Heavy storms in London lead to flooding. The pitch at AFC Wimbledon football club is so badly damaged that the cup match against Fabian Schär's Newcastle is canceled.
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- Flooding in London damages the pitch at AFC Wimbledon's stadium so badly that a match is called off.
- A hole was created in one corner of the pitch. The sidewalks around the Plough Lane stadium were also no longer passable.
- Fans initiated a fundraising campaign to cover the costs of the repairs.
The English League Cup match between fourth division club AFC Wimbledon and Premier League club Newcastle United has been called off due to a hole in the ground on the pitch. This was announced by AFC on Monday. Overnight rainfall the night before had caused severe flooding in Wimbledon and other parts of London.
In Wimbledon, the River Wandle burst its banks. The pitch at the Cherry Red Records Stadium was so badly affected by the water that a sinkhole appeared in one corner, as pictures showed. The sidewalks around the venue on Plough Lane were also impassable due to the flooding.
The stadium had to be closed for the time being. The club website shows how the outside areas of the stadium and even the club museum are completely under water. The third round cup match will now take place on October 1 at St. James' Park in Newcastle, as AFC Wimbledon announced in the evening.
Fans want to pay for pitch repairs
Fans initiated a fundraising campaign to cover the costs of the repairs. AFC Wimbledon was founded by fans in 2002 as the successor club to Wimbledon FC after it moved to Milton Keynes and was renamed MK Dons. AFC is owned by a non-profit organization set up by fans, in which every member is entitled to vote.
