Wimbledon is a legendary location with a rich athletic past, renowned around the world for its important involvement in many major moments of sporting history. Best known for the world-renowned Wimbledon Championships, the area has also been home to a number of sporting events and teams, including AFC Wimbledon. Preserving the prestigious history of this iconic area is Wimbledon in Sporting History, an independent registered charity and museum. We take a closer look at the organisation’s endeavours, with specialist insight from Managing Director John Lynch, as it is named in the UK Enterprise Awards 2025.
Wimbledon in Sporting History was formed to educate and inspire visitors as they embark on a journey through the area’s rich sporting heritage. The organisation is operated by a team of more than 50 volunteers who have dedicated significant time and resources to safeguarding, curating, and celebrating the incredible legacy forged by Wimbledon’s greatest sporting stars. Since its establishment, Wimbledon in Sporting History has accessed over £1 million in sporting memorabilia, most of which is proudly displayed at its exhibition in Plough Lane.
This marvellous museum is located inside the AFC Wimbledon Club Shop on Plough Lane, providing free access to all interested in learning about the area’s sporting heritage. What’s more, Wimbledon in Sporting History offers guests a comprehensive tour of the Plough Lane Stadium, currently known as the Cherry Red Records Stadium, and home to AFC Wimbledon. The fantastic guides use the one-hour tour to share their wealth of knowledge regarding the club’s unique century-long history, including an exclusive look into dressing rooms and dugouts.
“We strive to be a centre of heritage excellence, to be the storytellers for The Greatest Story in Sports – bringing it to life using all mediums available to us both physically and virtually, delivering and educating on a local, national, and worldwide scale.”
The organisation was created by a group of AFC Wimbledon fans, who wanted to preserve the rich history of their favourite football club. This decision came after the franchise was relocated 70 miles away to Milton Keynes. The club’s exciting history, including its relocation and subsequent relaunch as a fan-owned, community based club, is detailed through an expansive array of artefacts that stretch back to the 1880s, the very beginning of football in Wimbledon.
Whilst Wimbledon in Sporting History was formed by a group of football fans, the organisation covers all sports and remains dedicated to collating, archiving, safeguarding, and displaying the historical artifacts from a range of sporting activities. Wimbledon Common has provided a unique sporting landscape for a number of global sports, including football, speedway, greyhound racing, tennis, rugby, cricket, long distance running, hockey, and shooting.
The organisation may focus on the history of Wimbledon, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t continually look to the future. The industry is a dynamic landscape and to maintain guest engagement, Wimbledon in Sporting History must remain ahead of the curve with new and unique displays and initiatives. In doing so, the organisation can ensure the sustained success of its ongoing mission: educating and celebrating Wimbledon’s extensive history.
“It’s a living history demanding of a constantly changing heritage each year,” John told us. “This requires us to be creative in our development, developing our own skill base, utilising partners expertise, developing, evolving, and diversifying. It has become a much more interactive world, both physically and virtually, moving away from a simple museum with basic cabinet displays to something that is reachable and exciting, wherever you may live.”
In just five years, Wimbledon in Sporting History has grown significantly alongside the evolving market. In this period, the organisation has opened the museum; developed heritage trails, both inside the stadium and across the borough; made three films, including a cartoon; published a book; staged a play; and is currently planning to transition all of its achievements into online offerings that are free at point of delivery worldwide.
Alongside this, Wimbledon in Sporting History has another exciting project in the pipeline. John told us that the organisation will be proudly unveiling Speedways’ first ever statue in the UK of Wimbledon World Champion Ronnie Moore. The bike and rider have been made exclusively from recycled materials sourced from the old stadium in which he raced.
This addition is yet another step in the organisation’s dedication to honouring Wimbledon’s legendary legacy, transforming the stadium and its precinct into a popular destination for sports tourism. For its exceptionally curated collection of artefacts and its unwavering commitment to safeguarding and celebrating the history of sports in Wimbledon, Wimbledon in Sporting History has been bestowed with the well-deserved title of Best Sporting History Organisation 2025.