I agree about the sights, sounds, smells etc so vividly recaptured by @Steve_Peart although I don’t recall a fug in the cowshed. It always seemed pretty well ventilated to me (except perhaps on that day in January 1975 when 12,000 people were shoehorned into the ground). Having said that, I think the smoke from my occasional castella cigars may have caused a certain amount of offence.
How true about the diverse characters, whether within the little groups that regularly congregated together in the cowshed or those that wandered around, even during the course of a game. One little old boy, Wycombe born and bred, a newspaper vendor in his time, was constantly on the move, chipping in to conversations as he went. The story was that he had a painful medical condition and it eased the pain if he kept on the move. Then there was the ‘squirrel’, a little fellow of indeterminate age, who stood by the rail on the touchline. Presumably in excitement, he constantly rubbed his fists together in front of his face, like a squirrel ? munching a nut.
Not everyone enjoyed the game or even celebrated when we scored. One miserable old boy, who stood near our little group but never engaged with us, used to clap and look borderline happy when the opposition scored. Another much younger lad was on day release from a local psychiatric unit. I asked him on one occasion if he enjoyed reading. “No mate, I think reading is like sleeping.” An unexpected but original response.
Another guy in our group was a Professor of Military History at LSE. I got to know him quite well as he was a fellow commuter and I occasionally bumped into him en route to or from London. Mrs micra and I accepted an invitation to afternoon tea with him and his missus. An uncomfortable experience, with little sustained conversation!
Could go on but have just noticed the time and the single figure battery percentage!
@ChasHarps said:
The chap who chipped into conversations sounds like Dennis the menace !! Always dressed in an oversized suit, I think he was from Wooburn.
I remember Dennis, he was at pretty much every game, home and away. Then he suddenly disappeared, never to be seen again.
There was also an elderly guy, who used to wander round the ground, especially at away games, stopping every so often to chat. He knew everything that was going on during the game, but never seemed to be paying any attention to it. Think his name was Dabber.
@ChasHarps said:
The chap who chipped into conversations sounds like Dennis the menace !! Always dressed in an oversized suit, I think he was from Wooburn.
Dennis was quite a character if it's guy from Wooburn you think. A regular at the Wooburn cricket ground doing the scoreboard when he wasn't asking batsman who were out why they didn't score many runs.
Forget who it was against, but the game where nine of the team may as well have stayed in the dressing room leaving it for Noel Ashford and Barry Silkman to deal with it, which they did. So, Noel Ashford for me but also a soft spot for George (never mind the ball get on with the game) Borg.
As a late arrival to the party I did like Tommy Mooney in my first stint as an ST holder...him yanking a rolling about Claude Makelele to his feet with a few choice words just in front of the family stand during the semi-final with Chelski amused my daughter no end I recall.
Loved reading some of these replies bringing back evocative memories of Loakes Park. For me (actual me not Noel Ashford) if I had to pick one player it would be Westy but Kevin Durham and lots the mid to late 80s players (Sean Norman, Vircavs, Cork Kirbin as we called him, Kevin Collins, Simon Read, Declan Link etc) all had a part to play including the legendary Noel Ashford himself (I offen wonder if he was a myth and we all imagined him) I wouldn’t say he was the player that made me fall in love with Wycombe but this thread made me think of Anthony Riley - I used to ask my dad why he looked like he was running on his ankles(!) - he had a very strange style up and down the flanks.
Sitting on the green flaky ledge with legs dangling off the front of the main stand as a child was a great way to fall in love with football. I used to end up with a stack of those laminated “pass out from the stand” cards by the end of the season. Loved the small club shop/shack too, I wish we still sold those WWFC flat caps & inflatable Swans! Actually, maybe not.
I was lucky enough to be mascot one day in a league match v Telford, Dion Dublin played for us that day. As I ran off the pitch at the end of the warm-up, two Telford players who were knocking the ball to each other smashed one at me as I ran between them, it hit me from the side and sent me barrelling forwards and onto the ground and everyone in the main stand chuckled. Gits. Great days though.
Great post @NoelAshford especially as you’ve reminded me of several players (Declan Link, Kirk Corbyn, Anthony Riley, for example) who were always interesting and/or exciting to watch.
Must admit I thought for a split second at the start of your second paragraph that you were going to say it was a great place to fall! No HSE in those days.
