Stadium MK consortium offered this proposition to several Football League clubs, including Luton Town, Crystal Palace, Barnet, Queens Park Rangers, and Wimbledon F.C.. Wimbledon F.C., who had groundshared at Crystal Palace's Selhurst Park ground since 1991, adopted the Milton Keynes plan after the appointment of a new chairman, Charles Koppel, in January 2001. Koppel said that such action was necessary to prevent Wimbledon F.C.'s going out of business. He announced Wimbledon F.C.'s intent to move on 2 August 2001 with a letter to the Football League requesting approval, stating that Wimbledon had already signed an agreement to relocate and "subject to the
History of Crystal Palace F.C. point. The club instead entered the 1989 Football League Championship play-offs, beating Swindon in the semi-finals to set up a two legged final against Blackburn Rovers. The first leg at Ewood Park saw the Lancashire club defeat the Eagles 3–1, but a 30,000 full house at Selhurst Park saw the Eagles triumph 3–0 in extra time in the second leg to end their eight-year exile from the top flight. Ian Wright, who scored 24 league goals, and 33 in all competitions in the promotion campaign, was voted player of the year by the club's supporters. Palace began their first top