Former Wimbledon manager Terry Burton has sent a good luck message to AFC Wimbledon as the newly-formed club prepare for their first match.

The new Dons visit Sutton United in a pre-season friendly next Wednesday night.

Burton was a more-than-interested spectator at Wimbledon Common Extensions last Saturday as 230 players attended trials to win a place in manager Terry Eames' team.

Burton said: "I decided to put my head in and see what was going on.

"I was naturally interested, having worked at the old Wimbledon for 14 years.

"I've known Terry Eames for a while now, having met and spoken to him around the circuit, a number of times."

This summer marks the 25th anniversary of Wimbledon winning a place in the Football League

And Burton said: "I only hope that in 25 years the new Wimbledon can have as much success as the other Wimbledon.

"It would be a great achievement if they did.

"I can only wish Terry, the staff, and the players well for the season ahead."

Burton ruled out any suggestion that he would become directly involved in the new club, and will not attend the match at Sutton because he is away on holiday.

He was controversially sacked by Charles Koppel in May days after speaking out in favour of Wimbledon remaining in the local area, and just before the FA Commission allowed the club to defect to Milton Keynes.

Burton is among the front runners for the vacant manager's job at newly promoted First Division side Brighton & Hove Albion.

"I want to get back into football in a full-time capacity," said Burton.

"As I said, on Saturday I was just an innocent bystander looking at what the new club were doing."

However, Eames said that Burton provided help with spotting players at Saturday's trial, when 230 players who had been invited to take part were whittled down to around 60.

A further reduction will be made when Eames selects a 30 man squad for the club's pre-season fixtures.

Once Wimbledon have completed those games, Eames, will choose his final 15-man squad to start in the Combined Counties League.

"Terry and I know each other from our involvement with the other Wimbledon, the Selhurst mob." said Eames.

"It was useful to have another pair of experienced eyes to have a look at players.

"Even when he was manager of Wimbledon, Terry supported the need for the club to be local."

On the same evening as AFC Wimbledon's match at Sutton, another club going under the name of Wimbledon but which intends to play its home games in Milton Keynes as soon as possible were due to be taking on local rivals Carshalton Athletic.

However, with predictions that the AFC Wimbledon's match could attract up to 10 times the crowd of the MK club, the Carshalton match was mysteriously postponed yesterday.

Meanwhile Eames, who played for Wimbledon between 1977 and 1981, said: "I'm very, very excited about the future.

"There will be pressure on me to be successful with 2,500 people supporting the team every week. I'm going to give this job my best shot and let's hope we can take the club through the leagues."

July 9, 2002 13:30