Comments
I agree about the sights, sounds, smells etc so vividly recaptured by @Steve_Peart although I don’t recall a fug in the cowshed. It always seemed pretty well ventilated to me (except perhaps on that day in January 1975 when 12,000 people were shoehorned into the ground). Having said that, I think the smoke from my occasional castella cigars may have caused a certain amount of offence.
How true about the diverse characters, whether within the little groups that regularly congregated together in the cowshed or those that wandered around, even during the course of a game. One little old boy, Wycombe born and bred, a newspaper vendor in his time, was constantly on the move, chipping in to conversations as he went. The story was that he had a painful medical condition and it eased the pain if he kept on the move. Then there was the ‘squirrel’, a little fellow of indeterminate age, who stood by the rail on the touchline. Presumably in excitement, he constantly rubbed his fists together in front of his face, like a squirrel ? munching a nut.
Not everyone enjoyed the game or even celebrated when we scored. One miserable old boy, who stood near our little group but never engaged with us, used to clap and look borderline happy when the opposition scored. Another much younger lad was on day release from a local psychiatric unit. I asked him on one occasion if he enjoyed reading. “No mate, I think reading is like sleeping.” An unexpected but original response.
Another guy in our group was a Professor of Military History at LSE. I got to know him quite well as he was a fellow commuter and I occasionally bumped into him en route to or from London. Mrs micra and I accepted an invitation to afternoon tea with him and his missus. An uncomfortable experience, with little sustained conversation!
Could go on but have just noticed the time and the single figure battery percentage!
The chap who chipped into conversations sounds like Dennis the menace !! Always dressed in an oversized suit, I think he was from Wooburn.
Bodger Horseman for his goals but the player that really left his mark on me from my early days was Tricky Micky Holifield
I remember Dennis, he was at pretty much every game, home and away. Then he suddenly disappeared, never to be seen again.
There was also an elderly guy, who used to wander round the ground, especially at away games, stopping every so often to chat. He knew everything that was going on during the game, but never seemed to be paying any attention to it. Think his name was Dabber.
Totally agree about Micky Holifield. Not unlike Kevin Durham in terms of position and creativity.
Dennis was quite a character if it's guy from Wooburn you think. A regular at the Wooburn cricket ground doing the scoreboard when he wasn't asking batsman who were out why they didn't score many runs.
Forget who it was against, but the game where nine of the team may as well have stayed in the dressing room leaving it for Noel Ashford and Barry Silkman to deal with it, which they did. So, Noel Ashford for me but also a soft spot for George (never mind the ball get on with the game) Borg.
As a late arrival to the party I did like Tommy Mooney in my first stint as an ST holder...him yanking a rolling about Claude Makelele to his feet with a few choice words just in front of the family stand during the semi-final with Chelski amused my daughter no end I recall.
I thought you were the one in the crowd giving me abuse @Wendoverman!
On the contrary I applauded the desire to '****ing get on with it!' from one of Wycombe's finest.
Loved reading some of these replies bringing back evocative memories of Loakes Park. For me (actual me not Noel Ashford) if I had to pick one player it would be Westy but Kevin Durham and lots the mid to late 80s players (Sean Norman, Vircavs, Cork Kirbin as we called him, Kevin Collins, Simon Read, Declan Link etc) all had a part to play including the legendary Noel Ashford himself (I offen wonder if he was a myth and we all imagined him) I wouldn’t say he was the player that made me fall in love with Wycombe but this thread made me think of Anthony Riley - I used to ask my dad why he looked like he was running on his ankles(!) - he had a very strange style up and down the flanks.
Sitting on the green flaky ledge with legs dangling off the front of the main stand as a child was a great way to fall in love with football. I used to end up with a stack of those laminated “pass out from the stand” cards by the end of the season. Loved the small club shop/shack too, I wish we still sold those WWFC flat caps & inflatable Swans! Actually, maybe not.
I was lucky enough to be mascot one day in a league match v Telford, Dion Dublin played for us that day. As I ran off the pitch at the end of the warm-up, two Telford players who were knocking the ball to each other smashed one at me as I ran between them, it hit me from the side and sent me barrelling forwards and onto the ground and everyone in the main stand chuckled. Gits. Great days though.
great thread, this.
Great post @NoelAshford especially as you’ve reminded me of several players (Declan Link, Kirk Corbyn, Anthony Riley, for example) who were always interesting and/or exciting to watch.
Must admit I thought for a split second at the start of your second paragraph that you were going to say it was a great place to fall! No HSE in those days.