A long time ago, MK Dons were seen by pundits as set for a 2024/25 season to remember.
It’s safe to say it was a memorable campaign at Stadium MK, but not in the way that fans were hoping for. A finish of 19th position in League Two is the Dons’ lowest finish in the fourth tier, with it coming at the end of a pretty turbulent campaign.
This was a season that featured five different permanent and caretaker managers and some true lowlights but at least avoided what would’ve been a true nadir of falling into the National League.
Many connected with MK Dons will want to move on to next season quickly, but plenty will also wonder exactly how a team seen as promotion candidates wound up hitting reverse gear.
At the start of the campaign, there were plus points in the Dons’ favour. Although the play-off implosion ended the previous season on a bum note, MK Dons still had shown great form to recover from a slow start to be the closest challenger to strong Stockport, Wrexham and Mansfield side that took the automatic promotion places.
Mike Williamson still had some credit in the bank for the turnaround over the 2023/24 season, and he was backed in the market. While losing top scorer Max Dean was a concern, a new look squad swelled by several players who’d won promotion with other League 2 clubs or challenged for promotion meant many felt they were in a prime position to challenge.
In many respects, it was set to be a new start at MK Dons with the surprise announcement the day before the opening game that Pete Winkelman had sold up, selling the club to a Kuwaiti consortium. They have begun to have an effect over the season, with a new structure, new communication philosophy and tweaks to ticket pricing.
As for the on-pitch product, however, the Dons made a pretty poor start, with Williamson’s side losing 4 of their first 6. The last of those – a 3-0 loss to AFC Wimbledon – seemed to be the moment where fan irritation at Williamson that had began simmering with multiple defensive collapses at the end of the previous season truly began to boil over with calls for a change.
A change would come, but not in the way many expected, with the pivotal moment that ended Williamson’s tenure at MK Dons being one of his final wins.
A 3-0 win for the Dons at home to Carlisle United impressed the Cumbrians’ owner Tom Piatak, and a few weeks later, Piatak was unveiling Williamson as the new boss at Brunton Park.
Williamson’s move created a three-hander of manager transfers, with MK Dons moving quickly to sign Scott Lindsey from Crawley and the Sussex club turning to Rob Elliot, who had succeeded his former Newcastle teammate Williamson at Gateshead when Williamson moved to Milton Keynes in 2023.
Ultimately, however, no part of this manager triangle worked. Williamson was a disaster at Carlisle, sacked after only winning 5 from 25 games and blamed by many Carlisle fans for their second relegation in a row. Meanwhile, Elliot struggled to adapt from managing Gateshead in the National League to Crawley in League One and would leave after winning 6 of 33 games.
The fact Lindsey ended up returning to Crawley as Elliot’s successor in an ultimately doomed attempt to keep them up, meanwhile, tells you all you need to know about how well it went for Lindsey in MK.
Lindsey had been on MK Dons’ radar for his emphatic play-off win against them in 2024, backed up by winning the play-off final and making a reasonable start in the third tier despite Crawley losing more or less their entire squad over the summer.
Initially, things looked promising. Five goals in his first win hinted that there was a decent team in development, and a run of six straight wins between late October and early December backed this up as the Dons, much as they had the previous season, jumped up the league table.
There were some warning signs – not least the fact only one of these games saw MK Dons keep a clean sheet, including conceding in the opening minute at home to Swindon and being 2-0 down at home to Cheltenham after 13 minutes.
But it seemed as though Lindsey had got the Dons into a groove, with the team sat in the top 3 after a polished 3-0 win over Chesterfield in early December.
Things then very quickly went into reverse. Getting sucker punched by Gillingham was one way to end the unbeaten run, but following that up by conceding 6 at Newport really was the start of a collapse in form.
A truly abysmal run of 2 wins in 17 games truly blew up any pretensions the Dons had of making the play-offs, with multiple matches seeing MK Dons dominate possession then run out of ideas when confronted with a low block.
Lindsey was backed in January, with MK Dons signing 7 new players, including more former Crawley players in Jay Williams and Danilo Orsi, joining summer arrivals Liam Kelly and Laurence Maguire, along with a highly regarded League One level defender in Nathan Thompson, a replacement for Thompson after he got a season-ending injury in his second game, and Dan Crowley, who’d been man of the match when MK Dons lost to Notts County on Boxing Day.
But nothing clicked. A winless February truly saw the Dons’ promotion hopes slide out of view and things ultimately became untenable, with Lindsey shown the door in March after a 1-0 loss at home to Colchester in a game where Jack Payne’s first return to MK saw him deliver the final insult.
MK Dons turned to Ben Gladwin, a former Dons midfielder who had previously succeeded Lindsey as an interim at Crawley. But after two promising results early on in beating Morecambe and Cheltenham, things slumped again, with a truly miserable week that saw the Dons concede 10 goals in losing to Fleetwood, Notts County and Barrow perhaps being a rock bottom moment for season and club.
