How AFC Wimbledon’s Recruitment Has Helped Them Into The Playoff Final

AFC Wimbledon’s strong season ended in a little bit of disappointment, finishing in fifth having been flirting with automatic promotion for much of the campaign. It is not all doom and gloom for the west London club however, as they have managed to work themselves into the League Two playoff final that takes place next Monday. They will face Walsall, who themselves ended their season in terrible form.

How Did Wimbledon Get There?

For the vast majority of the season, Wimbledon’s form was midtable at best, losing against the likes of Bromley, Morecambe and Gillingham. Despite this, they managed to get into the playoffs via a 12 game unbeaten run stretching from Christmas until the beginning of March. That form saw them soar up into second, but they eventually fell once again down into the playoffs.

🗣️ POST-MATCH FROM HIGHBURY STADIUM 🏟️

Johnnie was pleased to come away with a point, after we extended our unbeaten run to eleven games.

He also had news on why Joe Lewis had to come off.#AFCW 🟡🔵 pic.twitter.com/MDP2eGzvnE

— AFC Wimbledon (@AFCWimbledon) February 18, 2025

A large part of their success this season has come from their recruitment and their management. Johnnie Jackson joined the club as manager back in 2022 having been caretaker boss and then permanent boss of Charlton Athletic for a short period. As a relatively inexperienced coach, he is surprising a lot of other teams in the league with both his adaptive style of play and his shrewd business in the transfer windows.

Who Have They Signed?

Matty Stevens

Following their relegation to the National League last season, Forest Green Rovers were unable to keep a hold of their prolific number nine Matty Stevens. Instead of renewing his contract, he decided to move to AFC Wimbledon on a free transfer. In the 2021/22 season, Stevens had been the second highest scorer in League Two as Forest Green got promoted, so it was clear to the higher ups at Wimbledon that he could perform at this level, despite his relegation last season.

This time around, he has scored 16 league goals and registered four assists as well, putting him 10 goals clear at the top of the AFC Wimbledon scoring charts. He has been integral to the team’s success, and should they fail to get promoted this season, he will be crucial next year as they look to secure an automatic spot. The deal was done early in the transfer window last summer and flew under the radar, but now other teams are starting to notice and could start sniffing round to try and work a deal for the 27-year-old.

Owen Goodman

Probably their best piece of business in the summer, Jackson was able to persuade Crystal Palace goalkeeper Owen Goodman to join the club on loan. It was a bit of a risk for a promotion chasing season, as Goodman’s only previous experience was on loan at Colchester last season, where they avoided relegation by just three points. However, by September he was already a fan favourite, saving two penalties in a shootout to knock Ipswich Town out of the EFL Cup.

21-year-old Crystal Palace loanee Owen Goodman’s accolades this season:

League Two TOTS
Golden Glove winner (21)
AFC Wimbledon YPOTY

What a season 🔥#CanMNT pic.twitter.com/o517LAjJQR

— CanMNTBible (@CanMNTBible) May 16, 2025

In total, Goodman played all by one game in the league, playing 45 times and keeping 21 clean sheets. That record gave him the golden glove for League Two. He also only conceded 33 goals, which, if you add on the two that Wimbledon conceded when he wasn’t playing, led to his side having by far the best defensive record in the league. The next best record was held by Bradford City, who conceded 45. His performance in the first leg of their playoff semi final against Notts County won him player of the match, as he kept another clean sheet. Goodman is clearly a very good goalkeeper, so we could see him playing in League One next season, even if Wimbledon don’t get promoted.

Alistair Smith

25-year-old Alistair Smith has struggled to find a permanent home in the lower leagues of English football. He has now played for five clubs in Leagues One and Two, but hasn’t managed more than a couple of seasons at each. Last season he spent the second half out on loan from Lincoln City at Colchester, who were almost relegated out of League Two. Like the signing of Goodman, it was a bit of a risk getting Smith on loan this season, but Wimbledon managed to make it work.

Despite being a midfielder, Smith has been the club’s second highest goalscorer this season, finding the back of the net six times. He has also managed three assists to his name, one of which came in a crucial 2-1 win over Carlisle. He has been a consistent presence in the Wimbledon midfield, only missing their home game against Barrow in March. He has just been released by Lincoln City, so Wimbledon might look at making their deal with him a permanent one in the summer, which would help solidify their midfield.

The Club’s Future?

The club is majority owned by The Dons Trust, a supporters group that helped found the club in 2002 after the old Wimbledon relocated to Milton Keynes. This means that if it was to get promoted, the club would struggle financially in League One. They are by no means the least wealthy club in English football, but most of their revenue comes from player sales rather than outside investment.

Johnnie Jackson is yet to receive interest from elsewhere, so his future looks secure at the club at the moment, but his defence first approach could be attractive to teams near the top of League One looking to secure promotion. Should he continue performing as he has done this season, then it will only be a matter of time before another club comes in for him.

Johnnie Jackson full of emotion after leading #afcw to the League Two play-off final.

Pictures by Kyle Andrews. pic.twitter.com/TSzdrRa5wV

— Richard Cawley (@RichCawleySLP) May 17, 2025

As for the future of the players at the club, the lower leagues of English football are so unpredictable, that most players only sign short term contracts. Wimbledon’s good recruitment over the last few years has been built on loan deals or free transfers, with players only agreeing to a couple of years at the club. Both Goodman and Smith might not return after the summer, while Stevens has just one year left on his contract, despite signing last summer. However the fans should still remain optimistic, because the recruitment team aren’t going anywhere at the moment, so their policy and success in the transfer market should remain the same.