Thinking of following a Football League club but can't choose

Hey guys, I don't really post much in the football section but I'm a huge Chelsea fan, forced on every newborn male family member since the 70s. Recently I've been thinking about starting to support one of my two nearby Football League clubs as a 2nd team of sorts and mainly as I live 50 miles away from London so as you can imagine the costs, travel, food and £45-60 per ticket, of going to see my beloved club are astronomical for a 22 year old doing 40 hours a week on minimum wage.

My choices are the MK Dons, 18 miles away, £20 a ticket and a £11 return coach or £6 return train journey. Or, Northampton Town, 22 miles away, £20 a ticket and a £9 return bus ride.

I'm leaning towards Northampton as the club has the small ground aspect, the club has a history and I'm worried the atmosphere at MK Dons would be like at Bedford Town, everyone supports a Premier League club, I go shopping in MK sometimes and I've never seen an adult in an MK Dons shirt, and although seem passionate about the local team they are still being held back by a deeper love for their original club. But, having said that the reason I haven't just decided on Northampton is that the standard of football at MK Dons will be better and the Sixfields stadium holds 7,000 and is usually nearly half empty.

If you were in my position who would you like to see play regularly? What's your opinion on the MK Dons as a "new" club? If you live in MK do you support the Dons or do you watch them with a love for the team you supported when the Dons came along?

I go shopping in MK sometimes and I've never seen an adult in an MK Dons shirt, and although seem passionate about the local team they are still being held back by a deeper love for their original club

Do any original Wimbledon fans dollow MK Dons? I'd imagine its a very tiny minority, the ones I've met, albeit not many have told me no-one can stand MK due to the nature of their formation

£20 is steep for a ticket for league 1 is it not?

forget mk altogether, go with northants. nice little ground. outside the town centre isnt it, and you have a large choice of eating venues for before and/or after the game. cant remember if theres a pub nearby though. only visited once with lincoln about 8 years ago now! the stadium does scream lego but atleast they arent mk dons or in danger of falling out the football league.

I would go with Northampton, mainly for the reason that it will be much easier to find. Milton Keynes is just a world of roundabouts! I went there once with my dad and it is one of the easiest places to get lost that I have ever been to!

You could go with the Cobblers, but I recommend going to your local side, if you live in Bedford go see Bedford Town. Non League football is brilliant, yeah everyone has their big club but despite loving Crawley Town's rise through the leagues I do miss our non league days. You'd probably save on travel as well as entrance fee, more money for beers

I agree with Marky, go see non league football. I went to see Histon play a couple of times, and it is brilliant. The standard of football is surprisingly good, and it is entertaining. Also it is cheaper, and you will get a real feel that you are part of the club when you are there

I was a regular at Bedford Town for 8 years between 2001 to 2009, I've been on the supporters bus to Chippenham (one playoff semi we lost and one playoff final we won), Rugby (lost 6-0), and Banbury (lost 5-3), and have been to see them on and off, due to working every other Saturday, since then. I just fancy having a football league club to go to when the Eagles (Bedford's nickname) are out of town.

Stadium:MK is easy to get to. It's walking distance from Bletchley train station.

I get to Whitby every now and again to see them. Twice this week in fact. And the football is some of the better that I have seen so far this season. Greatest country in the world for depth of football. There is a real community spirit in the lower leagues

This is Match of the Day footage from when Bedford played Peterborough in the FA Cup 1st round on November 17th 2001, I was 11. Pause it at 2:39, I'm the little kid right at the front between the far goalpost and the bloke in red.

Spoiler:

We got 2,500 fans in that day, the biggest crowd to date at a Bedford Town home game.