THE CONCRETE ROUNDABOUT (TCR)

I think this is rather sad, and I don’t think it reflects well on us as a fanbase.

The different chairs and board members that we’ve had over the past twenty years have all bought their differing approaches and ideas to the SA, but the one thing they all have in common is that they’ve given up their time, and put their efforts into doing things for the good of the club and the supporter base.

It would have been very easy for all of them to not do it at all, which may be where we’ve now ended up, but that really isn’t something that should be celebrated. Anyone who has ever put their head up above the parapet in any Dons related world will tell you that it’s not just a thankless task, but it is something that will get you a lot of grief, yet up till now, people still have been prepared to do it.

For those of you still repeating the “I don’t know what they do”, or “I don’t know why we need an SA when we have a supporters board” crap, just five minutes on the SA website should give you the answers to that, at least in terms of what they’ve done recently, and what they’ve done in the past. As for what they could do in the future, are you really suggesting that right now, we don’t need supporter input and representation?

Maybe the SA isn’t for you - maybe it doesn’t do anything that you want it to do - if that is the case, then there are three options I guess. You could get involved and make sure the SA does what you think it needs to do. Or you could appreciate the effort that fellow supporters are putting in, investing their time and efforts to do something for the club and the supporters, and just leave them be. Or you could just sit on the sidelines and criticise those who are actually trying to do something.

In a time where there are so many things that people are unhappy about in terms of the club, both on and off the pitch, for the general view to be that the longest standing supporters organisation not only isn’t needed now, but won’t be needed in the future and can therefore be left to dissolve, seems to be frankly bizarre and remarkably shortsighted.

This may be an unpopular opinion (wrong thread - self-reported), but in my view it’s areas like this where our lack of experience as a supporter base really shows us up. A more established club will have more of a core of experience in its supporter base, who can and will be the voice of reason in a situation like this. We don’t have this, and indeed we sometimes have what should be our elder statesmen can be seen to be leading the charge against whoever followed in their footsteps.

I’m feeling more than a little disappointed in myself for not going to the meeting - I don’t have the time to get involved, but I will do anything I can to help those who will get involved, if this situation can be recovered.

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Website now updated as often as once every few years. Very exciting.

I have put this post as a seperate thread. It does seem there may well be people on here who have the time and love for our club who could really ‘step up’ and make a difference?

The problem I've always had with the DSA is how political it's felt. It's why I've never got involved.
There have been many a good person associated with the DSA (Too many to name, so I won't name many but those that know me will know whether I think well of them or not by how friendly I've been to them over the years) and I've supported their work. From Adam cycling to all the away games - a feat that imo isn't celebrated enough by the football club. I genuinely think he should have a mural of some kind at the stadium and maybe even a little video by the clubs official channels to celebrate that. That should never ever be forgotten.
To John Brockwell, who helped me personally in an incident I'd rather forget back in 2015, and also standing front and centre during "The first meeting" and many years before and since, never shied away and answered many a question.
Colin Butler who helped bring Lewington's to the stadium, even Steve Gifford and his team putting their hands in their own pocket to sort us all some bottled water for a bubble away trip on a boiling hot evening.. the list goes on and on.
However, through things I've heard during every single era of the MKDSA, it's something I chose to take a back seat on. I haven't the time, energy or motivation to surround myself and my free time with that sort of drama. Fall out with people who I get on with because certain people get their knickers in a twist with how one handles themselves and what their ideas are, and ruin friendships because of such. This is what seems to happen all the time regardless who is spearheading the association.
I've attended fans forums, donated to causes, and taken part in events as an unofficial member - there is room for the thing, I just don't think it's a coincidence that almost everyone who's been chair, or just involved in whatever capacity who has left and all said pretty much the same thing.

Is it sad it's gone/going the way it is? Yeah. As i said, there's room for it. Some great occasions have been under the umbrella of the MKDSA - But there are many examples where people need to get their house in order. This is not one particular person, or one particular party. It's messy. And always has been. Hense why it feels so political and like a dodgy working man's club at times. And as I said it's no coincidence that many get burnt out, and disassociate themselves from the thing entirely.

I, personally, hear things all the time from people, and they often match up with what I heard from someone else.. but I choose to take people at face value. I get on with a lot of people I hear negative things about - and will give them benefits of the doubt until I have reason not to, but its never ever felt like a warm, inviting place to want to associate myself with.
It'd be incredibly sad to see it go, whether that is the current regime bringing it to the ground or everything before it bringing this to ahead... but it needs a serious reshape. How, why, when, what, I don't know. And frankly, I don't care how. I've chose to never be involved so haven't the foggiest. But it does. And I hope it does. And I hope it comes back stronger.

