MK Dons have confirmed that midfielder Alex Gilbey and wing-back Joe Tomlinson have signed new contracts.

The duo, who have been key members of the Dons’ squad under Mike Williamson, were confirmed as signing extended contracts at Stadium MK this week, with the pair signing extensions to stay with the League 2 side beyond the end of the current 2024/25 campaign.

Gilbey has signed what MK Dons described as a “new and improved” contract of undisclosed length, extending his second stay with the Dons after re-joining the club for a second time last year.

The attacking midfielder has so far played 51 in his second spell with the club after joining MK Dons from Charlton Athletic, scoring 14 times in all competitions last season and already scoring twice in the current season. He has also frequently captained the club in games where club captain Dean Lewington hasn’t featured.

Gilbey told the official MK Dons website of his pleasure to get the deal done.

He said, “It feels amazing to sign this new contract! Obviously, everybody knows how I feel about this football club, so to get this deal done feels really good!”

Wing-back Tomlinson has also signed his own extension to his stay in Milton Keynes.

The defender joined MK Dons from Peterborough for an undisclosed fee on transfer deadline day in September 2023 and has established himself as a key option at the club, particularly since the arrival of Mike Williamson as the club’s Head Coach in October 2023.

Tomlinson has so far featured 45 times in all competitions, scoring 8 times in games played.

He spoke of his own delight in coming his stay at the club, saying, “It’s really good to get this deal done! The past year has been brilliant for me; I’m grateful to the Club, staff, and all the boys who have helped me over my time here so far.”

Northamptonshire has hosted a round of the Tour of Britain cycle race, which visited the county on Saturday (07/09).

Professional cyclists took part in a 91 mile course going around Northamptonshire in the second-to-last stage of the 2024 Tour of Britain event, starting and ending in Northampton and visiting multiple towns and villages across the county.

Thousands of enthusiastic spectators from towns and parishes across West Northants lined the streets to cheer on the world’s top cyclists as they raced through the area.

French cyclist Paul Magnier would take the stage victory ahead of Erlend Blikra and Ethan Vernon, who completed the podium.

The route taken started at the University of Northampton’s Waterside Campus before heading to Daventry, around Silverstone and then north on a further course back through Daventry, before taking a further loop via Brixworth and concluding at a finish line on the Derngate in Northampton town centre.

The Tour of Britain tournament concluded with a final stage in Suffolk on Sunday.

Cllr Daniel Lister, Cabinet Member for Local Economy, Culture & Leisure at West Northamptonshire Council, praised local residents for turning out in great numbers to support the event.

Cllr Lister said, “We are overwhelmed by the outstanding support and incredible turnout from our residents and communities for the Tour of Britain Men in West Northamptonshire. The energy and enthusiasm from the community was truly inspiring and it was fantastic to see so many people come together to celebrate this world-class event.

“This day showcased not only the beauty and charm of our area but also the incredible community spirit that makes West Northamptonshire such a special place. We look forward to welcoming more events like this in the future and continuing to put West Northamptonshire on the map as a premier destination for sporting and culture excellence.”

James Seymour, Director of Marketing and Student Recruitment at the University of Northampton, added, “The atmosphere was electric, the town really got behind the riders and looked fantastic. It was an event Northampton can look back on with pride and the University is delighted to have hosted the start of the stage.”

Xscape Milton Keynes are hosting a ‘Tree of Pride’ during Milton Keynes Pride Festival this weekend.

Visitors to Xscape are invited to decorate it with their pledges to work toward a more inclusive and caring future while the tree is based at the leisure complex this weekend (14/09-15/09).  

The touring community art piece, which has previously made stops at Xscape’s sister site in Yorkshire, has been collecting messages of love, unity, and acceptance on its journey across the country.

Its final stop in 2024 will be at Xscape Milton Keynes during the city’s Pride Festival, which takes place at Campbell Park in Central Milton Keynes this weekend as part of an annual celebration of visibility, equality and promotion of the LGBTQ+ community in Milton Keynes and surrounding areas.

Guests are encouraged to commit to one of the suggested pledges or leave a positive and heartfelt sentiment that feels appropriate to them, such as a dedication to a loved one.

