The 2014–15 season was Milton Keynes Dons' eleventh season in their existence as a professional association football club, and their seventh consecutive season competing in Football League One.
As well as competing in League One, the club also participated in the FA Cup, League Cup and League Trophy.
The season covers the period from 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015.
Season review With what turned out to be a successful summer transfer window, manager Karl Robinson signed forwards Benik Afobe and Will Grigg on loan from Arsenal and Brentford respectively, as well as former loanee Samir Carruthers from Aston Villa on a permanent deal. Centre-back Kyle McFadzean was also brought in from Crawley Town.
Following a 3–1 home victory over rivals AFC Wimbledon in the first round at the beginning of August, the club were handed a lucrative second round League Cup draw at home to Manchester United. Against all odds, the Dons won the tie 4–0 through goals from Grigg and Afobe against a United team which included established Premier League players David de Gea, Javier Hernandez, Shinji Kagawa and Danny Welbeck.
The result set the tone for the remainder of the season. The Dons spent the majority of the year in promotion contention and achieved several notable victories including a club record 7–0 home win over Oldham Athletic, a 6–0 home win over Colchester United and 6–1 home wins over both Crewe Alexandra and Leyton Orient. At the end of the January 2015 transfer window, academy graduate Dele Alli was sold to Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur for a club record fee in the region of £5m plus add-on incentives and arrangements which included Alli being loaned back immediately for the remainder of the campaign.
For the final few weeks of the season, the club were in competition with Preston North End and Swindon Town for second place (the final automatic promotion spot). With a considerable points gap to claw back, the Dons managed to obtain 25 points from a possible 27 to ensure the battle for promotion came down to the final day.
With Preston in second place on 89 points and MK Dons in third on 88, Preston faced relegation-threatened Colchester United and only needed to match or better the Dons' result against already relegated Yeovil Town to ensure promotion. MK Dons went on to defeat Yeovil 5–1. With Preston losing away to Colchester, the Dons secured second place against the odds, achieving promotion to the second tier for the first time since their formation in 2004 along with a club record goal tally of 101 league goals.
Competitions League One
Final table PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts1 Bristol City (C, P) 46291259638+58992 Milton Keynes Dons (P)462710910144+57913 Preston North End (P) 46251477940+39894 Swindon Town 462310137657+19795 Sheffield United 461914136653+1371 Source: Sky Sports
