Very hard to gauge, as many amateur/ semi pro players. We're financially better off, by staying part time. Hence why the top non league sites were so strong.
I take your point Chas but off the top of my head I can think of Keith Scott, Cyrille Regis, Tommy Mooney and these days Bayo Akinfenwa who would all surely rate higher than even the very best non league strikers.
@glasshalffull, you may be right and I'm romanticising over a player who made a big impression on me as a young fan but he was one helluva player. As @ChasHarps says, there were many really good players in non-league at that time, some went into the league, others decided to keep their full-time jobs because it paid better but could easily have had a successful full-time career.
I also think that Noel Ashford is still the most technically gifted Wycombe player I have seen for us, and on that I may be right. How a player that good was turning out for us in the sixth tier is baffling. When you saw him play for the first time you had to pinch yourself. You don't get a nickname of 'God' without good reason.
Many players went directly from Isthmian league to play in Div1 & 2 in a very short period of time in the 70s, the gap was much smaller than it is now, I only saw the Wycombe players and my memory is not great but I would suggest Kenny Swain, Steve Perrin & Viv Busby were good examples.
Viv Busby is a classic example, in his 4 seasons at Loakes Park he struggled to hold down a regular first team place, but took the plunge and went onto spend the next 10 years in the top 2 divisions of the football league.
I hear pundits and ex players mention a lot about 'football intelligence' these days.
And the two players that always stand head and shoulders above most ex Wycombe players in that department are Simon Garner and Noel Ashford.
I along, with what i suspect is many other Wanderers fans who were lucky enough to see Noel in a Wycombe shirt, still ask themselves a baffling question that never seems to get answered ????
Why wasn't Noel ashford playing at the very top end of the football ladder ??
He simply was that good.
@Steve_Peart said:
glasshalffull, you may be right and I'm romanticising over a player who made a big impression on me as a young fan but he was one helluva player. As ChasHarps says, there were many really good players in non-league at that time, some went into the league, others decided to keep their full-time jobs because it paid better but could easily have had a successful full-time career.
I also think that Noel Ashford is still the most technically gifted Wycombe player I have seen for us, and on that I may be right. How a player that good was turning out for us in the sixth tier is baffling. When you saw him play for the first time you had to pinch yourself. You don't get a nickname of 'God' without good reason.
Not quite God but Dave Carroll deserved his Jesus nickname and he was one very gifted footballer.
I saw him a couple of years back in Montys, nearly all the 70's side were there. Steve Perrin's hair colour had amazingly got a lot darker since id seen him a few years earlier.
Any striker can only be judged against those he played against/with in the era they played. This makes it really difficult to compare says Bayo v Cyrille Regis v Andy Ramell v Keith Seale. They were all pretty special for WWFC at a certain point.
On that basis I'm going to vote for the Searle/Horseman partnership. I know its stretching the best striker question but who cares. @ChasHarps will tell me exactly which season it was they scored 100 goals between them. At the time they were "supposed" to only be as good as the other players around them. In reality in that era they were the best amateur strike partnership - and they played for us.
At a tangent on this thread, happy birthday Fit junior. Born Bath City away 27 years ago today. His party is at Kenilworth Road with 720 guests. Hoping for a special gift.
I missed Bath away as my wife had gone in to labour. He had a great party yesterday along with 719 guests. We were all a tad jaded today Kenilworth Rd was sons 1st away game at 5 years old we won I think Read scored. Thanks for your good wishes.
Am I right in thinking that your friends and family made up the balance of the 791 Wycombe fans at the match @Fit2drop ? All 72 of them. Must have been some party!
Comments
Very hard to gauge, as many amateur/ semi pro players. We're financially better off, by staying part time. Hence why the top non league sites were so strong.
And years before that when the minimum wage was still in effect you used to get some amazing players in non league
My dad was telling me only yesterday of how he used to watch Stan Mortensen play for Bath City
For younger Gasroomers that's more or less the equivalent of Alan Shearer turning out for Chesham
I take your point Chas but off the top of my head I can think of Keith Scott, Cyrille Regis, Tommy Mooney and these days Bayo Akinfenwa who would all surely rate higher than even the very best non league strikers.