The Tree of Pride will be at Xscape Milton Keynes on 14th and 15th September and the public is invited to participate from 10 am – 6 pm on Saturday and 11am – 5pm on Sunday.

Dan Murphy, Centre Director at Milton Keynes, said, “We continue to be immensely proud to celebrate the wonderfully diverse community in Milton Keynes. The Tree of Pride art installation offers us a unique opportunity not only to highlight the progress we’ve made as a society but also to acknowledge the important work that still lies ahead in our journey toward equality and acceptance for all.

“At Xscape Milton Keynes, we look forward to seeing the Tree of Pride bloom with our visitors’ touching messages of inclusivity and positivity. We hope this vibrant display will serve as powerful inspiration for our guests to help create a more united and caring community.”

MK Dons picked up their second win of the season as a first-half goal saw them defeat Walsall 1-0 at Stadium MK.

Callum Hendry’s first half goal was the match-winner, as the Dons picked up back-to-back home wins in League Two.

The result saw Mike Williamson’s side bounce back from a disappointing defeat by Salford on Monday as they prepare for a big test next weekend away at rivals AFC Wimbledon.

MK Dons arrived in the game on the back of winning just one of their four League Two games and earning criticism from player-turned-manager-turned-pundit Roy Keane for their play at Salford.

Mike Williamson’s side welcomed a Walsall side who had won three of their opening four, with the Dons boss opting to Tommy Leigh his first league start as they sought a strong result against a side they beat 5-0 at home at Easter.

The opening stages saw MK Dons have control of the ball without creating many opportunities, but when one came their way just after the opening quarter-hour mark, the Dons would take it.

Playing out from the back, the home side worked the ball down their right hand side. Aaron Nemane played the ball down the line for the advancing Liam Kelly, whose inviting ball found Hendry to tap home at the back post.

Hendry’s goal was his second in as many games at Stadium MK, but the lead it gave the Dons was nearly a fleeting one. Walsall won the ball high-up and from a Jamie Jellis cross, Jack Earing met the ball and saw a shot well stopped by Dons keeper Tom McGill.

Most of the rest of the first half would see MK Dons on the front foot. Alex Gilbey saw a strike kept out by Walsall goalkeeper Sam Hornby, before Aaron Nemane had a shot deflected just wide.

MK Dons still had further chances late in the half, with Nemane seeing an effort land inches wide of the mark after breaking through before Joe Tomlinson had a strike blocked.

Walsall attempted to recalibrate with a double substitution at half-time, with substitute Reyes Cleary having a strike blocked just after coming on before Earing later had a strike fly over the bar.

Meanwhile, the Dons’ momentum wasn’t helped by knocks to both Laurence Maguire and Nemane, with both having to leave the field of play.

Maguire saw a header bounce just wide a few moments before leaving the field, before Nemane’s replacement Stephen Wearne saw a shot go straight at Hornby.

Gilbey would see a shot go wide via a deflection and although Walsall had some forward momentum, the best they produced would see a strike deflected just wide.

Jellis would see the ball pinched off his toes by McGill while a corner narrowly failed to find Walsall sub Jamille Matt, but true chances were proving hard to come by for the Saddlers.

MK Dons nearly wrapped up the points in the final minutes of the 90 when Gilbey saw a strike kept out by Hornby after a fast break by the home side.

With multiple injury stoppages and change breaks, the officials signalled for 8 minutes of stoppage time at the end of the game, but MK Dons kept Walsall at arms length to get the job done and win.

MK Dons: McGill – Tripp, Offord, Maguire (Tucker 65) – Nemane (Wearne 59), Lemonheigh-Evans, Kelly (MJ Williams 82), Tomlinson – Leigh (Thompson-Sommers 65), Hendry (Dennis 82), Gilbey

Subs not used: Harness, Harrison

Goal: Hendry (18)

Booked: Hendry

Walsall: Hornby – H. Williams, Okagbue, Allen – Barrett (Adomah 73), Hall (Cleary 45), Stirk, Weir (Lakin 45) – Jellis (Johnson 82), Earing – Lowe (Matt 73)

Subs not used: Barrett, Maher

Booked: Weir, Jellis