The Cherry Red Records Stadium

Wimbledon 0-0 Carlisle United

11th February 2023

On those numerous occasions where I have dipped into the English football pyramid tier four (or League Two as it goes by, these days), I have generally come away rather impressed with the quality of football on show.  It sorta equated with the bottom half of the Scottish Premiership standard I felt: Kilmarnock, St Johnstone, Ross County - that kind of level.

So, I was rather looking forward to this encounter between an AFC Wimbledon side on a run of seven league matches unbeaten at home, and a Carlisle United side sitting in one of the three lofty automatic promotion places, having scored more goals on their travels than any other team in the league.

But this match, it pains me to relate, was just shit.  

We did get to witness a couple of fine stops by home goalkeeper Nik Tzanev: in the first half he had to look lively to palm away a goal-bound header from Carlisle's Kris Dennis before, late on, the big New Zealander acrobatically kept out an effort from visiting midfielder Callum Guy.   

And a memorable, if cringeworthy, fresh-air swipe in front of goal by a United player apart, that was sort of it.  Rather tellingly, I noted, even the generally generous Sky Sports highlights editor could not find even two minutes worth of remotely presentable action from the match footage.

The Wimbledon players prepare to put on a show for us all. 

I remember Cherry Red records from my spotty youth.

Team mascots don't always have to be kids it seems.
Or maybe there is just a very long waiting list.

There was a one-minute silence before the match for the victims of the Turkey/Syria earthquake.

Lee Brown - AFC Wimbledon

Dons' Ethan Chislett gets the "entertainment" underway.

The flats were, I assume, built at the same time as the ground.
prob as part of the same development deal.

Dons' Paul Kalambaye received a smack in the mouth.
Quite why his injury required two physios, I have no idea.

Wimbledon v Carlisle (February 2023)

Wimbledon v Carlisle (February 2023)

Wimbledon v Carlisle (February 2023)

Even this chap, in one of the flats overlooking the ground, found his
phone way more interesting than the nonsense on the pitch.

And, if your flat happens to face away from the pitch, up on the roof is an option.

Carlisle's Darren Gibson received the 38018 Man of the Match.

Wimbledon's Harry Pell

Pell has a bit of a silly shoving match with Jack Armer.

Carlisle United's captain Morgan Feeney.
Has played European football with Everton!

0-0  :-(

Just one Scot on show, although as ever these days it appears, he was only a pretend one - Preston born Jack Armer.  Notionally a left full-back he appeared to spend much of the afternoon in midfield, where he was competently anonymous.  It was his colleague Jordan Gibson who really took the eye - a real livewire, he toiled ceaselessly in the middle of the park to little reward.  

As for the home lot: Welsh defender Chris Gunter strolled through the match barely breaking sweat, as one might expect of a man with over 100 international caps in his cupboard at home.  The tall Harry Pell, who I had last seen having a fine match for Cheltenham at Accrington in 2016, occasionally made a bit of a nuisance of himself with the Carlisle defence, but generally flattered to deceive.  

Perhaps the respective sides' forwards all endured an off-day, but my match notes were startlingly devoid of any positive mentions of any of them.  So 0-0 it finished and, if I had my way, both perpetrators of such grimfests as this would be rewarded with no points each.

The Cherry Red Records Stadium or Plough Lane

I think this wooden sculpture is intended to be Lawrie Sanchez.

Up the stairs to the The Cappagh Stand.

I liked these names on the steps.
I always suspected the Adams Family were Wimbledon supporters

Looking towards Plough Lane

Inside the concourse, there are all manner of interesting Dons' memorabilia.
Including this drawing of Harry Stannard, who played with the (old) club
from 1936-54, once scoring six in an FA Cup qualifying tie.

The history of the current incarnation of the club is recorded on these posters.

This Plough Lane ground (or The Cherry Red Records Stadium) is, of course a totally different venue to that of the same name inhabited by the old Wimbledon FC from 1912-91.  That ground, finally demolished in 2002, was situated a half mile or so down the road and is now the site of residential housing.  Although there is, I believe, a slightly abstract-looking bronze monolith set at the corner of Plough Lane and Durnsford Road commemorating the site of the former Football League stadium.

The current venue, opened in November 2020, was erected on the site of the former Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium which had stood on the spot since 1928.  Rather wonderfully, a stretch of brick wall from what I took to be the perimeter wall of the greyhound stadium somehow escaped the attentions of the demolition guys and, although much of the writing is now badly faded, nevertheless provides a poignant monument to the old dog track.  

 

Relic from the demolished Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium.

Cherry Red Records were a boon companion to me during the 1980s.
It is great to see the name still going strong, even if they appear to concentrate on the
nostalgia market rather than championing up and coming indie artists, these days.

I managed to pick out Wayne County, Marc Almond, Steve Diggle, Dave Brock, Frank Sidebottom, Toyah Wilcox, Kim Wilde, Sheena Easton, Howard Jones, and (maybe) Kevin Rowland from this programme ad.