Plough Lane: AFC Wimbledon to groundshare at QPR until stadium completed

Fulham also groundshared with QPR when work was undertaken on their Craven Cottage home between 2002 and 2004

AFC Wimbledon will begin the 2020-21 League One campaign by groundsharing at Championship side Queens Park Rangers.

The Dons are set to move into a new stadium at Plough Lane, but construction is not due to be completed on the site until 25 October.

As a result, the League One club will play their opening league and cup games at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium.

"We're very grateful to QPR, and also to the EFL for their understanding," Dons chief executive Joe Palmer said.

He continued: "The construction works are proceeding well, but with the uncertainty of the Covid situation, we wanted to give ourselves some more breathing space to complete the works and required test events before playing our first match at Plough Lane."

AFC Wimbledon signed the final construction contract for their new stadium in May, having raised investment from a new minority shareholder and a crowdfunding campaign.

The club have played at Kingsmeadow since its inception in 2002, but agreed to sell the ground in Kingston-upon-Thames to Chelsea FC four years ago.

Plough Lane in Merton is considered to be the spiritual home of AFC Wimbledon, as the original Wimbledon FC played on Plough Lane before being forced to leave their ground in 1991.

The original club subsequently shared Selhurst Park with Crystal Palace until moving to Milton Keynes in 2003, and they were renamed MK Dons a year later.

The new stadium, which is on the site of the now-demolished Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium, will have an initial capacity of 9,300.