Meet the man who loves Wimbledon so much he commutes here from ... the Midlands
The man behind the football at AFC Wimbledon, an international ballet company comes to town, and much more in this jam-packed edition
Good morning, Wimblers — I hope that everyone is enjoying their week thus far! Thank you for your continued support. Our numbers keep growing every day, and that’s all thanks to you.
This week’s edition is a big one. We’ve got a deep-dive feature interview with Craig Cope, the Director of Football at AFC Wimbledon. We’ve also got a quick fire question round with a ballet dancer who just so happens to be performing in Wimbledon this week. Expect your usual news snippets, plus a chock-a-block list of recommendations and another mystery photo of the week. And today’s property of the week feature has been sent in by the seller himself — how exciting!
Happy reading.
News snippets 🗞
🥗 A new independent Mediterranean restaurant has opened its doors in Wimbledon. Aimer is located on Gladstone Road and promises to “offer a variety of Mediterranean cuisine” and is “looking forward to hosting any special events you may have.” Check out their menu here.
🚔 A man has been jailed following the assault of a police officer after MK Dons and AFC Wimbledon clashed in January. Harry Cooper, 21, pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting an emergency worker. The incident took place when officers were escorting supporters away from the MK Dons stadium. Read more about it here.
🛑 Police were called to Merton Road on Sunday after they heard reports of a vehicle coming off the road and crashing into a lamppost. The driver was taken to hospital, though their injuries were confirmed as not serious. See more info here.
Property of the week 🏡
I’m very pleased to announce that this week’s property of the week is our first ever send in. Thank you to Marcus for getting in touch with your beautiful three-bedroom home. It’s a charming house. It’s a spacious house. It’s … dare I say it … a perfect house. And for £1,395,000, it could be yours. Check out more photos on Rightmove — I’m particularly in love with that garden-patio space.
The Wimble’s to-do list
🖌 Craig Jefferson @ Wimbledon Fine Art: This collection focuses on two themes: flowers and bathing figures. Craig Jefferson has had solo shows in Edinburgh, Belfast and London and is showcasing his work once more in Wimbledon. All of the artworks from this show can be seen here.
Where: Wimbledon Fine Art, 41 Church Road, SW19 5DQ
When: Saturday, 9 - Friday, 28 February / 11:00AM - 4:00 PM (or by appointment)
⛳️ Wednesday roll ups at the Golf Groove: This weekly competition is open to members and non-members and promises to put your golf skills to the test. Don’t worry if you’re not particularly gifted with a club; everyone will be placed in events with others similar to your ability range. Tickets are £20 per person.
Where: Golf Groove, Wimbledon
When: Wednesday, 19 February, 6:00 PM or 8:00PM (start times)
🎶 Live music at The Old Frizzle: It’s everything from classics to quirky country. Get yourself down to The Old Frizzle for a good ol’ boogie. Just make sure you bring your dancing shoes.
Where: The Old Frizzle
When: Saturday, 5 February, 9:00 PM - until late
🏃♀️ Vineria Social Club and Exercise: Join personal trainer Bobby for a proper workout session on Wimbledon Common followed by a light and well-deserved lunch at Vineria, Wimbledon. Whether you’re a workout aficionado or a novice, this session is for all levels. Tickets are £40 per person.
Where: Wimbledon Common
When: Tuesday, 18 February, 10:30 AM (meet)
🎨 Planet Art’s Half Term Camp: It’s half term and the kids are bored. What better way to keep them entertained than with arts, crafts and games? This holiday camp promises to keep your little ones stimulated next week with everything from skiing and skating adventures to winter creations. Places are £60 per day and can be booked here.
Where: The Garden Hall, St Mary’s Church
When: Tuesday, 18 February - Thursday, 20 February / 9:30 AM - 3:00 PM
“It’s a brilliant club and community to be a part of”: In conversation with Craig Cope, AFC Wimbledon’s Director of Football ⚽️
Most of us think we understand football. We sit in pubs and public gardens discussing the minutiae of the game. But none of us really know football — not in the way that the professionals do. Not in the way that Craig Cope does.
