Gareth Ainsworth on Clubs Retaining Their "Heart and Soul"...MK Dons are NOT Wimbledon...Flashback: Ainsworth on QPR-Wimbledon Merger

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Gareth Ainsworth/Kilburn Times
Step on the Gaz
YOU can't stand still in life, but in football it's vital that you preserve the heart and soul of a club.
To me, that means that if a club moves to a new stadium, they should stay within their own territory and that's how I'd feel if the owners of QPR decided to leave Loftus Road.
The Wimbledon debate seemed to be reopened after MK Dons won at Wembley - as an ex-Wimbledon player, my view is that they are two totally different clubs.
I hate reading that MK Dons once paid £2m for me - they didn't. There's no way Kevin Gallen plays for the same club I played for and I know a lot of Wimbledon fans feel very strongly that MK Dons should never be allowed to claim that history.
Good luck to MK Dons and I hope they can make their own history. But the heart and soul of Wimbledon is still in the same area, with AFC Wimbledon, and it can't ever be moved.
Talking of my previous clubs, I'm delighted Preston have put together a great run of form in recent weeks and will be in the Championship again next season.
When I was 17, I made my reserve team debut thanks to Alan Irvine. He was meant to play on the right wing away to Leeds, but he pulled his hamstring, so I took his place and scored.
He seemed old to me that day, so it'll make him feel really old on Saturday when he sees me now, pushing 35!
Being manager of Preston has really brought out Alan's credentials and he's made them into a side that are hard to beat.
But we're looking to keep our home form going and build on the two draws we've picked up in the last couple of away games.
The result at Ipswich was probably about fair in the end, although I couldn't help feeling the referee gave a poor decision in our favour because he'd missed the foul on Pat Agyemang earlier.
The gaffer and myself both felt Ipswich had a legitimate claim for a penalty, but it's always nice to get one going your way.
It was good that we got a result despite missing Rowly and Akos, as well as our left-back - that shows how the squad can cope without key players.
We may still be a few short in terms of a promotion-winning squad, but there's no doubt we've come on leaps and bounds in a short space of time. Kilburn Times

AINSWORTH ON QPR-WIMBLEDON MERGER
And as a kind person recently informed me: This is what Ainsworth said on his website at the time of the proposed QPR-Wimbledon Merger back in May 2001

Gareth Ainsworth Website May 5, 2001 "Wimbledon and QPR eh! I think not.
I don't think either set of supporters would be up for that one and the mood in the dressing room is that the players would prefer to keep our own identity. There's been a few stories cropping up over the last few years and I won't believe any until they actually happen. I think we have found a site on the moon for our new ground though.
I had loads of phone calls from the press yesterday and today (Friday)- the training ground had a few media people there but I honestly know as much as you because we rarely get to know much behind the scenes, leaving us to concentrate on footy. I still think we'll have our own place one day and QPR need us more than we need them, and as for taking the lower clubs status and becoming a 2nd division club well, no thanks. The only way we want to go is up. Ainsworth site
(Excerpt from: http://www.garethainsworth.com/theword/05052001.html)