Ian Rush is a key part of Liverpool folklore. A phenomenal striker during his playing career, he scored 339 times over 654 appearances for the Reds to become the club's record goalscorer.
There's no doubt in anyone's mind that he was one of their greatest ever finishers, as the Welshman fired them to five First Division titles across two spells with the club, along with two European Cups and three FA Cups. The Merseyside outfit were one of the most dominant teams in Europe during the 1980s, and Rush was right at the heart of it all.
Because their team was so stacked with talent, Liverpool didn't need to worry about many teams knocking them off their perch for many years. But Rush revealed that one British club's home was an especially tough challenge whenever they visited.
Rush Names Least Favourite Stadium
Ian Rush in action for Liverpool.
Rush was asked to reflect on some of his favourite and least favourite stadiums in an interview. Picking out the two he liked playing at the most, besides Anfield, he then moved on to reflect on his least favourite ground.
He began his answer by stating that he didn't necessarily have a least favourite stadium, going on to say that he played in some while at Chester which weren't as equipped as those in the top flight. But he did then cite Wimbledon FC's old stomping ground, Plough Lane, as a tough place to go.
"The old Wimbledon [stadium] wasn't the best to go to. It was always hard to play against them.
"But I don't really have a least favourite one. I'd come through playing for Chester and I played at many stadiums that weren't as good or as big as the Premiership ones now."
Opened in 1912, Wimbledon's 16,000-capacity stadium saw the Dons rise from football's lower tiers into the Football League. With the stands so close to the pitch, it allowed attending supporters to get really up close to opposition players.
Their ascension into the First Divison in 1986 meant that top teams got to experience not just the hostile atmosphere, but also the team's aggressive playing style. Vinnie Jones, Denis Wise and John Fashanu made up part of the 'Crazy Gang' who would left their mark on the pitch and the opposition. Gary Lineker, speaking about the team, famously said: "The best way to watch Wimbledon is on Ceefax."
Their most special achievement came against Liverpool in 1988, when the south London club caused one of the biggest FA Cup upsets by beating the English giants in the final. Rush wasn't at the club that day, having joined Juventus, but he returned in the summer of that year, playing a further three times at Plough Lane before Wimbledon left in 1991.
Why the Old Plough Lane Closed
Plough Lane - Wimbledon 1989 General view
Plough Lane - Wimbledon 1989 General view - Plough Lane Mandatory Credit: Action Images
That year, the club entered a groundshare agreement with Crystal Palace, playing their home matches at Selhurst Park. The Taylor Report, published following the Hillsborough Disaster, recommended that top flight clubs must have all-seater stadiums, with Plough Lane in need of development.
But the stadium would never re-open, at least in its original guise. Financial restraints stopped the Dons' home from being built, as the club continued to groundshare with Palace until 2001 while they searched for a new home.
When the club announced it wanted to relocate to Milton Keynes, supporters were furious with the decision. They decided to found a new club, AFC Wimbledon, giving birth to their fierce rivalry with the newly rebranded MK Dons.
The Old Plough Lane was eventually sold to Safeway supermarkets, but after locals opposed turning the stadium into a shop, it was demolished in 2002. Now, AFC Wimbledon's new stadium sits on the site, with the Dons' home opened in 2020.