I want to address a number of points made in Ian Hart's column regarding Wimbledon FC and the call by Wimbledon Independent Supporters' Association and the Football Supporters' Federation to boycott matches at Selhurst Park (The Argus, August 14).

He is indeed correct in saying the situation unfolding at the club is "terrible" and one we have fought hard to prevent over the past year with Albion supporters and those from across the country.

However, I suggest Mr Hart is not in receipt of all the facts when he makes the assumption that the club's problems have been caused by "mismanagement off the pitch".

I presume withdrawing up to £8 million pounds of capital from the club and loaning it back at ten per cent a year to create artificial debt is "mismanagement".

Or perhaps attempting to buy out Queen's Park Rangers and merge the two clubs is "mismanagement".

Perhaps Ian regards "mismanagement" as the attending by Chairman Charles Koppel of a local residents' meeting near our old ground at Plough Lane, Wimbledon, and coaching those attending to oppose any return to the old ground.

Or maybe "mismanagement" is what he would call Sam Hammam's actions.

He, like Bill Archer, sold Wimbledon's ground with no alternative in place. Hammam left and took the money to Cardiff, with the £28 million he received for the sale of the club.

In respect of the situation the Albion were in, Ian may well be correct that boycotts never took place but, from my recollection, they were never called for.

Fans United at the Goldstone proved that Albion supporters would have had the backing for such action if they had requested it.

Ian resorts to playground behaviour with his "no one else did so why should we?" response. Besides which, Wimbledon supporters themselves could never have taken part in any boycott because we were not in the same division at the time.

I also find it insulting - as I am sure most Albion supporters will - that Ian suggests the loss of a club with a proud history is a good thing because it will be "one less team the Albion will have to worry about this season".

The issue at stake in this whole nasty business is whether we want franchising in football because that is the monster that was created on May 28, when our club was snatched away from us.

No "temporary" move to Gillingham, terrible as that was. This is permanent and heralds the first franchised football product in the English game.

I would suggest Albion fans have more sense and sympathy than the rather acid-tongued and insulting Ian Hart did and I urge them to stay away from Selhurst Park on Saturday.

-Kevin Rye, Publicity Officer, Wimbledon Independent Supporters' Association