Volunteer help from the other side of the Atlantic
AFC Wimbledon’s status as a true fans club was encapsulated before the recent Cambridge United game when father and son Barry and Matthew Beck came all the way from America to volunteer on a match day.
Barry (right) and Matthew (left) had heard all about the AFC Wimbledon story from regular match day volunteer Nick Brickell and they wanted to play their part for a club which benefits greatly from a large volunteer base.
Matthew, who lives in Orlando, Florida, said: “We came over to visit family and Nick gave us the opportunity to come onto the field before the game. We’ve helped set the goals up beforehand and did other jobs on the pitch. We jumped at the chance to do this. I had been to Wimbledon before, but not to a match here.
“Nick had filled me in on the history of this club and how the fans are such a part of it and I think that’s fantastic. In America it’s mostly rich people and corporations that own clubs so it’s nice to hear about fans playing such an important role at the club.”
John Green got involved in backing AFC Wimbledon last season and his appreciation of Wimbledon’s fans ethos is shared by his fellow Americans. Matthew and Barry are pictured in front of an advertising board for the “Nerdfighter Community” – a term used to describe the fans of VlogBrothers, which was co-founded by John Green. Of course,
North Carolina-based Barry added: “It’s been very interesting to be here because we don’t have clubs like this in America. The nearest thing we have to this is Green Bay Packers in American Football. It’s kind of neat to see the grass roots side of sport over here. It’s been a learning process for us and I’ve really enjoyed it. The most important thing is that the club is run by people who love the club.”