Plough Lane is both a lost football ground and a living one. The original stadium stood on the corner of Plough Lane and Haydons Road in Wimbledon from 1912 until the late 1990s, serving as the raucous home of Wimbledon F.C. through its remarkable rise from non-league football to a shock 1988 FA Cup triumph over Liverpool.
That ground is gone, demolished in 2002 for housing — but the name lives on. In 2020, fan-owned AFC Wimbledon opened a brand-new stadium a few hundred metres from the original site and named it Plough Lane in tribute. This guide covers both grounds: the old stadium’s full history and capacity, and everything about the new one that carries its name today.
Quick Answer
Plough Lane was Wimbledon F.C.’s home from 1912 to 1991 (with reserve matches until 1998), reaching a peak capacity of around 30,000 before shrinking to 15,876 by closure. It was demolished in 2002. AFC Wimbledon, the fan-founded successor club, opened a new stadium of the same name nearby in November 2020 — officially called Plough Lane but currently known as the Cherry Red Records Stadium for sponsorship reasons, with a capacity of 9,215.
A Ground That Grew With the Club
Plough Lane opened on 7 September 1912 with a 2–2 friendly draw against Carshalton Athletic, built on what was little more than converted marshland. A modest 500-person stand was the starting point; the South Stand was later bought second-hand from Clapton Orient in 1923, and the North Stand was completely rebuilt ahead of the 1957–58 season. By the early 1930s the ground could hold around 30,000 spectators, and it stayed near that size through the Second World War despite bomb damage that reduced one stand.
The ground’s biggest crowd ever recorded came on 2 March 1935, when 18,080 fans packed in for an FA Amateur Cup tie against HMS Victory — evidence of just how significant a non-league and lower-division venue Plough Lane had become. England’s amateur team also played Wales there on 19 January 1935, and floodlights arrived in October 1960 for a London Charity Cup match against Arsenal (lost 4–1). Post-war reconstruction settled capacity at roughly 25,000 through the 1950s.
Why Wimbledon FC Left Plough Lane
Plough Lane hosted the most celebrated chapter of Wimbledon’s history: the ‘Crazy Gang’ era that carried the club from the Southern League to the First Division, culminating in the 1988 FA Cup Final upset of Liverpool while the team was still based there. But by the late 1980s the ground’s largely terraced, ageing stands were a liability.
The 1990 Taylor Report, issued after the Hillsborough disaster, required all top-flight clubs to convert to all-seater stadiums. Rebuilding Plough Lane to comply was judged uneconomical, and the club’s final first-team match there came on 4 May 1991 — a 3–0 defeat to Crystal Palace watched by 10,002 fans, many of whom spilled onto the pitch for an emotional farewell.
Dereliction and Demolition
Wimbledon moved into a ground-share with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, while reserve and youth football continued at Plough Lane until 1998. The site was then sold, first to the Safeway supermarket chain, before eventually being redeveloped as housing. The stadium itself was demolished in 2002.
The redevelopment, completed in 2008, became a 570-flat residential estate named Reynolds Gate after former Wimbledon player Eddie Reynolds, with individual blocks named for other figures from the club’s history — a deliberate nod to the site’s football past.
AFC Wimbledon’s Stadium Before Plough Lane
This is where the story gets confusing, because two different clubs and grounds share the Plough Lane name. AFC Wimbledon, formed by fans in 2002 after the original club relocated to Milton Keynes, did not start out at Plough Lane at all. Its old home was Kingsmeadow in Kingston upon Thames, a 4,850-capacity ground bought from and shared with Kingstonian (and later Chelsea Women), where AFC Wimbledon played from 2002 until May 2020.
So if you’re asking what AFC Wimbledon’s stadium used to be called, the answer is Kingsmeadow — not an earlier version of Plough Lane. The club only ‘came home’ to the Plough Lane name once its new purpose-built stadium opened in late 2020, on a site next to where the original ground once stood.
The New Plough Lane Today
AFC Wimbledon’s current stadium is officially named Plough Lane and opened on 3 November 2020 with a 2–2 draw against Doncaster Rovers. It holds 9,215 spectators across four stands — the Cappagh West Stand (4,267), East Stand (2,391), North Stand (1,465, for away fans) and South Stand (1,092, including standing areas) — with planning permission in place to expand capacity to 20,000 in future phases.
For sponsorship reasons the ground is currently known as the Cherry Red Records Stadium, after the independent record label that has backed the club for over two decades and first attached its name to the venue in 2021. The stadium’s biggest crowd on record is 8,737, set in a League One match against Plymouth Argyle; its cup-tie record is 8,595, for an FA Cup third-round tie against Ipswich Town.
plough lane stadium FAQs
What is AFC Wimbledon’s stadium old name?
Before moving into the new Plough Lane in November 2020, AFC Wimbledon’s home was Kingsmeadow in Kingston upon Thames, a 4,850-capacity ground shared first with Kingstonian and later Chelsea Women.
What is AFC Wimbledon’s stadium called today?
It’s officially named Plough Lane, matching the name of Wimbledon FC’s original ground. It’s currently known as the Cherry Red Records Stadium for sponsorship purposes.
What was Wimbledon’s old stadium called?
Wimbledon F.C.’s original stadium was Plough Lane, located on Plough Lane and Haydons Road in Wimbledon, London, from 1912 to 1991 (with reserve-team football continuing there until 1998).
What was Plough Lane’s capacity?
The original Plough Lane peaked at around 30,000 in the 1930s, falling to a final capacity of 15,876 by the 1990s. The new Plough Lane, opened in 2020, holds 9,215, with planning permission to expand to 20,000.
Why did Wimbledon FC leave Plough Lane?
The 1990 Taylor Report required top-flight clubs to convert to all-seater stadiums following the Hillsborough disaster. Plough Lane’s largely terraced layout made the required upgrades too costly, so Wimbledon FC moved to a ground-share with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park from the 1991–92 season.
When was the original Plough Lane demolished?
The stadium was demolished in 2002. After Wimbledon FC’s first team left in 1991, reserve-team football continued there until 1998, when the site was sold and later redeveloped into a residential estate called Reynolds Gate.
Is there a new Plough Lane stadium?
Yes. AFC Wimbledon opened a new Plough Lane stadium on 3 November 2020, a few hundred metres from the original site. The 9,215-capacity ground, currently known as the Cherry Red Records Stadium, was built to give the fan-founded club a permanent home honouring the historic name.
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