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The bitter local rivalry fuelled by a 22-year wait

MK Dons will host Luton Town for the first time since 2004 on Saturday. Many Luton fans are still angry about the move of Wimbledon to Milton Keynes in 2003 They are only 20 miles apart yet have…
One Place News   •   October 16, 2026   •   Updated October 16, 2026
The bitter local rivalry fuelled by a 22-year wait

MK Dons will host Luton Town for the first time since 2004 on Saturday. Many Luton fans are still angry about the move of Wimbledon to Milton Keynes in 2003 They are only 20 miles apart yet have barely played each other. Indeed, the last time MK Dons hosted Luton Town was in November 2004 at the former National Hockey Stadium. Contrasting promotions and relegations means their paths have not crossed until Saturday's League One game at Stadium MK (12:30 BST) They are not rivals as such, nor is the fixture comparable with Luton's traditional, deep-seated hatred of Watford. Still, for some Hatters fans, the resentment towards MK Dons runs deep. Many remain angry about the controversial move of Wimbledon to Milton Keynes in 2003, a so-called 'franchise team' encroaching in their own backyard.

They saw it as a betrayal of a club and its community. "I don't dislike Milton Keynes, I dislike what they stand for," said Mike Fanning, a Luton Town fan. "They're a franchise and that's not what football is about. "It's a working men's game, about a club and its community and it matters. It can't be taken away. You can't up sticks and go elsewhere because someone wants you to." Luton fans protested against plans to move the club to Milton Keynes in the 1980s

Source & Attribution

This One Place News story was acquired from bbc.co.uk. OPN retains the source link and provenance for newsroom review.

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