Championship is 'where MK Dons want to be' - Hart

MK Dons chief executive Neil Hart says planning for League One has already begun following Saturday's promotion and that they are ultimately targeting a Championship spot. A 3-0 win over Tranmere clinched promotion with a game to spare and also took them top after long-time leaders Bromley dropped further points on Thursday. The Dons will be crowned League Two champions on Saturday if they can match or better the result of the London side.

Paul Warne's side finish their campaign away to Fleetwood, while Bromley host Walsall. Hart, who took over as CEO in 2024 after spells at Burnley and Bolton, said he was in the Stadium MK boardroom on Sunday to begin preparations for third-tier football. "It's 27 April and we're done, we know our destiny, come August we know we're playing in League One, so we've got to get that planning in place, we've got to be clear in what we're doing," he told BBC Three Counties Radio.

"Clearly we've got to bring some more quality into the squad, clearly there's work to do off the pitch and we've got to position the club financially so we can go and compete, and that work is under way. " MK Dons brought in 10 new players last summer, including former Sheffield Wednesday forward Callum Paterson, while Warne joined as manager. Warne has won promotion to the Championship four times, with Rotherham and Derby, and his appointment hinted at the club's long-term goals beyond this campaign.

"I think we're going to be a bit more ambitious than survival (next season)," he said. "We want to go up and be competitive and give ourselves the best chance of being in the top six region, that's where we want to be. " While declining to set a target for next season, Hart admitted the club's ambition lay in the second tier and that Dons owner, Fahad Al Ghanim, was "invested in taking the club forward".