Dons Trust Board Elections - A review of the Manifestos
6 candidates, 2 withdrawals, and a missing name…
Election season again. Eight Six hopefuls, eight six essays on transparency, fan ownership, and the importance of holding yet another SGM in the Legends Lounge. All of them written with varying degrees of sincerity, self-regard, or use of AI.
The candidates want your vote. We want to stop you from falling asleep while reading their promises. So here’s our review.
We should say up front, WombleWorld doesn’t do endorsements. That would be wrong. We’re here to provide context, jokes, and the occasional reminder that the Dons Trust Board genuinely once debated how many drinks volunteers could have on away day.
Except of course we’re going to make recommendations. We didn’t slog through over 6,000 words of “governance may not be glamorous” and “our Women’s squad deserves our support” to be told we don’t have opinions. We’ll claim balance, then shamelessly tell you which names will stop the minutes being 90 percent redactions and who will just bring more Discord arguments.
So yes. We won’t make recommendations. No, wait. We will. And we’ll probably contradict ourselves halfway through. Which is exactly how the DTB would want it.
The Candidates:
The Returnees: Familiar Faces, Familiar Moans
Hood is running again, and his pitch is less “let’s move forward” and more “burn it down, start again”, and “did you know I once liked a tweet that offended someone.”
Hood technically resigned early, only to immediately re-stand like a contestant storming off Love Island then walking back in two episodes later. His manifesto is loud, combative, and full of “I’ll ask the hard questions” energy. Which is awkward, because he spent most of his first year on mute. The board minutes record less impact than a passing breeze. He’s gone from ghost to ghostwriter of his own comeback story. Whether this time he keeps making noise or fades back into silence is anyone’s guess.
There is the risk that if elected he spends the whole year drafting statements about his own statements until the meeting is just him arguing with himself.
If Simon were a tube line: Central Line. Loud, direct, and prone to dramatic breakdowns at the worst possible moment.
Drake is basically a founder-member encyclopaedia. He can list the exact tin-foil cups he’s waved since 1988 and the working groups he’s been involved with when some of today’s members were in nappies. His pitch is stability, history, and reminding you that he was there when Yellow and Blue was photocopied in someone’s shed. Competent, reliable, but you do wonder if he’ll ever stop referencing 2002.
There is the risk that if elected he ensures that the constitution update insists we all shake our keys before voting.
If Martin were a tube line: Metropolitan Line. Old, steady, and steeped in history. The heritage line that still trundles on.
Folkes is the communications guy, which in DTB terms means fielding angry emails about turnstile queues and writing polite updates no one reads. He’s worked on the International Weekend, set up Disabled Supporters’ forums, and pushed membership comms. It’s managerial competence rather than visionary zeal, but after the past year, “things broadly working” counts as radical progress.
His manifesto claims credit for decisions he was a part of, which is fair enough we suppose, if you believe in collective responsibility. He doesn’t however take any responsibility for the things that didn’t go so well. Late newsletters, delayed minutes and poor decisions are nothing to do with Alex.
There is the risk that if elected he will produce so many newsletters that members start getting one every time they boil a kettle.
If Alex were a tube line: Piccadilly Line. Practical, slightly dull, but connects everything you actually need.
The Newbies: Fresh Coats of Paint
Co-opted in August and now running for keeps. He’s the ED&I lead, banging the drum for inclusion while also reminding everyone he works in governance and risk. He’s the human embodiment of a compliance Powerpoint. But he’s sharp, committed, and understands process. The sort of candidate you absolutely need on a board, even if you’d never voluntarily sit next to him at the pub.
There is the risk that if elected he introduces a risk register for the risk register and never emerges from a doom loop of risk governance.
If James were a tube line: Jubilee Line. Modern, sleek, and reliable. Not glamorous, but it gets the job done.
