MK Dons return to Stadium MK vs Huddersfield

MK Dons will play Huddersfield Town at Stadium MK on Saturday, 25 April, after a 119-day absence from home ground. The match marks the first time the clubs have met in over a decade and follows Dons’ promotion to League One.

Return to Stadium MK

MK Dons return to Stadium MK for the first time in 119 days, with the home opener against Huddersfield Town set for 3 pm on Saturday, 25 April. The club’s last match at the venue was a 3-0 win over Tranmere Rovers on 25 April, which secured automatic promotion from League Two. Since that victory the Dons have played every game away from home, with a pre-season tour that included concerts and a re-laid pitch at the stadium.

Historical Context

The two sides have not met since the 2012 play-off semi-finals, when Huddersfield beat MK Dons to reach the Championship. That victory was a turning point for Huddersfield, who later spent two seasons in the Premier League before dropping back to the third tier. MK Dons, meanwhile, had to wait three more years to reach the Championship and have spent four seasons in League Two across two spells before earning promotion to League One. Huddersfield’s record against MK Dons is strongly in their favour. Of the 16 meetings between the clubs, Huddersfield have won 8, while MK Dons have secured only 3 victories. In the eight games played in Milton Keynes - at both Stadium MK and the National Hockey Stadium - Huddersfield have lost just once, a defeat that came in 2005 during their first visit to the new city.

Match Preview

Huddersfield’s away form last season was a major weakness: the club lost 12 of 23 road games and finished ninth, outside the play-off places. MK Dons, on the other hand, have been building momentum from their promotion and will look to extend their home advantage. The referee for the fixture is Abigail Byrne. In her only game of the current season she has already issued two yellow cards. Byrne booked 114 players, sent off four, and awarded eight penalties in 32 matches last term. She has previously officiated two games involving MK Dons, including the FA Cup first-round win over Colchester, and has overseen one match for Huddersfield, which ended in a draw. Assistant referees Andrew Ellis and Kenwyn Hughes will run the lines, with Fourth Official Andrew Humphries.

MK Dons will aim to maintain their promotion momentum, while Huddersfield will seek to improve their away record and secure a place in the play-offs.