A devoted AFC Wimbledon supporter who has amassed over £50,000 for his club following a stadium flood described the outpouring of support as 'flabbergasting.' Graham Stacey, a 50-year-old from Hook in Hampshire, initiated the fundraiser—which exceeded its £50,000 goal—after the Cherry Red Records Stadium was inundated and a sinkhole appeared on the pitch, a consequence of heavy rainfall that surpassed a month's worth in just 24 hours on Monday. The £50,000 milestone was reached on Tuesday, thanks to a £15,000 donation from 'Newcastle United.' AFC Wimbledon was scheduled to face Newcastle in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday but the match was postponed and rescheduled for October 1 at St James' Park.
Stacey expressed that Newcastle's support was 'incredible' but humorously added that Wimbledon still plans to defeat them next week. 'I should apologize because they've been so generous, and if we do [win] I'd almost feel bad... but it's incredibly generous of them,' he said. Initially, Stacey set a fundraising target of £10,000, which was quickly surpassed and subsequently increased to £50,000. 'I've just been asking people on WhatsApp where we go from here, because the money will be needed,' he explained.
The club received backing from American author John Green, who 'donated £200 and was one of the earlier donors.' 'I spoke to him on [X] and he shared our link for our crowdfunding. He put some money in himself, which is very generous,' he said. 'We had lots of donations from America, so I'm sure he's probably behind a lot of that.' Videos of the apparent sinkhole circulated online, which Stacey initially believed were AI-generated due to the unprecedented scale of the flooding. 'To be honest, when I saw the first video, I thought it was AI,' he said. 'I thought someone had superimposed a golf course on to our pitch because it was so outlandish—how could that happen? It's very dramatic looking but it was devastating because of the extent of it. I've not seen anything like that, certainly not on a football pitch and not in this country before.'
Stacey was moved by the messages of support from Wimbledon fans and rival clubs who contributed to his fundraiser, highlighting his club as 'fan-owned' without the backing of a 'sugar daddy.' 'We're not a rich club,' he added. 'We aim to be sustainable. What we put in, we get out. It's been incredible. Never more so than times like this you think football's a real community when it comes together like this and it puts rivalries aside. It's been delightful and flabbergasting in some ways because the messages are almost as rewarding as the donations.'
Stacey, who served as a board member of the Dons Trust—a group of supporters who oversee the club—between 2019 and 2022, stated that the funds will be used to repair the stadium and pitch, as well as safeguard the club's museum. He acknowledged the flooding as 'a bad time in just about every regard' as the club was on the verge of topping League Two. Stacey extended his gratitude to Wimbledon fans and the broader football community for their 'amazing spirit.' To learn more about Stacey's fundraiser, visit here.