Craig is the youngest Director of Football in the Football League; in fact, he may be the youngest Director of Football in Britain. At 31, and having already left his mark on half a dozen clubs, Craig knows a thing or two about the game. And so, on a cold and wet Tuesday lunchtime, I made my way to Plough Lane — currently known as the Cherry Red Records Stadium — to talk to Craig about everything from embracing the club’s unique history to what it’s like to commute from the Midlands to Wimbledon Village.
Let’s talk about life before Wimbledon. How did you end up here?
I was in my second year of university when they ran this internship scheme to be an analyst at Shrewsbury Town F.C. — but that fell apart. So I kept pestering my lecturers until they put me forward for a paid position at Birmingham City. I didn’t get the paid position but I took on a role as a volunteer instead. I still remember my first game and being sent to analyse Birmingham’s U10s squad where they beat Bristol City 28-4 and Jude Bellingham scored 10 goals.
Hang on, you saw Jude Bellingham play when he was 10?
He was actually eight. He scored 10 goals playing two years up.
The internship at Birmingham must have felt like a dream come true, right?
Oh, it was brilliant. But then I was offered a job at Cheltenham Town F.C. and I knew I had to take it. So then I did two years there, a year at Notts County, Birmingham again and then Nottingham Forest. I worked with some amazing managers over the years: Harry Redknapp, Zola, Gary Rowett. But at 24, my team and I were let go from Nottingham Forest. I was done with football. In fact, I’d taken a job at Enterprise Rent-A-Car. On the day that I was meant to start at Enterprise, I took a gamble and instead joined Solihull Moors as a sort of head of football position.
And how did you get here?
I’d settled in the Midlands with my missus and had said, “I’ll always be around this area. There are loads of clubs near here and everything is only about an hour away.” And then I took a job three and a half hours away. But she loves coming down here and staying with me in the village — it’s brilliant. It’s been two years as of January. Time has really flown by at Wimbledon. I think that’s because a lot of work was needed, and a lot needed changing.
How would you define your role at the club?
I’m here to set the direction of the football side of the club. Anything that isn’t coaching falls to me: transfers, academy, strategy, sports science, operations, medical. We don’t have an owner here, we have 5,000 fans and a chairman, which is quite unique. But my role is quite varied and I work very closely with the manager. When I joined, the club was in a bad spot. We’d just been relegated and there was a need for drastic change. I think the manager and I have worked really well with the board to deliver that change. We’ve made some hard, brave decisions; decisions that, had they gone wrong, would have meant you’d be speaking to someone else right now.
Coming in, how well did you know the club’s history and its fanbase?
I’ve known about Wimbledon since I was a boy. I remember going to Birmingham as a fan to watch them. We played at Kingsmeadow with Notts County and Cheltenham loads of times. I met Bobby Gould — who won Wimbledon the FA Cup — many years ago, and he was such an incredible character.
But everyone in football knows about what happened with the relocation. The Wimbledon and MK rivalry is wholly different. It’s probably the only rivalry in English football — and excuse my ignorance if there is another one — that is based on more than just geography. This is a rivalry that stems from something that actually happened. And I’m really keen on inducting the players and staff on the history of the club and the ethos of what we do here. When I joined, we lost our first game to them 3-1. Since then, we’ve played them four times and won three of those games and drew the other — we haven’t looked back since. For us to go on and compete and dominate against them is a huge success. But this club is more than that; it’s the community that will never say die. It’s a brilliant club and community to be a part of. We look out for each other.
The story of AFC Wimbledon almost feels like a fairytale. They’ve had one of the fastest league rises in history.
Absolutely. Everyone who has come here in the past 23 years has achieved something, and I want to achieve something too. When I leave, I want to have made my mark — whatever that mark may be.
You’ve done incredibly well so far and you’re top five in the league. Do the nerves about winning ever subside?
Not really [laughs]. I am anxious during most games. I’m confident in our team but this is football … anything can happen. We have 17 games left and we know how many points we need for promotion. If we can achieve promotion here, at Plough Lane, that would be amazing. And so watching these games can be intense. I think I’m calm in a crisis but during a game I’m aware that anything could happen.
You commute from the Midlands and stay in Wimbledon for half the week. What’s the change of pace like?
