Fantastic FA Cup draw
The 3 surviving local sides have received plum FA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round ties. Sadly, the date is Sep 21st when Wycombe entertain Portsmouth. Perhaps the clubs concerned will think about playing on Friday evening or Sunday afternoon to boost their crowds:
Beaconsfield Town v Hemel Hempstead
Chesham Utd v Hampton & Richmond
Flackwell Heath or v Slough Town
Sutton Athletic
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Comments
How are they plum ???
I think Andy does a good job promoting the fixtures for our local clubs, but I wonder if the social media outlets for Chesham, Beaconsfield, Flackwell Heath etc are just as keen to advertise Wycombe games? Ideally, this should be a two way thing.
Perhaps the club and/or you should ask them?
There's a chance @A_Worboys IS the only social media outlet for those clubs!
@glasshalffull One of the reasons I promote other games (not necessarily other clubs) is there are quite a few Wycombe/floating fans who like to watch other games when Wycombe aren’t playing or have an away game up North. When Slough Town & Aylesbury United were in the Conference years ago you’d always find 2-300 Wycombe supporters at their games if the Blues didn’t have a match.
Secondly, the total of local clubs + their officials + their supporters is quite a significant number. If we end up with a Friday night or Sunday afternoon TV game it’s a great resource of potential spectators to tap into. But you need to interact with these clubs first. In the Watford programme there’s always a page about local Non-League football. Watford pride themselves as being a community club and certainly are very active in that role.
Thirdly, and sadly, Wycombe Wanderers is often viewed as an arrogant & aloof club amongst other local clubs. Decisions such as scrapping playing the Wycombe Senior Cup at Adams Park & not participating in the B & B Cup hasn’t helped. I did hope that being a trust-owned club would change this but little has unfortunately.
Having a good relationship with local clubs, be they junior or senior Non-League is very important in increasing the support long-term at Adams Park. Watford, Oxford United, Brighton & Hove Albion are very good at this so they have effectively become Herts United, Oxon United and Sussex United. Dare I say it but the “other club in North Bucks” have recognised this & become proactive in this area. Wycombe Wanderers haven’t been very good at it.
Wycombe could make a good start by offering to stage the B & B Cup at Adams Park as an annual event every year on Easter Monday. But don’t treat it as an inconvenience, treat it as an important local event and a great opportunity to show people what WWFC has to offer. Perhaps one or two Trust Board members could go to a few other games locally and build some bridges with other clubs?
Lastly, to give you an example....last season I was invited to the boardroom and directors box along with my daughter for the Brentford v Barnet FA Cup-tie. We were extremely well looked after by the Brentford vice-chairman and had a long chat about their ground move etc. As we thanked them for their hospitality on leaving we were told we’d be welcome anytime, especially when the new ground was open. That left a lasting impression of a very friendly and welcoming club whether or not we ever take up their kind offer. We need to do the same with local football clubs in Mid & South Bucks. It’s all about making friends!
Rather than Easter Monday (a Football League fixture day) I should have said May Bank Holiday Monday.
Andy, thanks for that detailed and very interesting response. I agree with many of the points that you’ve raised. I am liaising with Mark Palmer on ideas to help boost our attendances and I will include your thoughts in my next report to him.
I thought Wycombe fans hated Slough! Or did that come later?
@Malone. Go back to Slough in the Conference when lots of Wycombe fans went to see matches at Wrexham Park. Martin O’Neill had so many people telling him about this great midfielder that he ended up signing him. His name was Steve Thompson, one of the best signings we ever made in that era.
WREXHAM Park??? Schoolboy error Andy Worboys.....
Perhaps it was in their ground-sharing days?
Not being one who can get to many away games but who likes his live football on a Saturday I watch Slough ,Maidenhead or Marlow on a regular basis The Slough keeper Jack Turner is very useful Gareth get the scouts down there. Arbour Park is a neat little ground you can watch from the bar if you like as you can at Chesham.
@MBS Predictive text unfortunately!
Tuesday night’s replay:
Flackwell Heath 3 Sutton Athletic 1
(Flackwell Heath at home to Slough Town in the 2nd Qualifying Round)
Interesting that there were some attractive ties tonight but some very poor attendances. Why they schedule these games on the same night England are playing live on terrestrial TV is beyond me!