MK Dons have been taken over by a Kuwait-based consortium, ending Pete Winkelman’s 21-year spell as owner.
Winkelman oversaw the club’s renaming in 2004 and promotion up to the Championship before an eventual return to League Two.
The consortium will be led by businessman and entrepreneur Fahad Al Ghanim who confirmed it would make the club debt free.
The Dons, who finished fourth in League Two last season, also won the Football League Trophy in 2008 and have also been managed by bosses including Paul Ince, Roberto di Matteo, Karl Robinson and Russell Martin.
“I believe I’ve done the right thing, I believe I’ve found the right people to carry on the work, to reignite the dream. My head knows this is the right thing to do, but my heart is breaking,” Winkelman told BBC Three Counties Radio.
“These are powerful people with global interests, and football is a global business, it’s an expensive business and it was getting ever harder for me – and I didn’t build this stadium to own a football club in the lower leagues.
“I’d rather not own any of it and see Milton Keynes in the Premier League one day. That’s what the ultimate ambition comes back to, but they are very sensible people, they’re going to take it step by step and the first task is to get the team into the next league.”
Al Ghanim, whose family own Kuwait Premier League champions Kuwait SC, said: “Our first focus will be on strengthening the first team squad to give the club the best chance of promotion this season.
“I fully believe the team are in a great place, I’m not looking to disrupt the fantastic work done over the summer, if anything, I want to add to it.”
Manager Mike Williamson and his side start their league campaign against Bradford City on Saturday, a game which marks the 20th anniversary of the club’s first match in the city under their new name.
From Wimbledon to Milton Keynes
It was on 7 August, 2004 that the former Wimbledon FC stepped out at the National Hockey Stadium in Milton Keynes for the first time under their new name.
The club had controversially relocated north 11 months earlier after being given permission to do so by the Football Association, creating a permanent division with some of their fan base.
The new MK Dons, managed by Stuart Murdoch, took on Barnsley in front of 4,720 spectators and rescued a point with an Izale Macleod equaliser.
Just a couple of months earlier, the InterMK consortium, headed by Winkelman, which had bought the club and taken it out of administration said: “We feel the name Milton Keynes Dons FC will represent the past, present and future and place the club at the heart of its new community.”
A lot has changed in the 20 years that have passed since that 1-1 draw with Barnsley – but one thing that has not is the presence in defence of Dean Lewington.
The 40-year-old will be looking to add to his tally of 816 appearances, which puts him fifth on the all-time list behind Peter Shilton, Tony Ford, Graham Alexander – who was Dons boss for a few months in 2023 – and Terry Paine.
In his message to supporters, Winkelman said: “MK Dons are 20 years old this year and throughout that time we’ve been on a rollercoaster of highs and lows that we have all come through together.
“From winning the League Two and EFL Trophy double in 2008 and promotion to the Championship in 2015, to developing the most successful hotel and events business in the region, we have been able to bring some unforgettable experiences to Stadium MK and Milton Keynes.
“Equally, we have faced difficulties navigating global events such as the financial crash in 2008 and, more recently, the Covid pandemic, where we not only survived but were able to host the first live sporting events in the country.”
He added: “Over the last year, I have been able to spend time with Fahad and he has convinced me that he brings the passion, determination and ambition to see the club participate at the highest level and has the resources to help it do so.
“It is, therefore, time for me to step aside and put the custodianship of the club and the wider business into new hands.”
‘An extremely sad day for Winkelman’
Analysis, Geoff Doyle BBC Three Counties Radio editor
It’s the end of an era for the man most closely associated with MK Dons.
Pete Winkelman has owned the club since the original Wimbledon re-located to Milton Keynes in 2003 after receiving approval following an independent commission.
He moved the club out of the National Hockey Stadium and into a brand new 30,000 capacity stadium with integrated hotel and indoor arena but the football team hasn’t matched their impressive surroundings.
Slipping down into League Two recently, having had one season in the Championship, fans have always hoped for extra investment to get them to where they think they should be in a stadium which is Premier League quality.
Winkelman has had lots of offers in the past but has always maintained he would only sell to a bidder he had confidence in; “Introduce me to a friendly billionaire” has been one of his famous quotes.
We await to see what the new owners will bring but this must be an extremely sad day for Winkelman who absolutely adores the club and calls it his baby having been there from the beginning.
Source Agencies
