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 in full: the old stadium’s history, records and demolition, everything about the new one that carries its name today, and practical details for anyone planning to actually go and watch a match there.
Quick Answer
Plough Lane was Wimbledon F.C.’s home from 1912 to 1991 (with reserve matches continuing until 1998), reaching a peak capacity of around 30,000 before shrinking to 15,876 by closure. It was demolished in 2002 and the site is now a housing estate called Reynolds Gate.
AFC Wimbledon, the fan-founded successor club, opened a new stadium of the same name nearby in November 2020. It’s officially called Plough Lane but currently known as the Cherry Red Records Stadium for sponsorship reasons, with a capacity of 9,215 and room to expand to 20,000 in future phases.
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 destroyed much of the stand structure. Post-war reconstruction in 1950 settled capacity at roughly 25,000, a figure that held through the 1950s before gradually shrinking as safety regulations tightened in later decades.
Wimbledon’s Amateur and FA Cup Glory at Plough Lane
The ground’s biggest crowd ever recorded came on 2 March 1935, when 18,080 fans packed in for an FA Amateur Cup third-round tie against HMS Victory, a team of Royal Navy sailors whose run had already captured public attention. Wimbledon won 3–0. England’s amateur team also played Wales at Plough Lane on 19 January 1935, and floodlights arrived in October 1960 for a London Charity Cup match against Arsenal, lost 4–1.
Plough Lane’s trophy history stretches further than most fans realise. Wimbledon won the FA Amateur Cup in 1963 while still playing there, and then delivered the club’s most famous moment 25 years later: the 1988 FA Cup Final upset of Liverpool, achieved by the ‘Crazy Gang’ side while the club was still based at the ground. That amateur-and-professional cup double is unique among English clubs and is commemorated on the memorial that now stands at the site.
Why Wimbledon FC Left Plough Lane
By the late 1980s, Plough Lane’s largely terraced, ageing stands had become a liability rather than an asset. The Taylor Report, issued in 1990 after the Hillsborough disaster, required all top-flight clubs to convert to all-seater stadiums. Rebuilding Plough Lane to comply was judged uneconomical given the site’s size and location.
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. Wimbledon then entered a groundshare with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, a arrangement that dragged on for over a decade and was a major factor in fan discontent that eventually led to the club’s controversial relocation to Milton Keynes.
Dereliction, Demolition and the Site Today
Reserve and youth football continued at Plough Lane until 1998, after which the site was 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 private housing estate named Reynolds Gate after former Wimbledon player Eddie Reynolds, with individual blocks named for other figures from the club’s history, including Bassford, Batsford, Cork, Lawrie, Reed and Stannard. A bronze memorial sculpture, the Plough Lane Landmark by artist Sam Burford, was unveiled at the site in 2009, commemorating both the 1963 FA Amateur Cup win and the 1988 FA Cup triumph.
AFC Wimbledon’s Journey Back: Kingsmeadow to Plough Lane
This is where the story gets confusing, because two different clubs and two different eras of Plough Lane share the name. AFC Wimbledon, formed by fans in 2002 after the original club relocated to Milton Keynes and was rebranded MK Dons, 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 Stadium 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, reserved for away fans) and South Stand (1,092, including a safe-standing area), 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.
Planning Your Visit: Tickets, Getting There and Parking
Matchday tickets are sold in price tiers by stand — the family-friendly South Stand is the cheapest, Cappagh West the most expensive — and pricing also varies by opponent category, with reduced rates for under-18s and concessions. Tickets go on general sale through the club’s online ticketing system ahead of each fixture, and season tickets are sold separately each summer. For current prices, fixture-by-fixture availability and the online booking system, check the official AFC Wimbledon tickets page.
There is no dedicated car park at the ground and street parking nearby is heavily restricted by controlled parking zones, so the club and most away-day guides recommend arriving by public transport. Haydons Road station (Thameslink) is the closest rail option, roughly a five-to-ten-minute walk away, with Earlsfield station and Tooting Broadway (Northern line) also within reasonable walking distance, and local buses stopping close to the ground. For full up-to-date travel guidance, opening times on matchdays and any policy details, see the official AFC Wimbledon website.
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 F.C.’s original ground. It’s currently known as the Cherry Red Records Stadium for sponsorship purposes, after the record label that has sponsored the club for over 20 years.
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 old Plough Lane peaked at around 30,000 in the early 1930s, settled at roughly 25,000 through the 1950s, and had shrunk to 15,876 by the time first-team football left in 1991. The new Plough Lane holds 9,215, with planning permission to expand to 20,000.
Why was the original Plough Lane demolished?
Wimbledon FC left in 1991 because the Taylor Report required all-seater stadiums for top-flight clubs and rebuilding Plough Lane was judged uneconomical. Reserve football continued until 1998, after which the ground was sold, demolished in 2002, and redeveloped as housing.
Is the new Plough Lane on the exact same site as the old one?
No, it’s a few hundred metres away. The original ground’s site is now a housing estate called Reynolds Gate, named after former player Eddie Reynolds, with a memorial sculpture marking the club’s history there.
How do you get to AFC Wimbledon’s Plough Lane stadium?
Public transport is recommended, since there’s no on-site parking and street parking is restricted. Haydons Road station is the closest, about a five-to-ten-minute walk, with Earlsfield station and Tooting Broadway tube also within walking distance.
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