Pete Winkelman, the chairman of MK Dons, spoke this week about his desire to “grow” the club into an institution to rank alongside Sheffield Wednesday, Portsmouth and Ipswich Town.
“When you talk about the big clubs in League One, they've been in the Premier League, they've won the First Division, they've been there at different times in their history.
“We've yet to achieve that, and that's why we can't really be the big club that we want to be, until we do it. So the question is, how do we do it?”
Unfortunately for Winkelman, they can't. MK Dons are barely 20 years old, with no history of elite-level pedigree and a fanbase they built from scratch.
Due to the controversial nature of their formation, there is also a degree of animosity towards the club that will likely deter serious outside investment – and armchair interest – until time and tide have blurred painful memories. Without that, the top-flight is a no-go zone.
There may well come a time when MK Dons are regarded as a big club, and when top-flight success is within their grasp. But it will, in all likelihood, be several decades hence.
Featured Image: Graham Hogg on Geograph
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