@username123 said:
And I also wonder how many people never noticed when they stood behind it?!
I was too young to have gone to Loakes Park, but the different stanchions stood out like a sore thumb when I first saw them. Something to do with the slope?
The writing was on the wall after the first leg at Alty when Birdseye could've lumped it out of the ground deep into stoppage time to help preserve our precious lead but instead played it straight to their left back who immediately launched it back into the box, onto their big striker’s head, 1-1.
Not only that ... but the special train broke down when we were nearly home (somewhere near Risborough), didn't get back to Wycombe until the early hours.
Train was pushed home by another, if I remember. Tickets for the journey were £6.
That defeat was followed, two days later, by the B & B Final defeat to Hungerford at Wokingham, then the Hitachi (League) Cup semi-final a week later. The next two league games were also defeats, writing off our chances of winning the league. Quite a traumatic time.
That train trip back was something else. Got stopped just south of Banbury as we couldn’t get on the single line to Risborough. Eventually got diverted via Oxford and and Greenford and got back into Wycombe about 0100. All that without having anything to eat all day having been matched by the police to and from the station to the ground
Was it not the Queens train that we were stuck behind ? I remember when it pulled into a station, Wanderers fans piled off the train and emptied those old Cadburys chocolate machines that used to be situated on platforms.
Back to why it's called The Gasroom: there was a fanzine in the 80s called Chairboy's Gas. Chairboy's for obvious reasons (except that it wasn't obvious then as the Chairboys nickname had fallen out of use and I think the fanzine revived it) and gas because it means talking and because Loakes Park was next to the gasworks. The west terrace was informally known as the gasworks end.
@ChasHarps said:
Was it not the Queens train that we were stuck behind ? I remember when it pulled into a station, Wanderers fans piled off the train and emptied those old Cadburys chocolate machines that used to be situated on platforms.
40 years ago today, Gasman has posted the details of that long train journey home.
I don’t recall going to Wembley that year but I suppose I must have done. Or did we lose the replay? Guess we must have done because (again from memory, but 99% sure this time) we played Runcorn and Kidderminster there in fairly quick succession a few years later.
Sadly we lost the home second leg 3-0 @micra, so no wembley trip that year.
The away game was weird. Before the game I think everyone would have been happy getting a draw up there but the manner of the late equaliser meant it felt more like a defeat.
What younger fans probably find hard to imagine, is what a huge game that was for us. It seemed almost inconceivable to me that we were playing the mighty Altrincham - the big boys from The Alliance Premier League, that had held Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane only three years earlier. Our attendances were measured in hundreds at the time but the turnout at Loakes Park (twice what Altrincham pulled in at their place) made me begin to suspect that we were a sleeping giant - which relatively speaking we were. Altrincham brought a tiny away following down to us and got an old-skool terrace welcome from the Wycombe Skins at the appropriately named Hospital End. Also hard to imagine now!
I remember a few of the Kiddy soul boys, had infiltrated the Wycombe section in the previous rnd at Aggborough. The Wycombe Skins arrived just before kick off, and you saw these wedged haircut midlanders trying desperately to get back into the safety of a home area.
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It’s a very small silver lining, but beggars can’t be choosers.
@poop its call the gas room because everyone on here is a secret Bristol Rovers supporter ?
I was too young to have gone to Loakes Park, but the different stanchions stood out like a sore thumb when I first saw them. Something to do with the slope?
Got light bulbs attached to the one on the left, I think but hard to tell on iPhone screen.
I too thought that was Paul Birdseye at first (head and hairline) but didn’t look tall enough (and he wore 2 of course, as a right back).
it was the 1982 semi final second leg v Alty, I was heartbroken when we lost 3-0, I had missed only one tie in the whole trophy run.
Same here - I missed Walthamstow away.
The writing was on the wall after the first leg at Alty when Birdseye could've lumped it out of the ground deep into stoppage time to help preserve our precious lead but instead played it straight to their left back who immediately launched it back into the box, onto their big striker’s head, 1-1.
So much for “that goal changed nothing”...
Not only that ... but the special train broke down when we were nearly home (somewhere near Risborough), didn't get back to Wycombe until the early hours.
Oh yes, I’d forgotten that...
Train was pushed home by another, if I remember. Tickets for the journey were £6.
That defeat was followed, two days later, by the B & B Final defeat to Hungerford at Wokingham, then the Hitachi (League) Cup semi-final a week later. The next two league games were also defeats, writing off our chances of winning the league. Quite a traumatic time.
That train trip back was something else. Got stopped just south of Banbury as we couldn’t get on the single line to Risborough. Eventually got diverted via Oxford and and Greenford and got back into Wycombe about 0100. All that without having anything to eat all day having been matched by the police to and from the station to the ground
Was it not the Queens train that we were stuck behind ? I remember when it pulled into a station, Wanderers fans piled off the train and emptied those old Cadburys chocolate machines that used to be situated on platforms.
Back to why it's called The Gasroom: there was a fanzine in the 80s called Chairboy's Gas. Chairboy's for obvious reasons (except that it wasn't obvious then as the Chairboys nickname had fallen out of use and I think the fanzine revived it) and gas because it means talking and because Loakes Park was next to the gasworks. The west terrace was informally known as the gasworks end.
Ahhhhhh, Loakes Park memories ..... https://flic.kr/s/aHsk4GCz9g
Great photos, brought back some memories from my youth. But, how sad were those last ones, very sad
Horse mounted jousting on the pitch, in 1985, is extraordinary. Imagine the Commercial team trying to get that approved at Adams Park!
Classic Wycombe and their medieval style
Bought tears to my eyes. Seems strange that I’ve now been watching Wycombe at Adams Park longer than I watched us at Loakes Park
okay thank> @ReadingMarginalista said:
ok thank you
Don’t believe them @poop, it is still that
most on here are Bristol Rovers fans.
It is always possible that @poop themself is a Bristol Rovers fan.
Looks like the gasworks were feeling a little deflated at the prospect of the Wanderers leaving Loakes Park
40 years ago today, Gasman has posted the details of that long train journey home.
I don’t recall going to Wembley that year but I suppose I must have done. Or did we lose the replay? Guess we must have done because (again from memory, but 99% sure this time) we played Runcorn and Kidderminster there in fairly quick succession a few years later.
Sadly we lost the home second leg 3-0 @micra, so no wembley trip that year.
The away game was weird. Before the game I think everyone would have been happy getting a draw up there but the manner of the late equaliser meant it felt more like a defeat.
(And as for that train ride home…)
What younger fans probably find hard to imagine, is what a huge game that was for us. It seemed almost inconceivable to me that we were playing the mighty Altrincham - the big boys from The Alliance Premier League, that had held Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane only three years earlier. Our attendances were measured in hundreds at the time but the turnout at Loakes Park (twice what Altrincham pulled in at their place) made me begin to suspect that we were a sleeping giant - which relatively speaking we were. Altrincham brought a tiny away following down to us and got an old-skool terrace welcome from the Wycombe Skins at the appropriately named Hospital End. Also hard to imagine now!
I remember a few of the Kiddy soul boys, had infiltrated the Wycombe section in the previous rnd at Aggborough. The Wycombe Skins arrived just before kick off, and you saw these wedged haircut midlanders trying desperately to get back into the safety of a home area.