Wycombe Wanderers FC
Ground: Adams Park
Capacity: 9,558
Club Founded: 1887
League: EFL League One (current level)
Wycombe Wanderers FC have spent most of their life as a leading non-league club before a smart managerial appointment, and a move to a new stadium transformed their fortunes.
Club History
The Early Years
The 'Chairboys', nicknamed because of High Wycombe's furniture-making connection, was formed at a meeting at the Steam Engine public house in Station Road, with the majority of the team consisting of lads who played for North Town Wanderers, who had started playing in 1884.
Games were initially played at The Rye, east of the town centre, before moving to the Cricket Ground. In 1894, they began playing at Spring Meadow, and two years later, the club entered the Southern League. The London Marylebone railway line was built on the ground, so with the help of Lord Carrington, the club was given use of Loakes Park.
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| Wanderers' old Loakes Park home. Picture taken from the internet |
Amateur Cup Winners
The club became a member of the Great Western Suburban League before joining the Spartan League following World War I. In 1921, Wanderers were admitted into the Isthmian League. Improvements were made to Loakes Park, where a fifty-year lease was signed as the club aimed to become the finest amateur club in the country.
In 1930-31, Wycombe lifted the FA Amateur Cup, beating Hayes by a goal to nil in the Highbury final. The money from the cup run was spent on a cover over the side terracing at their home ground. On 19th April 1947, Frank Adams handed over the deeds for Loakes Park after purchasing the ground for the club from Lord Carrington.
Isthmian League Giants
In 1950, The Chairboys reached the semi-final of the Amateur Cup. Their earlier game against St Albans City at Loakes Park attracted a record crowd of 15,850. Bishop Auckland ended the run, as they did at the same stage five years later. The following season, Wanderers went on to win the Isthmian League title.
They retained it the following season, as well as reaching Wembley in the Amateur Cup Final, where they were defeated once more by Bishop Auckland. 1960-61 saw the club reach the FA Cup Second Round for the first time, where they were rewarded with a local derby away to Watford, but also a 5-1 defeat.
Nationwide Recognition
The sixties were disappointing as a whole until the decade came to an end, when Brian Lee took over playing affairs rather than a selection committee picking the team. Several good players came in, which led to a third Isthmian League title in 1970-71, which was retained the following season.
In that same year, Hendon dashed their hopes of a Wembley revisit as they won the Griffin Park Amateur Cup semi-final. In 1974-75, Wanderers were in the limelight thanks to an FA Cup run. It ended after a replay in the third round against Middlesbrough, while the side pulled back a sixteen-point deficit to win their third consecutive league title.
Alliance Premier League
Lee resigned in November 1975 as the side broke up, with other clubs being able to afford higher wages. Wanderers lifted their seventh Isthmian League title in 1982-83. Gates began to dwindle, but in 1985 the club decided to join the non-league pinnacle in the Alliance Premier League, which would later become the Conference and then the National League.
Despite a good FA Cup run, their debut season in non-league elite ended in relegation back to the Isthmian League. Brian Lee had returned to the club as Chairman, realising that Loakes Park would struggle to meet the tougher ground-grading requirements and a lack of space for future development if they were to move forward.
Martin O'Neill Years
Quality signings were made as Wycombe were promoted as Isthmian League champions. Managers came and went before the club moved to their new stadium, called Adams Park, after the man who bought Loakes Park, and former Nottingham Forest star, Martin O'Neill, took over as manager.
The move released funds to buy players to launch a bid for promotion. O'Neill built a side containing the likes of Keith Ryan, Keith Scott, and Steve Guppy, which reached the FA Trophy Final, where they beat Kidderminster Harriers with Mark West grabbing the winner.
In their debut League season, the team won the playoff final at Wembley, beating Preston North End. Despite leading the side to a near-playoff finish the next season, O'Neil resigned in the summer of 1995 to take over as Norwich City manager.
FA Cup Semi-Finalists
Alan Smith, John Gregory and then Neil Smillie had spells as managers, before the arrival of Lawrie Sanchez in February 1999. He took Wanderers enter an amazing FA Cup run to the last eight. In the quarter-final away to Leicester City, Roy Essandoh grabbed the headlines.
He had signed after seeing an appeal on teletext for a striker just a few days before he scored a winning goal to send The Chairboys to the FA Cup semi-final, which ended in a 2-1 defeat to Liverpool at Villa Park.
In the winter of 2002, a deal was signed with London Wasps RFC to use Adams Park for their home games. It was revealed that the club was spending severely beyond its means. Sanchez was sacked, while the naming rights to Adams Park were sold, seen by many as an insult to the man who'd made so many things possible.
Retiring Arsenal legend Tony Adams came in as the new manager, but he failed miserably as the team were relegated to League Two. John Gorman took over before Paul Lambert was appointed. In the 2006-07 season, Wanderers went on another superb cup run, this time in the League Cup, reaching the semi-finals, where Chelsea proved too strong over two legs.
