League One Play-off

[KemptownMag]

Wycombe Wanderers beat Oxford United in the M40 Derby at Wembley last night.

So - Wycombe in the Championship and the Mackems stuck in League One - never thought I’d see the day! So please bear with me in a little trip down memory lane.

I lived near High Wycombe for nearly 20 years and wherever I have lived I have supported the local team as my number 2.
First saw them when they were a non-league team playing on the old, sloping Loakes Park pitch in the town centre. A nightmare for wingers at the bottom of the slope as the ball raced down the hill and into touch.
One wooden stand, one hut selling ham or cheese rolls for 50p. No segregation – rival fans used to change ends at half time.

My first match was an FA Trophy game against the Met Police. Wanderers lost 1-2, manager was sacked and Martin O’Neill came in for his first management job. They never looked back.
Loakes Park was then sold to the hospital. The last match was a friendly against an All-Stars XI starring George Best. I couldn’t believe it when George came and sat next to me and my son before the game, chatting away and signing autographs.
To mark the occasion the team wore their original Oxford / Cambridge blue quartered strip. It proved so popular they kept it.

The sale financed the move to the new stadium at Adams Park and O’Neill took the club into the League and to Wembley three times – winning the FA Trophy twice and the Third Division Play-off.
They have never lost a game at Wembley – sadly I have never seen Newcastle win there!

Since O’Neill left they have pottered around the lower leagues, just about surviving. Wanderers did have a cup run under Lawrie Sanchez in 2001, beating Leicester away and just losing out to Liverpool in the semi-final 1-2.

While I lived there I had a season ticket for the football team and Wasps rugby.

All this time the club was owned by the fans, but they were bought out by a local business man who also owned Wasps. In 2012 a supporters’ trust bought the club back for the fans.

Gareth Ainsworth has been manager since 2012. I cannot wait to see him and Daniel Farke on the same touchline. It will look like either a re-make of Pirates of the Caribbean or a cast list for a 1970s German **** movie!

Congratulations Chairboys! Best of luck next season and thanks for the memories.

[ex_pat_magpie]

Nice story Kemptown. I suppose you are a ST holder at Brighton now. My sister who we visited on Saturday lives in Rottingdean and they go too.

It's a good stadium and a friendly crowd as well.

[KemptownMag]

No, not a season ticket holder Pat. Too many other commitments to go regularly, but I manage a few matches a season.
I am always on the lookout for tickets in the away end when the Lads play here, in normal times of course!

We used to live in the flat above Chris Hughton when he was manager at the Albion.
I know it's a cliche, but he really is a nice bloke and he loved the time he spent at Newcastle.
Said he will never forget the fans.

[Jammy89]

Nice story and I'm glad that Sunderland stay in League 1

For me however, I wanted an Oxford win as they are my "local" team - well technically it's Abingdon but we don't need to go there

It'll be good to see the beast in Championship though.

Him against Grealish He'll flatten him.

ALthough I don't think he'll stay there if they go down.