The yo-yo years
I'm not a Wycombe fan but I'm doing research for a potential article on yo-yo clubs and notice that you swapped divisions 4 years in a row between 2009-2012? Did you prefer the promotion in 2009 or 2011? It seems to me like both were similar because Wycombe finished 3rd both times. In contrast, was the relegation in 2010 or 2012 worse?
Poll not found
0
Comments
The promotion day in 2009 was the most angry I've ever been as a Wycombe fan. More angry than either relegation season mentioned. The 2011 promotion was much much better.
I wasn't there, but in 2009 Wycombe lost at home to Notts County (my team) on the final day didn't they? But you guys won promotion anyway
Talking of peter taylor, I see he is back in charge of Gillingham (on an interim basis at least).
Dead right and 'won' promotion is very kind. My memory is that we slid backwards in to promotion by holding the ball up in the corner to protect a 2-1 defeat in the hope that there wasn't one more goal in another match. That slide continued in to an inevitable sacking of Taylor early in the following season. It could have been so much easier but our negative approach made it the most joyless promotion I've ever experienced.
2011 was so much better.
Promotion in 2009 was one of the oddest football-related experiences of my life. The club had laid on extra provisions for fans to have a few drinks after the final match, but the general atmosphere was more like a wake than a promotion party. Having nearly blown it from a very good position earlier in the season and just about limped over the line, and with off-pitch ownership issues ongoing, there didn't seem a lot to celebrate and many, if not most, of those drinking post-match seemed resigned to immediate relegation as the most likely outcome of the following season.
Waddock was much maligned by some and it's true his post promotion recruitment was shocking, but the 2010/11 season was hugely enjoyable, we played some really good football. In direct contrast to our promotion under Taylor, we needed to win our last 3 games and we did so in great style.
The most interesting thing about your point is that generally, teams coming up from League Two to League One do quite well. I believe both Wycombe and Chesterfield (another yo-yo club) were the last teams to go straight back down in 2012
I think Wycombe had something like 46 points at the mid-point of the season, but gained only a further 32 in the second half of the season. Whatever the exact points were, the trajectory was clearly downward at the time.
With mounting debts and a takeover battle ongoing - up to this point Wycombe had never been in the sole ownership of an individual and future survival, so we were being told, would be guaranteed only by letting a specific individual have full ownership and control - the off-pitch issues seemed certain to ensure that the downward trend would continue. As it happened, Peter Taylor was essentially starved of money for transfers until the club's then chairman and the prospective owner got their way, following which any funds released were too little too late for the start of the season. Results were poor, understandably, and Taylor was gone in early October.
@Right_in_the_Middle , I accept your Taylor blame game to some extent, as the football was dreadful even in victory back then.
But I can't let your post go by without applying the very important context that post promotion, that was the summer that Hayes basically issued his "back me, or you fold" ultimatum, casting huge uncertainty and costing loads of key time, meaning Taylor was very much rustling through the bottom choice barrel, making some dreadful signings, that pretty much guaranteed our relegation before we'd even started.
Who can forget Duberry's infamous "we're not here to make up the numbers" battle cry, as we were dreadful from day 1.
One of the reasons I'm so keen for us to go up under Gaz is that I saw the slightly underwhelming 2009 promotion but missed the entire run in and final game in 2011.
Under trust ownership we've gone through near extinction and survival on the final day, to relative stability, and now seem to have the foundations of a sustainable club. To achieve promotion really would be particularly sweet considering all the work that has gone into getting us into a position to be competitive.
You get the feeling we could do more than just make up the numbers if we went up now as well.
Ainsoworth is a good manager, one who should have gone to a bigger club by now. Wycombe have survived in League One before and much smaller clubs like Fleetwood, Crawley and Stevenage have also survived more than one season at that level
When Notts won 4-3 at Wycombe last away game of the season in 2012, did that relegate you? I can't remember if that was the game to send you down. Interestingly the three clubs who went down with you in 2012 (Chesterfield, Exeter and Rochdale) are all of a very similar size to you
Ainsworth is a good manager, but I think the one downside of promotion this year would precisely be that it would likely be the catalyst for him moving to a bigger club. Keeping us up on what would still be very limited resources for League 1 would be a massive ask for the new man.
@djfunnyman
That Notts County game was definitely the game we went down. I remember it very well. They scored two goals in the last minute after Lee Hughes came on. Ainsworth dived for a penalty earlier in the game.
With a very good but ageing squad this season, I'm slightly concerned that if we did win promotion this season, then not too many of our present squad will be able to make the step up to league 1. So immediately the manager has to rebuild for league 1 rather than have a league 2 squad that can grow and develop and make the step up with some strengthening here and there.
I think there are a few members of the present squad who might now struggle in League 1 but, equally, there is a strong nucleus of players, probably running in to double figures, who are still developing and may well be perfectly able to compete successfully in League 1. But it is significant that GA made considerable play this year of the fact that the majority of last season's squad were still with us. The likes of Tyson and CMS look at present as if they could still cut it in League1 and, after last night's performance, Marcus Bean looks as if he may have the longevity of GA! Beyond that, it would be good to "do a Gape" with a couple of the loanees. Of those, it would be wonderful to sign Eze but he seems destined to play in the Championship next season.
I think there are a few members of the present squad who might now struggle in League 1 but, equally, there is a strong nucleus of players, probably running in to double figures, who are still developing and may well be perfectly able to compete successfully at that level.1 But it is significant that GA made considerable play this year of the fact that the majority of last season's squad were still with us. The likes of Tyson and CMS look at present as if they could still cut it in League1 and, after last night's performance, Marcus Bean looks as if he may have the longevity of GA! Beyond that, it would be good to "do a Gape" with a couple of the loanees. Of those, it would be wonderful to sign Eze but he seems destined to play in the Championship next season.
I would love to think we've a chance of landing Eze but....
What a but! More a water butt.