Ex-club employee, now a sports marketing director. Atkinson talks debt, community, and fundraising like someone who’s actually run a proper event before. There’s a whiff of corporate, but unlike most, he at least acknowledges repaying stadium debt like it’s a thing we might want to, you know, deal with rather than just changing the lightbulbs in the floodlights. Reads like a sensible one. Which in DTB land is suspicious.
There is risk that if elected he will rebrand the DT’s AGM as “DTB Live: Presented by San Miguel”. The meeting would open with a light show, followed by Haydon abseiling from the ceiling while throwing out DTB branded T-shirts.
If Chris were a tube line: Victoria Line: Fast, efficient and doesn’t waste time. Gets you where you need to go.
The Wildcard: The Across the Pond Don
The US journalist candidate. Covers American soccer, runs the “Across the Pond Dons” socials, and wants AFC Wimbledon to stay majority fan-owned but isn’t scared of new investment. Lives in Charlotte with two dogs, which automatically makes him more relatable than half the board, plus Mick Buckley would be delighted. A wildcard outsider.
There is the risk that if elected he will accidentally say “soccer” and get sidelined by the rest of the board.
If Sam were a NYC subway line: The 7 Train. international, diverse, and the one that takes you somewhere new.
The Drama Section: Resignations and Retreats
This year’s ballot paper isn’t just about who’s standing. It’s also about who’s bolted.
Matt Thornett
Thornett has left the field entirely, sparing the ballot paper another essay which reads like Eeyore on TalkSPORT. A shame in some ways - every board needs someone to rail against secrecy, and to insist he’ll keep pushing motions and agendas no one else wants.
Wombles Had a Dream listeners would have recognised his vibe: “JJ out, board useless, let me tell you again why I am right.”
If Matt were a tube line: Circle LIne. Forever going round in circles, loudly reminding everyone of the same stops you’ve already passed three times. Reliable for repetition.
Ian Hicks
Hicks also stepped aside. His manifesto actually read like a grown-up one: Cup Final DNA, straight talk about 50.00001%, sensible warnings about debt. He would have been the voice in the room reminding everyone that running a football club is more than Discord moderation and redacting the minutes. Instead, he’s off the ballot.
If Ian were a tube line: Bakerloo Line. Old school, rattly, and proudly unfashionable. But you trust it to get you there in the end.
Notable Absences
Every election has its missing names. No, not McCoy-Splatt (he’s still limbering up along the touch line in a parallel timeline where it’s always the hustings).
This year’s real absence is women candidates. After all the talk about inclusion and broadening the base, the ballot paper is still resolutely male. It raises the question: do Women of Wimbledon (WOWSA) want to lead the change they argue for, or keep lobbying the DTB to do it on their behalf?
And then there’s the absence of a certain someone: no, not “he who must not be named” but Dr. Adam Procter. At WombleWorld we’ve grown used to his annual entry about how computer games can fund stadium expansion and conquer the known world. A fever dream of e-sports and optimism. Without him, manifesto season feels almost… empty. We’ll have to comfort ourselves with old manifesto rereads until next year.
The five candidates we recommend:
Governance adult: James Ledward. Fewer shambles, more controls. We like that.
Debt and delivery: Chris Atkinson. Talks numbers like they are real. Acts accordingly.
Comms and members: Alex Folkes. Quiet competence beats noisy threads.
Principles with history: Martin Drake. One eye on the past, both feet in the present.
Overseas reach and women’s voice: Sam Spencer. Fresh networks. Useful energy.
Closing Thoughts
So, eight six manifestos. Six attempts to prove you can out-care everyone else about debt, engagement, and transparency. Some are serious, some are moans, some are basically therapy in disguise.
Our advice? Vote for the ones you disagree with the least.
WombleWorld
If the Election Steering Group are reading this, don’t worry. We’ll redact the jokes before publication and publish them late to keep with tradition.
At least I wasn't the Northern Line
Almost makes me wanna apply for a NED 🤣👍
We need FM26 launch event at Plough Lane! Tell the peoples ! We only have a few weeks !!