“It was trial and error”: Danny Wilson on the early days of MK Dons

With a fledgling MK Dons struggling in their first season in a new town, the club needed credibility and knowhow – enter Danny Wilson.

The former Northern Ireland international arrived at the National Hockey Stadium with plenty of experience behind him. Not only a lengthy playing career but a strong managerial one as well, guiding Barnsley to the Premier League.

While Dons are still looked down upon in some quarters today, feelings towards the club back in December 2004 were even more hostile. 

Not only new on the field, but Dons were new behind the scenes too with chairman Pete Winkelman negotiating his way through the football environment for the first time. And with his side in trouble in League One, facing back-to-back relegations, he needed someone to give the club some calibre and a good reputation in the game, as well as someone who could get Dons out of trouble.

Wilson would be that man.

"It was hard in the early days, the club was still new and no-one looked at it like it was a proper club yet,” he told The Citizen. “We were labelled as being the franchise, but I think having me come in gave the club a bit of credibility and maybe some legitimacy.

"Like anything, it was trial and error at the beginning. We were in the National Hockey Stadium which wasn't an ideal place for the football club, and we were hopping from place to place to find places to train.

"I really enjoyed my time in Milton Keynes, everyone made me feel so welcome. I didn't think it was a tough gig to take on.”

Tasked with keeping the club up, Dons’ fortunes changed heading into 2005, but a streak of three straight defeats left Wilson’s side needing two wins and results to go their way to stay up.

What followed remains to this day one of the club’s most standout days – the 2-1 win over Tranmere.

Wilson said: “It was hard work, certainly not an easy day. Eddsy didn't score many goals for us, he was a great all-round player for us, but he got two that day at critical times.

"I think for Pete, it was an opportunity to stick it to a few of the critics who had doubted him, and it was an effort from everyone to stay up. It was a great day.”

The second season though would be a tough one for Dons and Wilson. Once again left fighting for survival on the final day, a 0-0 draw with Rotherham sent them down to League Two, ultimately costing Wilson his job.

"The second season wasn't the same though, and we went down, and it as hard to take," said Wilson. "We just didn't win as many games as we should have.

"We brought in Scott Taylor, he had a terrific record prior to signing for us, and we spent a bit of money to get him which was the first time I was really able to do that. But we just couldn't get him on the pitch.

"Izale McLeod scored a lot of goals for us in that team, but you cannot account for the injuries."

» Danny Wilson’s autobiography “I Get Knocked Down” is out now