You forgot Andy Rammell, probably the best out and out target man I've seen in a Wycombe shirt
@glasshalffull, you may be right and I'm romanticising over a player who made a big impression on me as a young fan but he was one helluva player. As @ChasHarps says, there were many really good players in non-league at that time, some went into the league, others decided to keep their full-time jobs because it paid better but could easily have had a successful full-time career.
I also think that Noel Ashford is still the most technically gifted Wycombe player I have seen for us, and on that I may be right. How a player that good was turning out for us in the sixth tier is baffling. When you saw him play for the first time you had to pinch yourself. You don't get a nickname of 'God' without good reason.
Many players went directly from Isthmian league to play in Div1 & 2 in a very short period of time in the 70s, the gap was much smaller than it is now, I only saw the Wycombe players and my memory is not great but I would suggest Kenny Swain, Steve Perrin & Viv Busby were good examples.
Viv Busby is a classic example, in his 4 seasons at Loakes Park he struggled to hold down a regular first team place, but took the plunge and went onto spend the next 10 years in the top 2 divisions of the football league.
I will add Cyrille Regis & Les Ferdinand Hayes to QPR & West Brom.
I hear pundits and ex players mention a lot about 'football intelligence' these days.
And the two players that always stand head and shoulders above most ex Wycombe players in that department are Simon Garner and Noel Ashford.
I along, with what i suspect is many other Wanderers fans who were lucky enough to see Noel in a Wycombe shirt, still ask themselves a baffling question that never seems to get answered ????
Why wasn't Noel ashford playing at the very top end of the football ladder ??
He simply was that good.
Good shout. And I’m sure there are others.
Not quite God but Dave Carroll deserved his Jesus nickname and he was one very gifted footballer.
Is Keith Searle still with us? I've done some searching but to no avail. He was well before my time but he sounds like a true Wycombe legend.
Dave Carroll was a one off. He will always be number one for me.
Martin Bullock aside.
@ValleyWanderer, he is still with us, he occasionally comes to Adams Park, might be while though.
I saw him a couple of years back in Montys, nearly all the 70's side were there. Steve Perrin's hair colour had amazingly got a lot darker since id seen him a few years earlier.
Sean Devine and Nathan Tyson when we first had him have to be up there
Thank you for the feedback @Steve_Peart and @ChasHarps, that's good to know and I'll keep an eye (and ear) out when I'm at AP.
Any striker can only be judged against those he played against/with in the era they played. This makes it really difficult to compare says Bayo v Cyrille Regis v Andy Ramell v Keith Seale. They were all pretty special for WWFC at a certain point.
On that basis I'm going to vote for the Searle/Horseman partnership. I know its stretching the best striker question but who cares.
@ChasHarps will tell me exactly which season it was they scored 100 goals between them. At the time they were "supposed" to only be as good as the other players around them. In reality in that era they were the best amateur strike partnership - and they played for us.
At a tangent on this thread, happy birthday Fit junior. Born Bath City away 27 years ago today. His party is at Kenilworth Road with 720 guests. Hoping for a special gift.
Happy Birthday Fit junior!
I’m intrigued by “Bath City away”! You mean you were at a match in Bath when your son was born?
Your son had a 'Bath Birth' or am im being a silly Twerton !!
I missed Bath away as my wife had gone in to labour. He had a great party yesterday along with 719 guests. We were all a tad jaded today Kenilworth Rd was sons 1st away game at 5 years old we won I think Read scored. Thanks for your good wishes.
Am I right in thinking that your friends and family made up the balance of the 791 Wycombe fans at the match @Fit2drop ? All 72 of them. Must have been some party!
Most unexpected goal ever:
Marcus Bean v Carlisle, (4-3) Saturday February 3rd 2018
End thread
OMG OMG OMG What a game that had everything. Never felt better than when Mr Bean hit the winner