It all means that for MK Dons, the upcoming summer means this will have to be a time when they have to go away and dream it all up again. Near the end of the season, they found the man they want to lead the rebuild.
In something of a coup, the Dons were able to land Paul Warne, last seen taking Derby County into the Championship. Warne’s four games feel almost disconnected from the rest of the season, with a more defensively solid Dons keeping 4 clean sheets in a row, having only kept 5 clean sheets in the entire remainder of the season before that.
One of those was the grand farewell to Dean Lewington, who at age 40 has opted to hang up his boots and means that next season will be the strange new world that is a Dons without Dean, who’d played in every campaign since the formation of the club in 2004. Such was the affection shown his way in his final home game that many appreciate the gravity of such a scene change.
Going forward, Warne’s task will now be to mould what he has into something better. There are certainly players with potential to launch a promotion push, and indeed players who can call upon the experience they previously showed in promotions with others, so transfer work will presumably be underway to find those who can elevate the squad to the next level.
It looks as though Warne’s philosophy will move on from the pass-heavy MK Way philosophy, which many MK Dons fans seem perfectly content with given how that approach seemed to break down this season.
Several games seemed to fit a continual loop of MK Dons being unable to break down a low block and struggle to create chances, nevermind goals, so it makes sense that having run out of road, it’s time for something else.
If the 2024/25 season is anything, it’s that MK Dons at least avoided a total nadir in falling into the National League, with a Morecambe team beset by off-pitch problems and the aforementioned Carlisle sliding out instead.
If nothing else, MK Dons can be content the season cleared that low bar, but a ton of work is required to sculpt a squad that can be competitive at the other end of the table and prove lessons have been learned from what we’ve just seen them do.
MK Dons have confirmed there will be a restructuring of their women’s first team, which will now be directly run by MK Dons itself.
Since 2009, the Women’s First Team had been run by the Milton Keynes Dons Sports & Education Trust, but the club have now confirmed that they will be incorporated into the operations of MK Dons as a whole from July 1st.
MK Dons made the move after a difficult season for the women’s team in the 2024/25 season. After a mass exodus of players and coaches in the summer of 2024, the Dons’ women’s team picked up a return of just one single point from 22 games, with no wins, 21 defeats and a final goal difference of -114.
The club said, “After a difficult 24/25 season, it’s our hope this strategic move will increase the visibility of Women’s football in Milton Keynes while also improving infrastructure for players, coaches and staff.
“The move will also give the club the opportunity to sustainably market women’s football, leading to increased opportunities for investment via commercial sponsorships and improved attendance on matchdays.”
The restructure will see the club appoint a new first team manager and head coach for it’s women’s set-up as they seek to rebuild in the fourth tier of women’s football.
The club’s CEO Neil Hart told the official website that he was happy to achieve plans for the integration process.
He said, “The integration of the Women’s First Team has been a goal for the new ownership group and myself since they acquired MK Dons last summer, so we’re delighted to announce this exciting development just nine months later.
“We’re very ambitious for the team and what the move represents for women and girls in Milton Keynes. In the short term, the aim is to semi-professionalise the squad before delivering pragmatic growth over the coming years, which will include the appointment of a full-time women’s first team manager.
“MK Dons and MK Dons Women have been separate for too long, and we’re so pleased this will now change, allowing for better integration between the sides as one club.
“I’d like to thank everyone at MK Dons SET, as well as players, coaches and staff, for their tireless work over the years. You’ve made the difference, and we’re so excited to build on your fantastic work. As ever, we’d also like to thank the MK Dons Supporters’ Board for their invaluable feedback.”
MK Dons’ Chairman Fahad Al Ghanim added that he was also pleased to make the move happen.
He said, “This is a proud moment for us all as we look to offer women and girls in Milton Keynes a fantastic football club to play for, support and champion!
“As anyone who lives in MK will know, we’re a one-city club. We’re delighted that any women and girls interested in participating in the sport will now directly benefit from a fantastic ‘semi-professional’ team that represents them, as well as a clear development pathway underneath it.
“This is a clear statement of intent from MK Dons, myself and the Board of directors, as well as everyone who works at Stadium MK.
“We’re at a pivotal moment for women’s sport, this is the right thing to do, and we’re thrilled to re-establish and support its continued development.
“With many incredible women already working at MK Dons, we’re delighted this move will create even more opportunities and see even more inspiring and ambitious staff welcomed into the club.”
Police have released CCTV images of a man and a woman who officers would like to speak to in relation to an assault in Central Milton Keynes.
The incident happened around 10.40pm on 18 April this year, outside of Leonardo Hotel in The Hub in the city centre.
During the incident, a man and woman were assaulted by two unknown offenders.
The first victim, who was a man in his twenties, sustained injuries to his face including a fractured eye socket and a fractured rib.
