"Just DON'T Upset Danny"

 Set fair to ascend into the pantheon of AFC Wimbledon Gods (where he will surely sit at the right hand of Almighty Everard) Danny Kedwell has now joined another unique trio*, those of individuals honoured in the works of Fleydon. Previous beneficiaries of this honour were manager Dave Anderson in DA's Army and Sam Hatton in Sam's Missile. 

"Such tributes are rare for obviously pragmatic reasons" remarks Fleydon. "Players, even the most popular, have a habit of coming and going whereas what I celebrate is the spirit of the club, it's essence rather than the qualities of a particular individual. Other personal references have been sparked by specific circumstances - the DA reference was part of a pun and Sam's Missile part of a sponsorship birthday present - so you could argue that this particular flag is the first to truly celebrate the qualities of an individual player and as such marks a major concession to my artistic values. Tenacity, strength, the ability to transform a game and a 'never-say-die' attitude combined with that photograph of Danny that they always show in the NLP... well, apart from the green tinge, that's Danny all over isn't it?" 

We asked about the coded meanings and the playful conceits that litter his work, but were more than slightly surprised at the confession that these were entirely absent from this particular piece.

"No, nothing. It's just a bit of fun and an homage to someone who will undoubtedly be our player of the year this season. I don't think he'll mind the Hulk comparison either. I was stuck for paint to tell you the truth and really needed to use up the green so it was either going to be the Hulk or the Green Lantern and I don't think players are allowed to wear rings during a game, especially if they glow and confer almost unlimited power on the wearer. Although now I think about it the Green Goblin would use a lot of green as well and as coincidence has it the Hulk shared a front cover with him on his first appearance. But then Danny's definitely more Hulk than Goblin."

Having now been premièred "Just DON'T upset Danny!" will now be withdrawn form public view whilst Fleydon makes emergency adjustments  to the shirt. "Having had the opportunity to observe it in situ  I'm afraid the blue is a bit on the light side and looks just a litle bit sheer for a football shirt. As there's the possibility of a hint of nipple showing through I'm going to ensure it's thickened and darkened to make sure I'm not caught out by any late frosts."

"Just DON'T upset Danny!" will be back for the new season. Here's hoping that the real Danny Kedwell will be too.  

* 'Frankie' Howard was also honoured but that was a one-off leaving flag and not designed for repeat hangings.