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 cheeky 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".