AFC Wimbledon are aiming to raise £7million in crowdfunding to help pay for their new stadium at Plough Lane.
It was revealed back in March the club would be launching a crowdfunding project to pay for part of their move back to Plough Lane, which they want to occur in time for the 2020/21 season.
The total cost of Wimbledon’s new stadium is expected to be around £25m and the club want to generate outside funds to pay for half of that.
In total they are looking to bring in £13m and this will come from a mixture of a bank loan and crowdfunding, which will launch later this month, to build a stadium that supports a competitive League One budget and offers community facilities in the heart of Merton.
The Dons want to raise £7m in part by issuing more shares in AFCW PLC - who own the club - while still retaining the Dons Trust’s 75 per cent controlling stake.
The target of £13m is higher than the club previously thought it would be back in 2015 when they got permission to sell their current home Kingsmeadow.
Back then it was believed they would need to raise a further £3m to 7m, but an improved stadium design, unexpected delays and additional construction work have increased costs.
The £7m target is an ambitious one and would equate to every Wimbledon season ticket holder parting with £2,300.
However, the Dons are working with crowdfunding platform Seedrs to extend their reach beyond its fanbase and the minimum investment level is just £10.
For that amount people can become a part-owner of a League One club but, before the opportunity to invest is offered to the wider public, there will be a week when it will be available purely for AFC Wimbledon supporters and Dons’ Trust members.
