Milton Keynes Dons FC Education and Sports Trust were delighted to welcome over 400 Development Centre players and their families to stadiummk on Tuesday 24 June 2008.

Each player who is currently involved in our Elite Development programme was invited to take part in an exclusive behind the scenes tour of stadiummk. The Development Centre players retraced the steps taken by the MK Dons players who were crowned League 2 Champions and Johnstone's Paint Trophy winners recently and marvelled at the magnificent stadiummk.

Our Development Centres offer talented, young footballers the chance to progress as players and learn more about the game with the expertise of our Academy coaches.

The tour included finding out a number of facts about the MK Dons and our new stadium. It also included visits to the plaque which Her Majesty The Queen presented to the club upon opening the stadium in November 2007, the club shop for memorabilia of their time at MK Dons, the Cowshed to feel the roar of the crowd and the opportunity to visit our Playing for Success Centre and walking all around the stadium on the open concourse.

The development players also had the opportunity to be pitchside, up close to the perfect green surface kept by head groundsman Joe Aylett and take centre stage as they emerged from the players tunnel to take their place in the home dugout and sit where the MK Dons players and management sit on a matchday.

The highlight of the tour for all players was a visit to the home dressing room and having their photo taken with the Coca Cola League 2 Trophy and the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.

If you are a youth football player who wants to learn more about the game and progress as a player please contact our Football Development Officer Chris McGuane at chris.mcguane@mkdons.com or by phone on 01908 622888 to find out how you can receive professional football coaching from MK Dons FC.