games include the 1-0 win against Liverpool in the 1988 FA Cup final and the 0-1 victory against Huddersfield Town that won promotion to the First Division in 1986. We also incorporate fabulous cup ties against teams such as Leeds United in 1975, Nottingham Forest in 1983 and Manchester United in 1997. Both gifts can start from the month of your choice and they are a fantastic way to keep track of future events, whilst reminiscing upon former glory days.
More Gift Ideas
Our Personalised Wimbledon Commentaries make unusual and entertaining presents for fans of the Dons. A professional radio commentator will record an original commentary, based upon your choice of match highlights. Your recipient could become a hero by saving a crucial penalty, providing a great assist or scoring a stunning last-minute goal. In doing so, they could also be nominated as Man of the Match.
Another fun gift idea is a Spoof Newspaper Headline. Recipients could score a hat-trick for Wimbledon in the FA Cup Final. They could alternatively be voted Player of the Year or become the New England Manager.