AFC Wimbledon are starting a crowdfunding scheme to raise money for their new Plough Lane stadium project. 

The Dons have received planning permission to build their new 9,000 seater stadium in South West London. This will be at the location of the Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium, close to where the previous incarnation of the club used to play.

The League One club, who were formed 17-years ago following the notorious move of Wimbledon FC to Milton Keynes, require £25 million to fund the project and are aiming to supplement a bank loan with £7 million in crowdsourced funds, according to City A.M.

The Dons will be using “Seedrs”, a scheme that issues shares in the club and 25% of the club will be sold. CEO Joe Palmer said:

“Without a wealthy benefactor, the challenge for us has been to find ways for a fan-owned club to raise finance,”

“In terms of the stadium build, the solution, without a doubt, has been crowdfunding. It’s perfect for us because it lets us not only reach out directly to the people who matter the most – our own fans – but it also provides us with a platform which enables us to reach thousands of other potential investors who admire what the club has achieved and want to be part of the story.”

The club intends to reward fans who buy shares with plaques and potentially even naming rights to the stadium according to Palmer:

“For our first season at our new ground, we are going to ring-fence 20 percent of our home matches for a unique draw,”

“Every fan who invests – even if it’s simply to buy one £10 share – will automatically qualify, and the winners will each get to enjoy the stadium naming rights for one home game.

“Every single shareholder will also get their name on a permanent plaque at the ground. And if fans invest more and buy more shares, the rewards get even more special. For example, they can get their name on our goalposts, corner flags, turnstiles – even the beer taps and urinals.”

This is certainly an interesting proposal from the Dons, one which may have a chance of raising its lofty goal due to the unique concept and appeal to non-Wimbledon fans. The future looks bright for AFC Wimbledon.

More can be read about Wimbledon’s new stadium here.