Crazy Gang

The Crazy Gang is a nickname used by the English media to describe Wimbledon F.C. during the 1980s and 90s. The name, originally that of a well known group of British comedy entertainers popular in the late 1930s, was used because of the often eccentric and boisterously macho-behaviour of Wimbledon's players, who were in the habit of playing frequent and outrageous practical jokes on each other and on the club's manager Dave Bassett. Their general approach to the game was derided as amateurish and their playing style was often accused of being basic and unsophisticated in comparison to the stylish brand of football played by most leading clubs at the time. The then England striker Gary Lineker once commented dismissively: "The best way to watch Wimbledon is on Ceefax",.

Regardless of the criticism they were subject to, the team was very successful in the English league for more than a decade. The joking behaviour, together with a deep sense of being unjustly derided, bred an intensely close team spirit which was greatly to the club's benefit on the pitch. Their physical style, with players such as Vinnie Jones, often intimidated their opponents. Within only a few years, they had won promotion from the bottom of the Football League to the highest level, without ever changing their straightforward playing style.