WiSH will be launching on September 5th an exciting exhibition space at the Plough Lane stadium, called “The Greatest Story” (TGS), dedicated to telling and celebrating the history of football in Wimbledon since 1889. It provides a home for the first time for all the patrimony of Wimbledon FC and AFC Wimbledon. The TGS room, next to the club shop, is the result of thousands of hours of efforts by volunteers, with limited funds donated by WiSH founders and partners, to bring together memorabilia and key artefacts, photographs, objects and stories, from the132 years of Wimbledon’s footballing past. Display cabinets were provided by bigger museums including the V&A, while volunteers laboured over the summer to move and fit the cabinets, paint walls, lay carpet, sort electrics – and so much more – to convert a bare concrete room into a fully functioning, engaging “museum”. TGS’s manager, Rebecca Hamlin, has worked tirelessly to document and log all the donated items, with displays prepared for the opening on key moments including the 1935 FA Amateur Cup Final, promotion to the Football League in 1977, and the 1988 FA CUp win. Other displays will follow in the months and years ahead to ensure visitors have a variety of eye opening experiences over time. “The Greatest Story” room is our starting point for growing efforts by WiSH to capture hearts and minds in sharing Wimbledon’s footballing heritage with the club’s fans, our local community, and sports enthusiasts looking for a different experience when visiting London. TGS will open to the public from 12-4pm on Sunday September 5th.
