Sam Hammam attempted to calm Wimbledon's protesting fans on Saturday, offering to pay the fans' air-fares if the club does move to Dublin. The 800-strong group who waited behind in the Holmesdale Road stand for more than an hour made their feelings clear to the Wimbledon chairman.

Placards read "Dublin Death", they chanted "We'll never go to Dublin", demanded Hammam talk to them and branded Joe Kinnear "Judas."

Hammam did his best to keep the fans on side, telling them, "I am the father of this club" and adding: "If we do go to Dublin, you will all come with me."

But while this week's rumours, and the feelings they stirred among the Wimbledon supporters will keep the story bubbling, there is a little matter of approval for the plans from the English FA, the FAI, the Premier League, UEFA and FIFA.

And even Kinnear tacitly accepts that the whole thing is something of a lever aimed at forcing the issue somewhat closer to home.

"We need our own ground and identity, and Dublin seems the only place where people are prepared to make an offer for us to settle," said the Dons manager.

"I wish somebody would over here. If Dublin's an option, and I'm not too sure it is, Sam has to look at it. But I don't think it's on the cards."

Wimbledon's anger at Merton Council's evident desire not to see football return to the borough has heightened in the years since being forced to decamp across London.

"I know how the supporters feel," said Kinnear. "They desperately want to go back to Plough Lane and as a club we want to take the next major step that allows us to compete with the best.

"The only way to do that is to get the finances right and build the team a stadium - and we're getting frustrated.

"It seems that every other club, teams like Wycombe, Millwall and Reading, can get one, so why can't we?

"Sam has a lot of things on his mind, and the first priority has to be for us to get our own place."