[https://twitter.com/BBCLondonSport]

Modern football has left many fans feeling disillusioned with the state of the game. The money, the sponsorship deals, the overall sanitised feel to top-flight football these days, and a whole host of other rather depressing factors. But there is a shining light amongst it all – AFC Wimbledon.

The fan-owned club from south-west London is on track to returning home to Plough Lane after a monumental effort from their dedicated fanbase. After the club admitted – to many of their fans’ surprise – that they were short of £11 million to go towards the completion of their new home in the borough of Merton, panic set in.

This a dream the club have been chasing ever since their reformation in 2002 after the ludicrous decision from the FA to move the original Wimbledon to Milton Keynes. After months of discussions trying to find a resolution, the option of outside investment was put to the fanbase who pride themselves on their ownership model, with fans at the forefront. It didn’t go down well with plenty of Dons fans, which led to some supporters with industry expertise to come up with a bond idea.

Fans could invest in the bond; the money would then go towards the stadium fund and enable securing a bank loan for the remainder of the money a bit easier to obtain. A few weeks after its conception, the club – at the time of writing – has hit the desired £5 million mark and they’re looking to make even more to make their loan repayments that tad bit smaller. Overall,a remarkable effort from a truly unique set of fans.

But in a modern footballing world full of foreign owners, ludicrous transfer fees and an overall rise in disillusionment from many fans towards the state of the game, is AFC Wimbledon and their fan-owned model here to stay? That is the real question.

[https://twitter.com/bringdonshome]

The club’s fans are worried about taking on any outside investment and ceasing full control of a club they worked so hard to get back into the Football League and, more specifically, League One – where they sit close to Milton Keynes Dons in the standings currently. Outside investment certainly comes with a degree of risk, with many owners gambling with clubs like they’re a Blackjack Switch game or some sort of a toy, but can a fan-funded model continue to survive and thrive in League One? That is the question many Wimbledon fans have been asking themselves, especially in recent times when the outside investment option was put to them.

Wimbledon would argue that when they move into their new stadium, gate receipts will increase, they’ll make additional money from corporate facilities and the like, and they’ll therefore be able to compete with their League One counterparts as a result. This is a club who have largely struggled in League One since reaching it after all, and the desire to increase their playing budget is huge from within their fanbase.

The Wombles are certainly an interesting case in point as their future in their new home – which they’re due to move into next season – will determine whether their model can succeed further in the modern climate. They are, without a doubt, a shining light when it comes to fan ownership in English football, but questions still remain as to whether they can carry on in their current guise.

Is outside investment the only way forward for football clubs? Wimbledon fans will tell you otherwise, although their view could potentially change in the near future. Interesting times ahead in south west London.