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| My drawings of some former Wanderers team kits and Adams Park. Click on the images to enlarge them. |
Ups and Downs
The following season Lambert took the side to the playoffs, before being replaced by Peter Taylor, who took them to promotion on his first attempt. Yet surprisingly, after a poor start the following season, he was sacked and replaced by Gary Waddock. Around this time, Steve Hayes, a club director who also owned Wasps, took control of the club.
He had earlier announced unpopular plans for a new sports village, including a 17,500 capacity stadium for both clubs to use. Waddock couldn't keep the side up, but the board kept faith and were rewarded when Wycombe were promoted at the end of the 2009-10 season before returning to the bottom tier a season later.
The local council finally blocked the sports village plans, while the clubs' Supporters Trust investigated ways to have a greater say in the running of the club. Hayes announced that Wasps RFC were in financial trouble, while his personal issues caused further disruption.
Supporters Trust and Gareth Ainsworth
Gareth Ainsworth helped save the side from relegation in 2013-14, before his side reached the playoffs a year later, where promotion was denied on penalties by Southend United at Wembley. The Chairboys won promotion in 2017-18 as crowd favourite Adebayo Akinfenwa tucked away the goals.
New Owners
Feliciana EFL Ltd became the new owners in October 2019 as the League One playoffs were reached, when a 2-1 win against Oxford United took Wanderers back to the Championship. It was a one-year stay in the second tier. Sam Vokes's goals helped his team to the playoff final a season later, which ended in defeat to Sunderland.
In February 2023, Ainsworth left to take the Queens Park Rangers job after eleven years in charge. Matt Bloomfield and then Mike Dodds were the next men in the post. The Chairboys reached the 2024-25 playoffs before the appointment of new manager Michael Duff.
My visitsWycombe Wanderers 0 Blackpool 2
Division Two - Saturday 23rd October 1999
👨👨👧👧 5,021 🎟️ £10
I had moved to London to live and work a few months earlier, and my summer season at Lord's had finished. With my Saturdays free, I decided to take in some new venues. After looking at the fixtures, a visit to High Wycombe seemed in order.
I got a call from my Dad as I walked through the town centre to let me know Scarborough FC was to be saved by a new owner, called Brooks Mileson. It seemed very promising at the time, but how little I knew! I continued to the pub in good spirits, where I had a chat with some visiting Blackpool fans.
I caught one of the matchday special buses to Adams Park from the bus station. I had heard from pals who'd visited with Boro that they had a strict policy on getting into the clubhouse at the ground, but I decided to try my luck anyway. I explained to the doorman that I was a neutral. I had my badge on, and he smiled and welcomed me in, adding that I was fine at full-time as well.
I took my place on the medium-sized covered terracing behind the goal. Opposite was a seated stand of similar size for the away fans. To my left was the Main Stand. This was a raised seating deck with a flat standing area in front. Facing it was the Frank Adams Stand, with another large tier behind it, making it the stadium's standout feature.
Blackpool had started the game near the basement of the division, with the home side in mid-table. The visitors were first-class and fully deserving of their win. David Lee was the standout man, going on to score the second goal in stoppage time after an Adam Nowland effort had opened the scoring.
At full time, I left with haste to catch a bus back as I figured the queues could be long and the traffic bad, as Adams Park was situated right at the end of a narrowish road at the end of an industrial estate. The same Blackpool fans I spoke to in the pub also got on board in a jubilant mood.
I headed back to the station and caught a train to Wembley Stadium to walk past the sad sight of the old place awaiting its final year in action on my way to Wembley Park station and the tube home.
Thursday 28th June 2012
I had the day off work, and having completed a morning jog and the sun shining, I decided an afternoon out to visit some grounds was in order. I'd taken the tube, a train, and a bus to my previous call at Holmer Green before taking another bus to High Wycombe bus station.
I had considered walking to Adams Park to take some photos, but I'd done plenty of legwork, so I bought a return ticket to The Hourglass for the bus that was expected shortly after. I must have looked lost as I followed the route on my map, as a lady dressed in her Asda outfit asked where I was going. She told me when to get off and where my return stop was, before pointing out the road I needed to take to reach the ground.
It was about a fifteen-minute walk along Lane End Road to the industrial estate and then up Hillbottom Road. There were several cars in the park at the rear of the Main Stand, which showed promise of activity and hope of gaining admission. The stand had several additions at the rear for offices and hospitality, as well as marquees to serve thirsty fans. The old gates from Loakes Park were there, which was a nice touch.
I saw an open gate in the corner by the stand and the seats behind the goal, so in I went. The pitch was looking lush and had been left to grow. The only change from my previous visit was that the seated stand behind the goal had been extended in height.
The weather was stunning, and I'd taken the pictures I really wanted. I took the train to Wembley Stadium and walked to the Wetherspoons for a couple of refreshing drinks before heading home a contented man for a meal and to joyfully see my bet get one stage nearer to completion as Italy beat Germany in the Euro '12 semi-final.
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