Football Season Review

Wimbledon spent the majority of the previous season dreaming about a play-off place but steeply declined in the late stages of the campaign, with Neal Ardley warning the fans that a fight against the drop might become a reality in the 2017/18 season. it was a self-fulfilling prophecy, as the Dons got off to a very poor start, having won only two of their opening twelve games and only slightly improved over the months of October, November and December. It was not until January, when they went on a five-game run in which they recorded three wins and a draw, did the Dons pull away from the bottom four, but the gap between themselves and the relegation zone was never big enough for them to be able to relax, as their battle to escape the drop went into the final games of the season. They ended their campaign with a run of seven games without a defeat and, even though five of these matches ended in draws, this run proved enough for them to avoid the drop with a game to spare and they went on to secure their survival with a game to spare. A huge bonus for their fans is the fact that Milton Keynes Dons were relegated, which means that, for the first time in their history, the Dons will be in a division above their bitter rivals next time around. The Dons seem like they have a busy summer coming up. They have already released nine players, as well as several members of their 2016 title-winning squad, and Neal Ardley will want to make sure that his side will be much further away from the drop next time around.

Player of the Season: Lyle Taylor