Dons contest Ledger cup

Woking v AFC Wimbledon
Phil Ledger Memorial Cup
3pm on Saturday 24 July 2010

Woking’s first home friendly game is an attractive fixture against Terry Brown’s side. The match inaugurates the Phil Ledger Memorial Cup – and it’s very fitting that the Cards’ opponents should be Wimbledon since ‘Mr Woking’ also spent several, very happy, years playing for our Surrey neighbours and rivals, including winning an Isthmian League Championship with them.

WOKING

The Cards go into Saturday’s game on the back of four wins in their away friendly games against Sevenoaks Town, Petersfield Town, Winchester City and Arundel. But Terry Brown’s side will of course be a very different proposition – as will the other teams visiting Kingfield in the lead-up to the Cards’ opening BSBS fixture at home to Dover Athletic on 14 August.

Graham Baker has released two triallists (Tobias Weppelmann and Chris Sullivan) midweek. Forward Gomez Dali has made the biggest impression among the remainder but there have been decent performances from a number of others, including full backs Ryan Watts and David Ray, as well as promising displays from new signings and Academy players.

WIMBLEDON

The Dons’ results in their friendly games to date have been:

AFC Wimbledon 2 Charlton Athletic XI 0
Maidenhead United 0 AFC Wimbledon 3
AFC Wimbledon 0 Millwall XI 1
Corinthian Casuals 2 AFC Wimbledon 6

The Dons start their BSBP campaign on 14 August with a long haul up to Southport – a familiar opening day fixture for us in times past!

The Dons finished in 8th position in their first season in the Conference National, falling away in the second half of the season after looking potential play-off contenders. The club has now turned full-time professional and, partly in consequence, there has been a substantial turnover of playing staff. Among those leaving were former Kingfield favourite, Paul Lorraine, whom we will see in Ebbsfleet United’s colours,and of course Alan Inns, signed by Graham Baker to provide the central defensive experience lost with the departures of Tom Hutchinson and Jon Boardman.

The new faces at Kingsmeadow include Ismail Yakubu (experienced central defender from Barnet), Lee Minshull (midfielder from Tonbridge Angels), Rashid Yussuf (aka ‘Toks’, a pacy winger from Gillingham), Andre Blackman (a left back formerly with Portsmouth and, briefly, Bristol City), Christian Jolley (a striker from Kingstonian), Sammy Moore (a midfielder with Dover Athletic last season) and Mark Nwojeki (a forward from Dagenham and Redbridge but whom Cards fans will remember running rings round us for Staines in that infamous FA Cup tie). Strikers retained from last season include the familiar names of Danny Kedwell and Jon Main.

ADMISSION PRICES

£8 adults, £4 concessions, and U16s will be admitted free when accompanied by a paying adult. The game will not be segregated.

There will be a matchday programme, priced at £1.50.


Come on, you Cards!