[n 2] In 1991, following the publication of the Taylor Report recommending all-seater grounds for top-flight clubs, Wimbledon left Plough Lane to groundshare with nearby Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park—an originally temporary arrangement that ended up lasting over a decade.

In 2001, after rejecting a variety of possible local sites and others further afield, the club announced its intention to move 46 miles (74 km) north to Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire.

Their good form continued in the fourth round, as the team held the reigning First Division champions Leeds United to a 0‍–‍0 draw at Elland Road.

Goalkeeper Dickie Guy saved a penalty from Peter Lorimer to earn a replay, which was narrowly lost 1‍–‍0 by an own goal in front of over 40,000 spectators at Selhurst Park.

Dubbed "The Crazy Gang" because of the eccentric behaviour of its players, fans and chairman, Sam Hammam, the club's greatest moment came in 1988 when, very much against expectation, the team won the FA Cup, beating overwhelming favourites Liverpool 1‍–‍0 with a goal from Lawrie Sanchez.

37,000 Wimbledon fans witnessed captain Dave Beasant becoming the first goalkeeper to save a penalty in an FA Cup final, stopping John Aldridge's shot.

[10] Just days after the FA Cup triumph, Wimbledon directors announced plans to build a new all-seater stadium in the club's home borough of Merton.

[4] Nothing came of the plans for a new ground and at the end of 1990‍–‍91 the club's board decided that Plough Lane was beyond redevelopment to meet with new legislation from the Taylor Report, requiring all-seater stadiums.

Withe lasted until just after the turn of the new year, when Joe Kinnear was promoted from the role of youth team coach, initially taking over as interim manager.

[4] During the close season the Dons made their first and only appearance in a UEFA European competition, being required by the FA to enter the Intertoto Cup.

However, after fielding an under-strength side containing reserves, youth team players and unsigned trialists in their group stage games, the club – along with Tottenham Hotspur – were banned from European competition for the following season.

[4] Wimbledon made a fine start to the 1996‍–‍97 campaign – after losing the first three fixtures, the players proceeded to win their next seven and reach second place in the FA Premier League.

Wimbledon's last hope of qualifying for European competition now lay with a challenge for a top-five league finish, but the team could only manage eighth.

However, the side's form in the second half of the season was less impressive, and the club dipped to 15th place in the final table – the lowest finish yet for Wimbledon in the top flight.

[4] Joe Kinnear stepped down as manager in June 1999 due to ill health, and was succeeded by Norwegian coach Egil Olsen.

[22] The administrator in charge of the club's financial affairs sold any player who could command a transfer fee and Murdoch's team finished at the bottom of the league.

Following the FA Cup victory in 1988, the term Crazy Gang also started to be applied; originally to the players, though over time to the club as a whole.

[28] Despite being officially adopted in April 2003, the logo's use was inconsistent: the club officially announced that it would be used "on all club kit, merchandise and literature from the start of [the 2003‍–‍04] season",[28] including on a new white away kit and on an amended version of the previous season's home outfit,[29] but this never occurred; both the home and away colours from 2002 to 2003 were retained for the following year with the municipal arms still present.

Moreover, the old crest continued to appear on official club statements and literature towards the end of the 2003‍–‍04 season, making the status of the new badge ambiguous at best.

Wimbledon's highest attendance at the ground came on 2 March 1935, when 18,080 people were attracted to an FA Amateur Cup tie against HMS Victory.

The Plough Lane ground remained comparatively basic, and by the time the club had risen to the First Division the stadium had not changed greatly from Wimbledon's recent non-league days.

However, following the Hillsborough disaster and the subsequent Taylor Report, the football authorities introduced far stricter safety rules, which gave top-flight clubs specific deadlines by which to redevelop terraced grounds or to build new all-seater stadiums.

Despite this, nothing ever became of the board's continual promises to redevelop the site or to build a new ground within the borough, and the club remained as tenants at Selhurst Park for twelve years.

Due to Plough Lane's modest capacity and Wimbledon's unprecedented rise from non-League football to the First Division in under ten years, the club had a much lower level of support than its top-flight rivals.

With relegation, attendances dropped to an average of only 7,897 during 2000‍–‍01 as organized supporter boycotts of matches in protest at the proposed relocation took effect.

[35] This trust, created in part to oppose the relocation to Milton Keynes,[36] helped the WISA to found AFC Wimbledon months after its own establishment.

[35][36] During much of Wimbledon's amateur and later semi-professional history, a strong local rivalry existed with neighbouring Tooting & Mitcham United F.C.

[42][43] The highest fee that the club received was the £7 million Newcastle United parted with to sign Carl Cort on 6 July 2000.

[45] Wimbledon's highest attendance, 30,115, was set on 9 May 1993 for the FA Premier League match against Manchester United at Selhurst Park but their official home attendance record is 18,080 vs HMS Victory in an FA Amateur Cup tie on 9 March 1935 at Plough Lane due to Selhurst Park being borrowed from Crystal Palace FC.

A season was spent under Egil Olsen in which the team was relegated from the FA Premier League before Terry Burton was made manager.