Unanimous.

Hours of contentious debate. Following years of meetings and hearings and groundwork. Redesigns. Consultations. Fact-finding. Educating. Fighting misinformation.

And then the vote was unanimous.

I’m writing this less than 20 minutes after the decision was announced and, if I’m being totally honest, I’m still a little emotional (it’s also about 4:30 in the afternoon in my part of the world, a little too early in the day for me to start drinking).

It’s weird. I don’t live in south London. It’d be a bit of a walk (and swim) to get to what will be our new home.

But for an afternoon I was more emotionally invested in south London politics than I was in my own local affairs (considering that politics in Chicago are literally a combat sport, that’s saying something).

There’s a possibility I will never visit our future home. I’ll almost certainly never visit Kingsmeadow while we’re still there.

Cheers and hugging as AFC Wimbledon have Plough Lane stadium plans unanimously approved by Merton Council

Ardley hails "huge" moment in the history of the homecoming Dons

Editorial: I have felt your pain, and I feel your joy - congratulations

And despite all that, this is some of the best news I’ve heard in a long time.

There are AFC Wimbledon fans who regularly attend matches today that were born after Plough Lane was lost.

There are even some who were born after that dark day in 2002.

One day, there will be dedicated fans who will not have known these intervening years. Kingsmeadow will be something their parents mention in passing sometimes.

They will have never known any home other than SW19. And that’s how it should be.

The fine upstanding gentlemen at Radio WDON said it best: “Never underestimate the power of people working together to achieve what they believe. Our family grows ever stronger.”

It’s been a long road, friends. But we’re almost there. We’re going home.