When MK Dons were created they were hated. Two decades later it’s worse… they’re irrelevant, writes MATT BARLOW

On any given Saturday, Milton Keynes Central Station is a cheerful canvas of polyester, with almost exclusively trains departing for other parts of the country.

Red and blue head north-west. Old gold and claret head for the Midlands. All the colours of London football head south. There may be a glimpse of MK Don’s white but you’ll be hard-pressed to know this is their ground.

It is the nature of a new city. Those who make it their home have roots elsewhere and football loyalties are easy reinforcements for lost identity.

MK Dons are a club that has inspired hatred since their inception. The Football Association (FA) saw to it that Wimbledon, then in dire straits and homeless, were uprooted from the heart of South West London and relocated 60 miles north.

But at 20, they’ve long since become irrelevant in football. They cling to memories of a season in the Championship and the time when teenage midfielder Dele Alli made Premier League scouts have to get tickets. That’s perhaps even worse.

MK Dons have been controversial since their formation, when the FA saw to it that Wimbledon, then in dire straits, were dislocated from the heart of south-west London and relocated 60 miles north.

Under ambitious Pete Winkelman as owner they had plans to progress to the Premier League

But 20 years after their formation, MK Dons find themselves in a League Two slump

On Saturday they beat Walsall to climb out of the bottom of League Two, with just 6,547 spectators in a fantastic stadium big enough to seat 30,000 people in a city of over 287,000 that is growing rapidly.

This was not in the master plan of Pete Winkelman, who bypassed the football pyramid and brought professional football to his adopted homeland without the hassles of promotion.

Winkelman wanted to reach the Premier League, but realised he had to win hearts and minds to do so.

He promised attractive football, youth development and strong community ties. In theory, those principles have remained largely intact.

Head coach Mike Williamson aims to create a pure passing style, but in practice this has become a lot harder since relegation from the Championship in 2016.

Winkelman’s Dons lost their way. Play-off near misses failed to disguise a downward spiral, while the club’s reputation in the community has been damaged by a long-running dispute between the MK Dons Sport Educational Trust and MK United, one of the city’s largest grassroots clubs with 18 teams in junior and adult football.

The Dons SET, an independent charity affiliated to the football club and affiliated at board level, has threatened grassroots volunteers with private legal action over what they claim are unpaid fees for pitches they manage on behalf of the council. The fees are hotly contested and effectively represent the difference between the prices recommended by the Football Foundation for the community facilities in question and the inflated prices charged by the Dons SET on behalf of the council.

Fans cling to the good times of a championship season and a young Dele Alli (left)

The club is at a crossroads after Fahad Al Ghanim took over from Winkelman last month

As a result, MK United has not been allowed to rent municipal fields managed by the Dons SET for months.

In a broader sense, this is indicative of the attitude of modern professional football towards the grassroots game, which is in a state of serious neglect and thrives on the goodwill of volunteers. On a micro level, MK reflects Dons in a bad light.

Winkelman sold the club last month, accepting defeat. Even with his passion and conviction, the dream of reaching the Premier League is more fanciful than ever.

The club that many wish had never existed is firmly at a crossroads. Its new chairman, Fahad Al Ghanim, the head of a Kuwaiti consortium, is an Arsenal fan who owns a house in Milton Keynes and has bought the club, the stadium, the arena next door and the parking company.

Al Ghanim rented a company box to watch the Dons last season and after the takeover his agent Moath Al Manayes told fans the ambition was still to aim for the Premier League, albeit through sensible investment. It would not be a ‘playground for billionaires’, Al Manayes promised.

On Saturday they travel to AFC Wimbledon and the animosity will simmer as it always does when the teams meet. It is a unique rivalry, one with an unpleasant edge at times.

Boss Mike Williamson is committed to a pure passing style, but things haven’t been easy

They will resume hostilities with arch-rivals AFC Wimbledon on Saturday afternoon

Both clubs were fined following a mass clash at Plough Lane last season, which was sparked by Ronan Curtis scoring a last-minute victory for the home side, rousing the fans in attendance.

Wimbledon player Harry Pell was also suspended and fined for kicking the ball at MK Dons fans during the warm-up.

While intense hatred is turning to indifference in some parts of the country, nothing will change in SW17.

FIVE THINGS I LEARNED THIS WEEK…

Kane still has a lot to offer before he can reach his century

Harry Kane will become the tenth player to reach 100 caps when he captains England against Finland tomorrow.

He has achieved that in a decade, with 66 goals along the way. Kane should have scored with a header in the first half against Ireland but looked good.

Impatience can take over when a great, long-serving player reaches this stage in his career, but Kane is only 31.

Viable alternatives are scarce and becoming scarcer now that Ivan Toney is going to Saudi Arabia. We should not prematurely chase Kane out of the English scene.

Robert Lewandoski (36), Edin Dzeko (38) and Cristiano Ronaldo (39) all scored during the international break.

Harry Kane is set to win his 100th cap for England in their Nations League clash against Finland

Goal of the week for non-League team

Jack Grealish and Declan Rice enjoyed two classy strikes in Dublin, but goal of the week went to Danny Cashman.

On the counter-attack he dribbled from box to box and scored one-twos for Worthing against Boreham Wood in the National League South.

Worrying signs for Morecambe

Morecambe get full marks for consistency, but no points or goals yet. They have lost their first five League Two games in a binary style: five defeats, all 1-0.

They have defied gravity since promotion to the EFL in 2007, but crashed back from League One last season amid financial chaos and ownership problems that continue to rage. It is a tough task for Derek Adams, now in his third spell as manager.

Things aren’t looking good for Derek Adams’ Morecambe after five early season defeats

Bristol Street Motors Trophy feels the love in Birmingham

The Bristol Street Motors Trophy is a strange competition, one that fans only really get excited about when they’re standing at Wembley with their big, long fingers on the ground.

With every tie being live on Sky Sports I was keen to see what the early attendance was. Some games had fewer than a thousand but the standout was 9,752 in Birmingham to see Walsall win on penalties.

It was the largest turnout in the group stage since the format was introduced in 2016-17.

It was a testament to the positivity among St Andrew’s’ new owners and the first derby between the clubs in 23 years.

There is a positive atmosphere in Birmingham with boss Chris Davies and ambitious owners

We’ve come a long way since San Marino’s last victory

All the excitement surrounding San Marino’s first win in over 20 years made me wonder what had changed since they last beaten Liechtenstein. In April 2004, Jose Mourinho was still at Porto and Arsenal were at the end of the Invincibles season.

Charlton, Bolton and Birmingham were in the Premier League’s top 10.

Wimbledon was played in Milton Keynes, but MK Dons did not exist at that time.