November 2010

Amid the hustle and bustle of High Wycombe’s manufacturing big hitters, there lies an impressive footballing outfit that is also stamping its mark on the community.

The Johnstone’s Paint Trophy made the trip down the M40 to have a look for itself and it wasn’t disappointed – on or off the pitch!

We knew Wycombe Wanderers have some pedigree in cup competitions and can still remember a Roy Essandoh header and a Lawrie Sanchez’ jig in a dressing room like it was yesterday.

And in 2006, Chelsea’s megastars were being given a thorough working over by Tommy Mooney, Jermaine Easter and co, fortunate to return to the Kings Road with a 1-1 draw in the League Cup semi-finals.

The unlikely surroundings of Adams Park have provided the perfect stomping ground for some of the finest managers in recent years.

Martin O’Neill, Peter Taylor and Paul Lambert have all cut their teeth at a club that can also boast Ray Wilkins and Cyrille Regis as former stars.

Make no mistake, there is plenty of history to be had at the top of Hillbottom Road, and current manager Gary Waddock is attempting to create some more.

He has introduced a vibrant brand of counter attacking, passing football in a refreshing change to more pragmatic approaches in the past.

Combined with a vociferous Greene King Terrace support and the Chairboys might well become Likely Lads in the promotion shake-up come May.

And isn’t it nice when the club in question boasts as many community credentials as it does stewards across the stands?

Wycombe Wanderers won the Football League’s Family Excellence Award this year, adding to its Family Club of the Year titles in 2007 and 2008.

It is easy to see why.

From the marshals around the car parks to the operators behind the turnstiles, first impressions are of warmth, even if the Buckinghamshire air was decidedly nippier!

Pre-match refreshments were as hearty as we’ve tasted on the road this season, and a video wall in the corner of the ground was an impressive accompaniment to the big match build-up, even if the players on show couldn’t hit a golf ball with a cow’s backside.

And then came the match itself...

Maybe the less said about the home side’s performance the better! A 6-3 reversal wasn’t quite what everyone in Adams Park was looking for, aside from the hardy bunch of Bristol Rovers fans.

Not that you’d know at the final whistle.

On a night when all conquering Tottenham Hotspur were being booed off for a Premier League draw, even a thrashing at home couldn’t force a peep of negativity from the home supporters.

Mind you, we were told all about the positive noises from Adams Park, so we shouldn’t have been surprised.

Thanks for having us Wycombe!

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