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With the euphoria of League One survival slowly starting to simmer, it was soon time for Danny Wilson to cast his mind towards the job at hand in the 2005/06 season. The gods were definitely with the Dons on that day in May, however, the players must now aim towards achieving bigger and better things this coming season. First things first though, the dreaded pre-season. 7 am starts, daily 5 mile runs, bleep tests, and Ice bins to help cool the players after a hard days graft. Pre-season is the time that most players dread, however, a productive one is a prerequisite for any club that has aspirations of having a successful league campaign.

Pre-season also brings with it three new faces. Forward, Aaron Wilbraham, from Hull City, Defensive Midfielder, Paul Mitchell, from Wigan Athletic, and young Central Defender, Craig Morgan, from Wrexham. All three players have experience at this level, and that bodes well for the coming season.

Pre-season kicked off with an excellent showing against West Brom, who eventually edged out the Dons by one goal to nil. Yes, we lost the game, but the performance only served to wet our appetites for the new season that was fast approaching. Ben Chorley, fresh from signing a new two year deal, was his usual dominant self, Craig Morgan looked assured and showed plenty of promise, Lewington reverted to fullback and reminded us of what we had missed towards the end of last season, Oyedele looked more composed, Edds and Mitchell were steady, Crooks impressive, whilst Baker did what was needed when called upon. However, what gave many of us Dons fans hope of a much improved season was the effervescent performance that the forward players put in. Izale looked sharp, began his runs from deeper, thus avoiding the offside trap more often, and looked well rested, Small ran his heart out, seems to have regained his blistering pace, and frightened the life out of West Brom’s back line, Smith and Rizzo were a constant nuisance, whilst Puncheon and Kamara showed their Premiership opponents no respect, running at, and beating them on numerous occasions, with the latter looking like he has finally recovered from the injury problems that plagued his 2004/05 campaign.

The Dons travelled to Buckingham Town for the next stage of their pre-season preparations, on what was a sweltering Saturday afternoon. Many of us were still on a high from the West Brom game, but it soon became clear that this was going to be a totally different affair. The Buckingham players’ were clearly “up for it”; for it’s not often that they get the opportunity to play against professional opposition. Upon taking a look at the poor quality of the pitch, it soon became clear that the Dons were going to be in for a testing afternoon. The Dons put in a disjointed performance, eventually running out 3-0 winners (match report on website). However, the conditions were ideal for pre-season, and if anything, the Dons benefited from a 90 minute workout in what can only be described as difficult conditions.

The next stage of the Dons pre-season preparations saw them jet out to Portugal for some warm weather training. Along with this training, two games were played against local opposition (match reports on website). The emphasis of this trip was clearly on raising fitness levels, aswell as building team spirit, with the players taking in swimming and table tennis during their free-time. Upon completion of a tour that included 0-0 draws in successive matches, Wilson commented on how solid the defensive unit was starting to look. More importantly, this new found solidity, that was so often lacking last season, gives the team a strong foundation to build on as we look towards the 2005/06 campaign.

The Dons first pre-season fixture back on English soil pitted them against our United Counties League Neighbours, Newport Pagnell Town FC. This is the second successive pre-season that the Dons have travelled to their non-league neighbours and it looks like becoming a permanent pre-season fixture. Danny Wilson took a strong line-up to Willen Road Sports Ground and it quickly became clear that the hard work in Portugal had made the players’ a lot fitter and sharper. The Dons dominated proceedings from beginning to end, running out 6-0 winners (match report on website). Like their United Counties League cousins, Buckingham Town, the Newport Pagnell players clearly relished the task of taking on their professional neighbours; however, they met a Dons side that appeared to be more focused, aswell as fitter.

Sunday 31 July was the day that many Dons fans had been looking forward to since the fixture was confirmed. All the rumours that had previously been circulated had proved to be accurate, as Spanish giants Atletico Madrid were coming to the NHS for what was the most prestigious friendly to take place in MK to date. Our appetites were further wetted when confirmation was received that La Liga star, Fernando Torres, and new signing, Mateja Kezman, were both part of the travelling party. The Dons players’ would be getting the opportunity to rub shoulders with world class players, albeit for 90 minutes. As soon as the match kicked off the skill and technique that each Atletico player possessed was there for all to see, with the Dons chasing shadows for long periods. However, a tough workout was needed, with the new season less than a week away. Atletico ran out 3-0 winners (match report on website), but the Dons can be proud of their performance, with Izale Mcleod putting in a particularly impressive showing.

Whilst the first team have been preparing for the new League One campaign, our Academy players have also been tasked with preparing for their new season. In light of this, a series of fixtures were arranged for an MK Dons XI side, partly in preparation for the 2005/06 FA Premier Academy League program. First up was Southern Football League outfit, Hitchin Town, who edged out the Dons by 5 goals to 4 (match report on website). Subsequent fixtures saw the XI take on Conference South outfit, Carshalton Athletic, completing their programme against Hertfordshire non league outfit, Berkhamsted Town. Both matches ended in score draws, and it all bodes well for the new academy season that kicks off on Saturday 20 August.

The Dons brought down the curtain on their Pre-season preparations with a match against last seasons FA Cup opponents, Conference South Outfit, Cambridge City. With the new season less than a week away, this game was treated as a reserve fixture, with the likes of Edds and Platt making their comebacks from injury. The Dons were beaten 3-0 (match report on website), with Cambridge proving to be too strong on the day. Whilst a defeat was not the ideal end to our pre-season campaign, the Dons have shown enough promise in previous matches to suggest that they are capable of giving a better account of themselves this time round. Yes, a few new faces would be a welcome addition, as the squad still looks a bit thin. However, if everyone remains fit, and if the correct tactics are applied, the Dons will be more than a match for anyone in this division.

So there you have it folks, another pre-season has been completed and the new campaign is now upon us.  Everyone starts on an equal footing, with each clubs destiny in their own hands. Will it be the jubilation of automatic promotion, the lottery of the play-offs, the security of mid-table, or the uncertainty of a relegation fight? Only time will tell, but whatever fate lies in wait for the Dons, it is us the fans who will play an integral role in pushing the team towards their target.