Excitement surrounding AFC Wimbledon's upcoming season in the Blue Square Premier has gripped fans and club staff, as well the squad.

Club secretary David Charles revealed that 2,500 season tickets had already been sold ahead of Saturday's season-opener at home to Luton Town, a figure that is well up on last year.

Charles said: “We're very pleased with the number sold this year, which is up by nearly 900 on last year's total.

“It adds to the excitement surrounding the season and we can expect a great atmosphere against Luton.”

There are still terraced tickets available for Saturday's game, though the scale of the Dons' rise through the non-leagues is being rewarded by the increasing popularity of the club.

Charles admitted: “We've had to take on extra admin staff to handle the sheer number of phone calls to the club.”

But he claimed the club were refusing to get carried away despite the hype.

Charles added: “It's a very competitive league, with sides like Mansfield, York, Oxford, Cambridge and Wrexham, as well as Luton, who have all been in the Football League in recent years.

“In previous seasons, we have overhauled the playing staff after promotion, but Terry Brown has established a young, footballing side who we hope will develop together for the next few years.

“We can realistically aim for a top-half finish, maybe even sneak in the play-offs, and it would be nice to have a run in the FA Trophy.”