All January 2012 English Premier League Transfers - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

You'll find the latest Premier League Transfers (January 2012) listed here. Archives for older transfer seasons are at the end of this page. For the latest transfer rumours and confirmed transfers for other leagues, see our football transfer lists page.

[I]n an article last year, The Economist coined the phrase `Londonism' to refer to what it regarded as a distinct ideology driven by the office of Mayor. It cited as the central tenets of `Londonism': enthusiasm for the financial services industry; an openness to immigration; and the unceasing pursuit of economic growth.

[T]his hasn't been a plum week in the history of MK Dons. Their dumping out of the cup at the hands of Premier League QPR on Tuesday night followed a weekend of sincere apology from all involved at the club after the farcical cancellation of their League One match with Carlisle. The game was the only weather casualty in the entirety of the professional game across England and Scotland – a mind blowing situation that owed much to bad planning and which was unbecoming for a stadium which was one the England 2018 bid's chosen host venues.

"Me, You, and Jason Euell" by Patrick Cullinan

Shot on the way to, from, and at Port Vale vs AFC Wimbledon in England's League 2 this past Saturday, the 14th of January, this film captures the sights and sounds of a typical football awayday.

Beyond the style of the short film in itself, we also love that Patrick Cullinan is an avid reader of AFR (not to mention an excellent contributor to the Off The Post podcast).

"It only took nine years" was the cry from South-West London last summer, when AFC Wimbledon won promotion back to the Football League after a dramatic penalty-shoot-out win as if there is any other sort against Luton Town at The City of Manchester Stadium in the Blue Square Premier play-off final.

The nine year rise of Wimbledon Football Club from Division 4 to the English game's summit is a story of such remarkableness that it's often forgotten just how much of a yo-yo club the Dons were in the years immediately following their ascension to the Football League in 1977. Indeed, the club's first two spells in the third tier lasted a single season each – they were relegated under Dario Gradi in 1979-80 and then suffered the same fate in Dave Bassett's first season in charge in 1981-2.

The "Phoenix Club" lives on

Tonight marks the 20th anniversary of the demise of Aldershot Football Club. Having been a member of the Football League for 62 years, the club was declared officially out of business on the 25th March 1992 and had to resign from the League.

Yet 20 years on, Aldershot Town FC have risen from the ashes, and tonight take on Bristol Rovers in what many might see as a standard midtable fixture.

As the season draws to a close, Chris Lines attempts to measure the success of this, Wimbledon's first year back in the League. "It only took nine years," was the chant as AFC Wimbledon edged Luton Town on penalties at Eastlands last May. Nine years after their club had been shamefully ripped away from them by the authorities, Wimbledon were back in the Football League.

Our series of posts this week has analysed the various impacts geography can have on the fortunes of soccer clubs. To round things off, we thought we would examine a cross section of eight cities, towns and city regions which can be said to be under performing in football terms and which may or may not have the potential to rise to Championship status or above.

The list of nominees was long for the second in our eponymous yearly awards. Joe Mason, a regular starter and scorer for Cardiff; Kevin Nolan, hardly cheap, but still value for money; Rhoys Wiggins, who's developed into by far and away the best left-back in League 1 over the course of the season after Charlton had snaffled him for a modest fee; and Crawley's quick and dirty turnover of Tyrone Barnett were all heralded as good pieces of business up and down the leagues.

"It only took nine years" was the song booming from the AFC Wimbledon end of The City of Manchester Stadium at the end of the Blue Square Bet Premier play-off final against Luton Town in May of last year. There was a certain irony to the fact that two clubs from the south-east of England had to travel over two hundred miles to play a match that would ordinarily have been played at Wembley.