The second victim, a woman in her twenties, sustained injuries to her face including a fracture to her eye socket and nose.
Both victims attended hospital and have since been discharged.
Thames Valley Police have released images of people they wish to speak to regarding what happened that evening.
Investigating officer PC Tyler-Jade Prosser, said, “I am appealing to anyone who recognises the people in these images to please come forward as they may have vital information to assist us with our investigation.
“I am also appealing to anyone who witnessed this incident or has information that may assist us to please get in touch.
“Anyone with information should call 101 or make an online report, via our website, quoting crime reference number 43250190201.”
Luton Town have published their retained list and confirmed the departures of 5 contracted first-team players, including long-serving midfielder Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu.
The Hatters also confirmed that Amari’i Bell, Tim Krul, Victor Moses and Jameson Horlick will also depart upon expiry of contract at the end of June 2025.
The big headlines were however occupied by confirmation of the exit of Mpanzu, with the 31-year-old midfielder leaving after 12 years with Luton Town.
Mpanzu first joined Luton in 2013 at a time when the Hatters were in the National League and made 400 appearances for the club on every step of the way as the club went from the 5th to the top tier in English football in less than ten years.
Jamaican international Bell will also depart, having been at the club for 4 years and been a regular for the team that reached the Premier League in 2023.
Goalkeepers Krul and Horlick will also leave, as will Moses, who had joined the club during this season.
The Hatters also confirmed that Josh Bowler and Kal Naismith will return to Nottingham Forest and Bristol City respectively after expiry of their loan contracts.
Luton also confirmed that club captain Tom Lockyer has been released but will stay in the set-up around the club’s training ground as he continues rehabilitation from ankle surgery.
Attacker Dion Pereira will also leave, having spent the previous part of the just-concluded season away on loan.
Cauley Woodrow, Tom Holmes, Jayden Luker and Aribim Pepple will return to Kenilworth Road upon expiry of their loan contracts.
Academy players Jack Bateson, Dominic Dos Santos Martins, Tyrell Giwa and Axel Piesold are to leave the club’s under-21 set-up, while Charlie Emery, Isaiah Harvey, Cai Hockey and Matthew Takawira have been released from the club’s under-16s.
MK Dons have announced that they will be replacing their club crest starting from the 2025/26 season.
The club’s badge since being founded in 2004 had used a golden crest made up of the letters M and K with “MK Dons” written down the side and a red dot, but the club have now announced it will be adapted into a new circular design.
The design is one of three that had been raised to season ticket holders in February as a possible option to replace the club’s badge.
Following an initial consultation with the MK Dons Supporters’ Board and a successful further consultation of all season ticket holders, the decision to unveil a new badge was made earlier this week.
The next chapter of MK Dons’ history…
The new crest will now be rolled out digitally and across Stadium MK ahead of the new season and will be applied to all MK Dons kits in time for the start of 25/26.
Read more at https://t.co/sOMfCkVSw1 💻#COYD
— Milton Keynes Dons (@MKDonsFC) May 6, 2025
The new club crest will be used across all the club’s teams, including the Men’s First Team, the Women’s First Team, the Academy, Boys and Girls age groups and Disability teams. The new badge has been added to the club’s online presence and the club confirmed it will also be applied to the outside of Stadium MK and on the club’s new kits.
MK Dons Chairman Fahad Al Ghanim told the club’s official website, “The evolution of our club crest marks a new era for Milton Keynes Dons. We’re so excited about the direction the club is heading in under new leadership, whether that be on the pitch with Head Coach Paul Warne, or off the pitch with CEO Neil Hart, 25/26 promises to be a very exciting season for everyone associated with MK Dons.
“After a transitional season, we can now look forward with renewed optimism as we invest in all aspects of the club and look to build the foundations for sustainable success in Milton Keynes. The evolution of our club crest is central to this, and we believe marks a new dawn for the football club.”
CEO Neil Hart said that the new ownership had considered the possibility of changing the club’s look after arriving, with a survey revealing over 60% of season ticket holders agreed with the idea of adapting the club’s badge.
Hart said, “When the new ownership group acquired the club last summer, one of the many things they wanted to learn more about was the club’s identity and branding. The possibility of a brand evolution was brought to the MK Dons Supporters’ Board, whose reaction was one of unanimous enthusiasm. We then surveyed season ticket holders, and that brought a 64.8% mandate for evolution. We believe it’s the right time to do this, it is an evolution, and supporters will start to see that brand and crest appear physically around the stadium and digitally across all of our platforms over the course of the summer.
“We’ve got a bit of work to do to roll that out, but I’m really pleased we’re in such a positive position. We all want the Dons to be successful. We’re here to deliver a football team this city can get behind and be proud of, and the evolution of our crest is fundamental to that. When supporters see it added to the building and digitally, they’ll absolutely love it, it looks great!”
