Who runs the Dons Draw?

We caught up with Neil Messenbird to ask him about his experience of being a volunteer with the club. Neil has done an excellent job single-handedly managing the Dons Draw since 2005, and has processed most of the £250,000 that has been paid out to the lucky winners.

What makes you a Wimbledon fan?

I started supporting Wimbledon in the mid 90’s. For AFC Wimbledon, I got involved with the family

and really enjoy the family atmosphere more than anything else.

Favourite AFC Wimbledon moment this season?

Jake Reeves’ volley against York. It looked like it was going towards the corner post until it curved

in!

What do you do for the club?

I’ve volunteered from the beginning. I currently manage the Dons Draw, run the gates on match

day, and I used to print the tickets. I enjoy it, it’s a great group of people, a good atmosphere, and

volunteers always help out each other.

Tell us about the impact of the Dons Draw on the club?

Financially, it’s a massive chunk of money, so it’s made a good contribution to the stadium and

everything else around it. It’s also been a consistent lot of money as well, and not just a one-off.

Why would you recommend people getting involved with the Dons Draw?

It’s an easy way of contributing to the club, not a huge commitment in terms of cash, and you can

win money!

What do you think are the key challenges for the club moving forward?

I think a key challenge will be to keep donations and volunteers coming in as the club gets bigger. I

am confident we can do it. As fans, let’s appreciate all the volunteers on match day and thank them

for the time they put in!

The Dons Draw has been operating since 2004 and has raised over £700,000 for the club. Now

with a fresh look, and some new great prizes to be won, proceeds from the draw will help to realise

our ambition of having the most productive football academy in South London.