AFC Wimbledon pledge support as Terry Skiverton prepares for cancer treatment

AFC Wimbledon assistant manager Terry Skiverton has been diagnosed with throat cancer and is expected to start treatment in the coming weeks, BBC Sport reported. The League One club has pledged to support the 51-year-old and his family throughout treatment and recovery, with the League Managers Association also offering assistance in recent months.

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Skiverton had announced in July that he would step away from his duties while recovering from ankle surgery. According to the club statement reported by the BBC, he has since experienced further health challenges. The League Managers Association has been providing support in recent months, and Wimbledon said that its backing would continue during his treatment and recovery.

Manager Johnnie Jackson, speaking in an interview published on Wimbledon's official website, said Skiverton had previously been absent from the group because he needed to concentrate on his health. Over the past couple of weeks, however, he had felt well enough to visit, see the players and attend matches. Jackson welcomed that contact after the period spent away.

The manager said Skiverton was with the staff on the day of the interview and would be out on the training pitch. He also said his assistant intended to keep coming in during the next few weeks before treatment began. Those visits were described as time around the team, rather than an announcement that he had resumed his full responsibilities.

Jackson emphasised that the coaching staff and the wider club needed to give Skiverton all the help he required. While discussing the team's football commitments, he made clear that his assistant faced concerns beyond results and performances. His comments focused on maintaining support through the coming months as Skiverton moves into treatment, rather than setting a timetable for a return to work.

Skiverton joined Wimbledon in May 2022 as Jackson's assistant, BBC Sport reported. He was part of the staff that helped secure promotion to League One through the play-offs in 2025. The BBC report did not specify a treatment start date beyond the coming weeks or provide a prognosis.