I think Wimbledon is quiet compared to other parts of London, but it’s certainly not quiet compared to where I live in the Midlands. I get the best of both worlds with this job and I’m truly blessed that my team happens to be in such a nice, affluent part of the country. We are based in quite an interesting area; we obviously have the affluent village but we also have a lot of poverty in the area. The work our foundation and Dons Local Action Group do is incredible. Our fan base and community contrast in circumstances, but everyone gets behind the team. The manager and I are keen to keep a team on the pitch that is reflective of our community and history, and I feel we are doing that and will continue to improve.
Do you have much of a connection with the AELTC?
Definitely. I was introduced to Dan Bloxham about 18 months ago, and we’ve gone from strength to strength. And I think we can learn things from each other. One thing that I learned from them was branding. When you walk around the AELTC, everything is immaculate. There’s a clear message of continuity with their brand, which is something I’ve really embraced here. Everything we do needs to link back to who we are, our style of play and our ethos. Everything has to join up.
Wimble readers can still get their discounted AFC Wimbledon vs Salford tickets by entering the code “WIMBLEDONS” here. Two lucky participants will also be bumped up to hospitality, which includes, but is not excluded to, free drinks, a main meal, a padded seat in a prime location and a pre-match interview with a club legend.
A mysterious photo of the week 📸
This week I’ve been confronted with another mystery in the form of a photo. Local resident Jane Hanson sent me this picture earlier in the week and said this:
“My friend and I were surprised to see that the notice on this lovely bench is claiming the bench is going to be removed due to ‘its deteriorating condition.’!
“We were quite shocked as it is as solid as a rock so we thought we’d approach you to see if you can help solve the mystery of who the bench is dedicated to … we think it might need a good scrub -to find out but clearly it’s someone - or rather was someone - local.
“I think we can save and preserve it and prevent it from being moved as there really is nothing wrong with it save a bit of mould. I have also called the rangers to ask them about this.”
Can any of our readers help? Does anyone know who this bench was dedicated to? Comment below or drop me an email: zak@thewimble.com
Swan Lake comes to Wimbledon 🩰
Giacomo Ammazzini, a member of Varna International Ballet, spoke to us for some quickfire questions about his company’s upcoming performances of Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. Here’s what he said:
How did you get into ballet?
It started when my mother took me to La Scala Ballet School in Milan to see The Nutcracker and I fell in love with it. I asked my mother if I could become a ballet dancer — I was only four years old. I started my studies at age 12.
You’re performing in both Swan Lake and The Nutcracker this week. How easy is it to switch roles?
Normally, it isn’t easy at all. But we’ve had a lot of rehearsals for these shows, so it’s easier now. The only difficulty is that we’re on tour, so every week is a new theatre and new audience. We are a troupe, so it’s quite normal for us to do back to back shows.
How long did you rehearse for this tour?
Just one month.
Do you get a chance to see the places you’re touring?
We don’t get lots of time, but we try to see the cities we’re in as much as we can. But doing a show every day means we do need that time to relax and also explore. I’m excited about coming to Wimbledon because it’s so pretty and it’s very close to central London.
What makes both these ballets so famous, in your opinion?
Swan Lake always brings in a full audience and I think that’s normal because it’s such a famous story, and it’s rich and full of character. There are loads of details going into the ballet. Swan Lake and The Nutcracker are for everyone. I think Swan Lake has more of a “serious” story and darker themes, but they’re both shows that the whole family can watch. I mean, The Nutcracker is a Christmas classic.
Book your tickets to both Swan Lake and The Nutcracker here.
Question of the week 🔍
Last week I asked which famous comedian — from the choices provided — was born in Wimbledon: 24% said Joe Lycett, 14% said Ricky Gervais, 24% said Rowan Atkinson and 38% said David Walliams. The answer: David Walliams
Q: When was the first railway station opened in Wimbledon?
You’re up to date 👋
Thank you for reading this week! I hope you enjoyed the newsletter. Do make sure to redeem your AFC Wimbledon discounted tickets and check out both Swan Lake and The Nutcracker at the New Wimbledon Theatre this week. I think that’s all from me. Please let me know what you think in the comments below, and why not share this post with a friend? See you next time.
So grateful for this newsletter, creates such a sense of community. Thanks for doing it!