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Also, in response to Brando:

The reason many don't know "what" they do is because they don't see it. The avenues DonsAction have taken to promote their causes have been more noticeable across a 5 year period. A lot of it from the bedrooms of lads aged between 17-23. I dont disagree that the MKDSA do stuff, they're just not as good at reaching out to fans of all corners, in my opinion.



Very true, but a more established club also likely doesn't have difficulties in creating identities and working as hard to be welcoming and gaining newer fans. And everyone who supports this club has different ideas on what and how it should be. If you support Sheffield Wednesday, you know what that club is. And the things you might not like, as a club and a fanbase, you'd take on the chin because it's part of the club. We have fans who don't even like our name for God's sake, it's hardly comparable to what a "more established club" is like. We are a lesser established club, it's why we're messy on things like this.
But if you're telling me that other clubs, more established clubs, don't have various supporters groups who clash with each other you're fooling yourself.

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I'm not really involved in all this stuff any more but Alby mentioned the situation this week to me.

I've always felt the problem with the MKDSA was that it was spread too thinly. You only ever have so many volunteers willing to commit so much time and effort to do so much. I've been there and it's harder than you might think. I mean, I was just the drunkard sat in the corner coming up with wacky ideas and I found it a burden, so Christ knows what people like Brando and Digger have had to deal with over the years.

I felt that Colin was the one chairman that understood the situation better than anyone: better to do a few things properly (Brentford) than a million things half-arsed (Tottenham). He was the one person who I felt gave the SA some identity, where at least people knew what it stood for, rather than aimlessly drifting along and not really serving anyone properly at all.

Which leads us to the current situation where - from my outsider view, at least - there is a lot of apathy around the SA (because nobody knows what it's there for and nobody wants to take it on), and a lot of apathy around the club in general (because the football is fruity dogshit).

If there isn't a place for a 'traditional' SA any more, I don't think that's necessarily a problem, as long as the club is willing to listen to groups like DA that represent different priorities and different demographics. I freely admit that I'm quite envious about what DonsAction have achieved, because I'd have loved to have done some of that stuff, but I'm too old, too posh and too confrontational.

There was a clear need for the MKDSA in the first few years after the move, and in keeping lines of communication open with the club as it grew. But if it isn't really serving anyone now, other than the whims of whoever might be in charge at the time, is it worth keeping it going?

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"There's an awful lot of guff spoken about Snoop Doggy Dogg, coming from the Bronx, committing violent crimes. I was actually at school with Snoop, at Eton: he was my Short Tennis partner and as far as I'm concerned, he's a jolly good egg!"

I went to the meeting as I felt it was a momentous decision to disband a SA and felt it was linked to the club fall down the league. I understand the workload, however I wonder how other clubs cope with the work?

I was expecting people to put the case for and against, but Welldon has said that this wasn't possible, although it was agreed to read out two statements at the start of the meeting. We did have one person willing to stand as chair and one person did express an interest to attend meeting, but they, I understand haven't met since the autumn. I abstained on the votes as I didn't feel in a position to decide.

The way I look at it is what are the priorities for the SA to stop the work becoming too onerous. I would suggest representing fans for the match day experience, away travel, as an advocat in any complaints, links to the club like SET, teams and to other supporters' bodies like Dons Action.

I would suggest that a questionnaire is sent to SA members to ascertain their priorities, that members are allowed to attend meetings by Teams as Observers (if possible), that there is a members' section of the web site, which can include interviews with players, ex-players, etc.

I believe it will be a shame to let the SA dissolve and now I'm retired I'm happy to help. However if the SA is still in limbo by the start of the new season, I would support a vote to dissolve it.

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Disclaimer: All my comments are my opinions unless stated otherwise. I'm just a fan following my club.

For clarification I did ask prior to the meeting that some sort of discussion took place so attendees could better understand how things had got to this point, thinking it would be a good starting point for a rebuild if people wanted it, but I was told that was not allowed under EGM rules, then two statements were read out, allowing if you like for a POV to be heard, again no real discussion was allowed.
I’m not sure who voted what way, I was sitting at the front, but one attendee told me that former and most current DSA committee members voted for it to be disbanded. Again for clarification I did not vote for it to be disbanded and neither did Aiden Gray another recent DSA Chairman.

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Being tortured for over 90 minutes on a weekly basis is taking its toll.

Thanks for the clarification.

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Disclaimer: All my comments are my opinions unless stated otherwise. I'm just a fan following my club.

I've been watching the club from the first game. I didn't like the way the club arrived, local people were never given any say in the matter. I've always said that the name was ridiculous - MK residents had no say in that either and on top of that to be effectively blamed for Wimbledon's demise is senseless.

There are at least 5/6 people willing and ready to step forward.However, there are some hurdles to conquer for that to happen. Another EGM would need calling with resolution to form those people to new committee as the starting point.