IF you were being really insensitive about the situation AFC Wimbledon found themselves in last week, you could claim that it never rains, but it pours.

Not only did the League Two club find themselves in the unprecedented situation of having to repair a flood-damaged pitch that had become more like a crazy golf course than a football surface overnight, they were also forced to call off their eagerly-awaited glamour game with Newcastle United that had the potential to be a lucrative money-spinner as well as an unforgettable evening at the Cherry Red Records Stadium.

What happened next was always going to be crucial. Would the League Two club have to forfeit the fixture, writing off a huge sum of money they now needed more badly than ever? Or would an alternative option present itself? Thankfully, Newcastle stepped in.

“It's been a mad week,” said Wimbledon managing director James Woodroof, who was speaking at St James’ Park after the Carabao Cup third-round tie with the Magpies was switched to Tyneside on Tuesday night. “Thankfully, Newcastle were outstanding when we broke the news to them on Monday morning and quickly offered to reverse the fixture which was a fantastic gesture and offer.

“They've been first class ever since, making a significant donation to the club and hundreds of Newcastle supporters have thrown their arm around us. Newcastle to a person have been outstanding with us and I can't thank them enough. We have 1,500 fans here and I think there's now a special bond between the clubs. I’m really hopeful that bond can continue for years to come.”

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Tuesday night wasn’t perfect for the Dons. They lost to Fabian Schar’s first-half penalty and were denied the opportunity to attempt to inflict a League Cup giant-killing at their own ground. A large number of Wimbledon fans who were unable to travel to the North-East were unable to see their side in action against Premier League opposition. Given the scenes that were revealed last Monday morning, though, things could have been an awful lot worse.

“It was an extraordinary set of circumstances that led to the images that you've seen,” explained Woodroof. “Essentially, we had record levels of rain water, the River Wandle reached its highest level for 60-odd years and multiple things happened.

Flood damage at AFC Wimbledon's Cherry Red Records StadiumFlood damage at AFC Wimbledon's Cherry Red Records Stadium (Image: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire)

“Our stadium's drainage system couldn't cope with that amount of water and there was nowhere for the water to escape. Ultimately, that led to an eruption on our pitch because our water tank is beneath the pitch, which is slightly unusual.

“If we’d had to forfeit the game, it would have had a significant impact on us. Because we're fan owned, our ultimate ambition is to break even, there isn't someone writing a cheque that can sustain losses of millions of pounds, which is what's happening in League Two.

“This would have had a monumental impact on us. We're very hopeful we can repair the pitch and get football back, but the really sad thing is we were looking forward to hosting Newcastle and had sold every seat and after knocking Ipswich out, we were really looking forward to that. Unfortunately, that was taken away from us but one good thing that has come out of it is this (the trip to St James’). But it’s a bittersweet moment really.”

The hope is that Newcastle will make their first visit to Wimbledon’s redeveloped Plough Lane home at some stage in the not-too-distant future, perhaps for a pre-season friendly.

“We’ll have to put that to Eddie (Howe),” said Woodroof. “We would absolutely love that. It's an open invitation to Newcastle to have a pre-season friendly with us. We'd love to continue this relationship. We would love to host Newcastle in years to come.”