"This club does not exist without Pete": Lewington on Dons sale
Captain Dean Lewington said it was a bittersweet but ultimately exciting day at MK Dons as news of the club’s sale was confirmed on Friday.
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Hide AdPete Winkelman agreed a deal with a Kuwaiti consortium, headed by Fahad Al Ghanim, for the sale of the League Two club, Stadium MK, the hotel, car parks, radio station MKFM and the Marshall Arena, just a couple of days after the 20th anniversary of the club’s first game.
Lewington has been a mainstay in Milton Keynes since the move in 2003, and has formed a strong relationship with the outgoing chairman and his family over the subsequent years.
While the club now has a potentially vast financial backing from the new owners, Lewington admitted he was sad to see Winkelman depart the club he built.
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Hide Ad“It's big news for everyone,” said the skipper. “It is a bittersweet day really - it's an end of an era for Pete, but there's excitement for the new chairman coming in. It's a fresh focus for the club, and hopefully there are improvements to come so it's an exciting day.
“The new chairman said this club does not exist without Pete. The infrastructure he's build behind the scenes is incredible, it's top flight standard but we've not been able to get it over the line on the pitch.
“I've known Pete over 20 years, and it's not just him but Bobby, Lauren and Bernie too, and John Cove, so it's incredibly sad too because they've dedicated their whole lives to this club. Pete's love for Milton Keynes is unsurpassed, and he will be hugely missed.
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Hide Ad“His enthusiasm and love for the club is unmatched. All chairmen get a bit of stick because people want more, but behind the scenes he's worked tirelessly to give us everything we need to get it done. But football is football and it's a really hard business, it hasn't always worked out the way we wanted it to, but his heart has always been in the right place and he's done things for the right reasons. He'll look back on an amazing 20 years.”
One step at a time
Incoming owner Mr Al Ghanim has already held court with the players in Mike Williamson’s squad, laying out the plans he has for the team.
Far from getting carried away though, Lewington said while the short-term is unclear in terms of how the club will feel while the transition is made, the long-term goals are well considered and thought out.
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Hide AdHe said: “He's emphasised he wants to get us up the leagues and help us push on and hopefully we can do that.
“It's one step at a time, and that starts with this Saturday, but looking forward, we want to get out of this league immediately, and then go from there. The sky is the limit but it is still a step-by-step process. But it's incredibly exciting.
“We're unsure of how things will look and feel, but our main focus has to be on the game and to go and deliver.”
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