Matches WinDrawLoss +DateOpponentVenueResultScorersAttendanceRef9 August 2014 – 15:00GillinghamHome4–2Hause (o.g.), Grigg, McFadzean, Legge (o.g.)7,59516 August 2014 – 15:00Peterborough UnitedAway2–3Alli, Powell7,11519 August 2014 – 19:45ChesterfieldAway1–0Afobe5,81123 August 2014 – 15:00Coventry CityHome0–0 10,60030 August 2014 – 15:00Crawley TownHome2–0Alli, Afobe7,14813 September 2014 – 15:00BarnsleyAway5–3Afobe, Carruthers, Alli, Grigg, Reeves9,19216 September 2014 – 19:45Bradford CityHome1–2Lewington7,13920 September 2014 – 15:00Crewe AlexandraHome6–1Alli (3), Grigg, Afobe, Reeves7,04927 September 2014 – 15:00Bristol CityAway2–3Bowditch, Afobe13,1194 October 2014 – 15:00Yeovil TownAway2–0Grigg, Powell4,00018 October 2014 – 15:00Leyton OrientAway0–0 5,01421 October 2014 – 19:45Fleetwood TownHome2–1McFadzean, Afobe6,73625 October 2014 – 15:00Doncaster RoversAway0–0 5,9761 November 2014 – 15:00Swindon TownHome2–1Alli, Kay9,49422 November 2014 – 15:00Port ValeHome1–0C. Baker12,00725 November 2014 – 19:45RochdaleHome2–2Grigg, Green6,72029 November 2014 – 15:00Colchester UnitedHome6–0Alli, Afobe (3), Reeves, Hodson7,6462 December 2014 – 19:45Sheffield UnitedAway1–0Alli17,03013 December 2014 – 15:00Preston North EndAway1–1C. Baker9,85620 December 2014 – 15:00Oldham AthleticHome7–0Grigg (2), Bowditch, Potter, Alli, Afobe, C. Baker7,99826 December 2014 – 15:00Notts CountyAway1–0Powell5,89728 December 2014 – 15:00WalsallHome0–3 9,31110 January 2015 – 15:00Crawley TownAway2–2Grigg, Alli2,46817 January 2015 – 15:00Sheffield UnitedHome1–0C. Baker9,63324 January 2015 – 15:00BarnsleyHome2–0Alli, Grigg8,31027 January 2015 – 19:45Scunthorpe UnitedAway1–1McFadzean3,00531 January 2015 – 15:00Crewe AlexandraAway5–0Cole (2), Bowditch, C. Baker, Powell4,3197 February 2015 – 15:00Bristol CityHome0–0 15,6429 February 2015 – 19:45Bradford CityAway1–2Alli11,94814 February 2015 – 15:00GillinghamAway2–4Cole, Reeves5,10717 February 2015 – 19:45Colchester UnitedAway1–0Alli2,97421 February 2015 – 15:00Peterborough UnitedHome3–0Grigg, Reeves (2)11,16228 February 2015 – 15:00Coventry CityAway1–2Powell9,9343 March 2015 – 19:45ChesterfieldHome1–2L. Baker7,3357 March 2015 – 15:00Preston North EndHome0–2 10,61814 March 2015 – 15:00WalsallAway1–1Grigg3,88717 March 2015 – 19:45Oldham AthleticAway3–1Bowditch, Powell, Grigg2,44521 March 2015 – 15:00Notts CountyHome4–1C. Baker, L. Baker, Grigg (2)11,9114 April 2015 – 12:15Swindon TownAway3–0Powell, Grigg (2)10,0877 April 2015 – 19:45Scunthorpe UnitedHome2–0Grigg (2)8,08711 April 2015 – 15:00Port ValeAway0–0 4,37914 April 2015 – 19:45Fleetwood TownAway3–0L. Baker, Grigg, Alli2,75218 April 2015 – 15:00Leyton OrientHome6–1Bowditch, Hall (3), Grigg, Alli10,13721 April 2015 – 19:45Doncaster RoversHome3–0Bowditch, C. Baker (2)8,15925 April 2015 – 15:00RochdaleAway3–2Carrthers, Bowditch, Powell3,5013 May 2015 – 12:15Yeovil TownHome5–1C. Baker, Lewington (2), Potter, Grigg16,965
FA Cup
Matches WinDrawLoss +DateRoundOpponentVenueResultScorersAttendanceRef8 November 2014 – 15:00First roundPort ValeAway4–3Afobe (2), C. Baker, Green4,1206 December 2014 – 15:00Second roundChesterfieldHome0–1 5,5912 January 2015 – 19:45Second roundChesterfieldHome0–1 8,040
League Cup
Matches WinDrawLoss +DateRoundOpponentVenueResultScorersAttendanceRef12 August 2014 – 19:45First roundAFC WimbledonHome3–1McFadzean, Powell, Afobe7,17126 August 2014 – 19:45Second roundManchester UnitedHome4–0Grigg (2), Afobe (2)26,96923 September 2014 – 19:45Third roundBradford CityHome2–0Afobe (2)5,70728 October 2014 – 19:45Fourth roundSheffield UnitedHome1–2Afobe8,520
League Trophy
Matches WinDrawLoss +DateRoundOpponentVenueResultScorersAttendanceRef7 October 2014 – 19:45Second roundAFC WimbledonHome2–3Powell, Afobe4,407
Player details Note: Players' ages as of the club's opening fixture of the 2014–15 season.
