CEO will work with schools and community groups to grow fanbase.

The head of Milton Keynes Dons last night outlined his plans to continue attracting new supporters and families into Stadium MK as the football club grows in popularity across the city.

Neil Hart, Dons’ CEO, told a packed ‘Fans Forum’ meeting last night that his vision for the future was to stabilise the football club in the English game’s Championship and to be profitable, so that investment can be put back into the team.

He told a Stadium MK room of more than 200 supporters – and hundreds more listening on a live BBC stream – that he will work with the city’s community to attract young fans and families through the turnstiles. And he’s prepared to offer huge incentives to achieve that. He said he believed there’s a ‘disconnect’ between the club and potential supporters that he had plans to rectify.

“I would love to get this stadium filled week in, week out and that’s where we want to be,” said Neil Hart. “Does football (alone) do that or is there a piece of work we can do with the city?

“I think it’s a bit of both. People want to turn up and see a good football team that is winning and successful and that will bring people through the turnstiles. But I think there’s a lot more we can do.

“There’s a disconnect between the club and some parts of the community, and I think we need to connect that. Schools are a huge opportunity. There are 120 schools in this city, and we have to do as much as we can to engage with every single one of them.”

The club has already given every school in the city two free season tickets, and earlier this year it ran a ‘Community Day’ in which it gave away nearly 20,000 complimentary tickets to schools, grassroots clubs and community groups to get people into the ground for the first time.

He said fan attendance had risen 20 per cent since the club were promoted to EFL League One but added that he wants to work with the Dons’ Community Trust and supporters’ groups to continue the push to engage with more local spectators.

“We believe in the ownership group here, we believe in this city, and we believe in you the supporters,” Neil added. “We need you with us on this journey because it’s going to be exciting.”

The Fans Forum was an opportunity for supporters to hear about the club’s future and to put their own questions to a special panel which featured Neil, head coach Paul Warne and sporting director Liam Sweeting.

Fans quizzed the experts about the team’s ‘disappointing’ start to the 2026/27 season – they are currently in 20^th position – and about plans for new players, the current squad, the women’s and development teams and proposals for training facilities at the city’s National Bowl.

More details on the meeting: www.mkdons.com/news/2026/october/23/fans--forum--watch-again.