Best Of

My first ever WW match was the FA Cup 1st Round. Wycombe v Slough Town, November 1970 in front of 7,000 fans at Loakes Park. 52 years later we lose at the same stage in front of just 2,319 fans to a League Two side.

I think the problems aren’t just “a temporary blip” but can be clearly split into 2 parts. Firstly, off the pitch. Today’s match was officially downgraded as soon as the announcement was made to close the Frank Adams Upper. How many people decided not to go because they couldn’t sit in their usual seat? Very worrying though was the lack of children at Adams Park. The Family Stand had very few indeed. I noticed this v Peterborough and also Cambridge (a midweek game but in the half-term holidays). Today was the FA Cup for goodness sake. Why not kids for £1 after the success of the numbers at the Morecambe game?

Decisions made by the club have also helped to alienate some of our older (& longest-attending fans). Many of those kicked out of the Woodlands Bar two years ago simply haven’t returned (sadly priced out). Some relocated to the Honours Lounge for one season but we’re then kicked out of there to facilitate a bigger boardroom.

All this talk of increasing crowds leaves me with a wry smile on my face - they should stop losing fans before trying to find new ones! The official rhetoric seems to assume that better facilities (& inevitably much more costly) will attract more fans. All the club seem interested in at the moment is people who are high-spenders. Loyalty and length of supporting doesn’t seem to have any place at Adams Park today - unless it comes with a wedge. It’s all about increased revenue streams whether it alienates our core fanbase or not.

On the pitch we have been under-performing lately as many have pointed out. Personally, I have been infuriated by our approach to cup competitions in particular. We have never played our first-choice side & hoped to win with a weakened side. Where did we get? Losing Stockdale, Stewart, Akinfenwa, Bloomfield & Harrison in the summer takes a lot of replacing. We’ve recently resorted to some dreadful stuff to watch. I sincerely believe we have some very good players who need sorting out. I don’t want to see GA leave but in the light of the loss of so many key influencers I’d like to see a top coach come in & develop an improved use of the players, especially counter-attacking away from home.

My gut reaction is the heart is starting to be drained out of the club, which makes me very sad. Results on the pitch will ebb & flow (but need dealing with). Off the pitch worries me more. The club needs to realise that die-hard supporters are different to casual spectators & need respect & accomodation. If you remove the foundations of your house it will never remain standing when the next storm comes along. WW should not be “just about the numbers”.

The snow fell hard, on a humdrum town

This club has dragged you down

It's December 1990, Gazza's in his prime

But down in deep High Wycombe

It's challenge trophy time

Look, it's hard to understand this

But I swear to God they cheered

All around the local community

Peterborough were revered

A different time, but the same old (new) place

Adams Park, so fresh and new

Local interest, national interest

Just what can (little) Wycombe do?

Tuns out nothing

It's a Football Focus meme

Motson in his hated coat

Killing all our dreams

God, the profits outsiders made that day

As the angel snow did fall

While we lost some decent revenue

And no-one kicked a ball

That sheepskin coat shaped football

For 20 years or more

When all it was in truth was bad news

For the backroom lads on Final Score

Time's moved on, things have changed

It doesn't snow these days

Motson's coat is in a skip

Somewhere out near Hayes

So drink it in, the FA Cup

Remember that brown coat worn by Beeks?

And somewhere in a flatland field

A Swann man turns and shrieks

¡RINGING THE BLUES! - Goles Anulados!

- Morecambe action + reaction

- Family Fun Day!

- Spanish WW fanzine chat!

- @wwfcfdn Wellbeing Walkers

- Norwegians make the pilgrimage to Adams Park

On lots of pod places!

https://podlink.to/RingingTheBlues

¡RINGING THE BLUES! 

- Posh action + reaction 

- Bayo chats doc premiere, wrestling + rumours 

- Mystic Miriam + odd lucky rituals 

- Some overrated #Chairboys Spanish + Liga Juan rrresults from Uri

On lots of pod places.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7bNMhpADIg5Y2ZtyZNMJjL?si=tSaLhcGVSai1MKhAIrZirQ

¡RINGING THE BLUES! 

- ‘M40 Derby’ action + reaction

- Opposition View

- Fans in from San Francisco

- Daryl Horgan Playlist Picks 

- #Chairboys Spanish with @uriw 

On lots of podcast platforms - leave a review, share RT etc

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6YWXsfQuaRcTsaurSfcK84?si=iXEkW_zkTDy8pnY0GX59sA

¡RINGING THE BLUES! - Goldies

• Plymouth Argyle action + reaction
• Chairman Rob Couhig pays tribute to Blooms plus gives his thoughts on the season so far
• Prostate Cancer UK on the legacy of Bill Turnbull
• Martin O'Neill chats on the golf course
• #Chairboys fan Cheryl Kipping walks from Wembley to Adams Park

On lots of podcast platforms

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3hntWo74nKKCYmwiAowQk8?si=174fa76ddc8c47e2

Hello all, I am an avid reader of the gasroom but have never posted before. I have been prompted to do so by my forthcoming trip to Doha for the Street Child World Cup (SCWC). You may have seen Phil Catchpole interviewing me about it in the last ‘Pre-Match Drills’.

The SCWC brings together teams of street-connected children to play a football competition in the location of ‘the’ world cup. This year 28 teams (girls and boys) from 25 countries will be taking part. Alongside the football there is an arts programme and human rights workshops.

The SCWC aims to tackle the stigma faced by street-connected children, raise awareness and understanding of their situation, and enable them to campaign in their countries for access to education, protection from violence, birth registration and gender equality.

As part of our participation volunteers (ie me) fundraise for the charity so I have walked from Wembley to Adams Park (around 28 miles – one for each team) and swum 250 lengths (10 for each country taking part). SCWC is a great event and really makes a difference to the children taking part.  I would really appreciate it if you could sponsor me.  All donations, however small, will be welcome.

The link to my just giving page is: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ckipping

Thank you

I started following Wycombe in 2002, Bloomfield signed in 2003, so for almost the entire time I've been a Wanderers fan Matty B has been part of the club. In that time I've finished uni, backpacked around the world, went back to college, started my chosen career, moved to Somerset, Windsor, Enfield and Nottingham, bought a house, started my own business, and became a father. Anyone who has got anything but good wishes for Matt, get a bloody grip, he's spent half of his life at Wycombe, if he wants to manage Col U then fair play to him and I hope he turns them into a successful team.

Just so incredibly sad tonight - I never met Bill but he was clearly a wonderful, genuine man as so many who did know him have already said. We have lost one of our very best today.

All credit to the Media team today - the club tributes have been absolutely superb and beautifully heartfelt. On Radio 5 this evening they referenced the Wycombe Twitter feed and the mutual passion and love their clearly was between Bill Turnbull and Wycombe Wanderers. I'm sure they've done him proud.

Nick Freeman