#NameNationalityPositionDate of birth (age)Signed fromSigned inTransfer feeGoalkeepers1David MartinGK Liverpool2010Free16Ian McLoughlinGK Ipswich Town2011Free29Charlie BurnsGKAcademy2014TraineeDefenders2Lee HodsonRBFree agent2013Free3Dean LewingtonLB Wimbledon2004Free4Tom FlanaganCBAcademy2010Trainee5Kyle McFadzeanCB Crawley Town2014Undisclosed6Antony KayCB Huddersfield Town2012Free12Jordan SpenceRBFree agent2014Free23Joe WalshCB Crawley Town2015Loan24Ben TilneyLBAcademy2014Trainee25Harry HickfordCBAcademy2014TraineeMidfielders8Darren PotterDM Sheffield Wednesday2011Free10Ben ReevesAMFree agent2013Free13Carl BakerAMFree agent2014Free14Dele AlliCM Tottenham Hotspur2015Loan15Mark RandallCMFree agent2014Free21Keith AndrewsDM Bolton Wanderers2015Loan22Samir CarruthersAM Aston Villa2014Undisclosed26Will SummerfieldCMAcademy2014Trainee34Lewis BakerCM Chelsea2015LoanForwards7Danny GreenRWFree agent2013Free9Dean BowditchLW Yeovil Town2011Free11Will GriggCF Brentford2014Loan17Daniel PowellLWAcademy2008Trainee19Tom HitchcockCF Queens Park Rangers2014Free27Kabongo TshimangaCFAcademy2014Trainee28Devante ColeCF Manchester City2015Loan38Rob HallRW Bolton Wanderers2015LoanOut on loan18George BaldockRBAcademy2009Trainee20Giorgio RasuloCMAcademy2012TraineeLeft club during season23Benik AfobeCF Arsenal2014Loan23Jonson Clarke-HarrisCF Rotherham United2015Loan35George WilliamsLW Fulham2015Loan
Transfers Transfers in Date fromPositionNameFromFeeRef. 1 July 2014 MF Danny Green Charlton Athletic Free transfer FW Tom Hitchcock Free agent DF Kyle McFadzean Crawley Town Undisclosed 6 August 2014 MF Samir Carruthers Aston Villa 21 August 2014 DF Jordan Spence Free agent Free transfer 26 September 2014 MF Carl Baker Free agent
Transfers out Date fromPositionNameToFeeRef. 1 July 2014 MF Luke Chadwick Cambridge United Free transfer MF Stephen Gleeson Birmingham City FW Ryan Hall Rotherham United FW Izale McLeod Crawley Town MF Alan Smith Notts County 2 August 2014 DF Brendan Galloway Everton Undisclosed 2 February 2015 MF Dele Alli Tottenham Hotspur £5,000,000
Loans in Start datePositionNameFromEnd dateRef. 18 July 2014 FW Will Grigg Brentford End of season 4 August 2014 FW Benik Afobe Arsenal 16 January 2015 FW Jonson Clarke-Harris Rotherham United 21 February 2015 22 January 2015 FW Devante Cole Manchester City End of season 2 February 2015 MF Dele Alli Tottenham Hotspur MF Keith Andrews Bolton Wanderers 16 February 2015 FW George C Williams Fulham March 2015 25 February 2015 MF Lewis Baker Chelsea End of season 2 March 2015 DF Joe Walsh Crawley Town 26 March 2015 FW Rob Hall Bolton Wanderers
Loans out Start datePositionNameToEnd dateRef. 31 October 2014 FW Tom Hitchcock Fleetwood Town 28 December 2014 9 January 2015 DF Tom Flanagan Plymouth Argyle 10 February 2015 12 February 2015 DF George Baldock Oxford United End of season 19 February 2015 MF Giorgio Rasulo 26 March 2015 26 March 2015 MF Aldershot Town End of season
Awards PFA Team of the Year 2014–15 League One: Dele Alli EFL Young Player of the Year 2014–15: Dele Alli EFL League One Player of the Month November 2014: Carl Baker EFL League One Player of the Month January 2015: Dele Alli EFL Young Player of the Month August 2014: Dele Alli EFL League One Manager of the Month January 2015: Karl Robinson EFL League One Manager of the Month April 2015: Karl Robinson
References
External links
Official Supporters Association website MK Dons news on MKWeb