Departures that really hurt
With Mehmetti seemingly likely to leave 😞 it made me think of other leavers that have really given me that hollow feeling of loss in the pit of my stomach The two that spring to mind are Martin O'Neill and Sergio.
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With Mehmetti seemingly likely to leave 😞 it made me think of other leavers that have really given me that hollow feeling of loss in the pit of my stomach The two that spring to mind are Martin O'Neill and Sergio.
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Mickey Bell, exacerbated by the destination
When they stopped selling chips in the kiosks
Sean Devine
Nicky Evans was my first. He was such a silky player.
Watching the quartet of Dave Carroll, Steve Guppy, Mark West and the aforementioned Evans lead a collection of Conference cloggers a merry dance was a thing of wonder for this naive 15-year-old.
And then suddenly he was gone.
Ian Pearson
The day a naive young kid had to come to terms with football reality and that we weren't roughly the same level as Man Utd.
Scowen first time, just as we were flying and had already lost PCH.
Andy Rammel, Devine and others being bombed out when we looked to be going down just before Sanchez left
Adams' moronic cull and subsequent realisation that he had neither knowledge or finance to replace
Noel Ashford. His signing signified extraordinary intent. His departure the exact opposite.
Yes. Simmo. Strewth.
Of the more recent crop, Michael Harriman. A casualty of cutting our cloth that otherwise I'm sure we would have kept. Such a shame his professional days look to be over.
Going much further back, the aforementioned Mickey 'Judas' Bell. He was my favourite player at the time.
Steve Brown retiring is strong in the memory.
In terms of players moving on to "bigger" things, it would be Nathan Tyson. He was so good at our level it was borderline cheating.
Hard to forget Kevin Betsy (first time) too. He was an absolute joy to watch. Where did he go? Oh yeah... them, again.
My mum picked me up from my cousins in the summer holiday's of 1994 and informed me on the drive back to Wycombe from North London that a Wycombe player had joined Newcastle, but she didn't know who. I knew it must have been Guppy and I realised the harsh realities of the football food chain that day.
What a criminal decision that was.
Adams "saved" us though, right? After all, he did buy some new chairs our of his own pocket.
Alfie Mawson, scoring ‘that’ goal at Luton joy turning to the reality of its significance.
I have strong memories of before that game as the rumour began to spread about a permanent deal being struck and it being signed imminently.
Football is a cruel game.
Stuart Beavon - we took from him the Conference, backed him for 2 and a bit seasons to develop (6 league goals in 70 appearance), reached that development with a stella seaon and then forced a move the next season. Loved watching him play and he showed no appreciation to the club in return. That one really hurt.
I never understand this "showed no appreciation to the club". It's his job. He got a better offer and moved on. What if he stayed then broke his leg the next day?
In that situation, we would take the money and you know it!
Beavon was still a good player even when he wasn’t scoring
Agreed. I think there was a fair bit of naivety from our Chairman of the time on show as well.
Bloomfield, anyone?
Probably sweetened by the near certainty that he will be back some day.
The way Dave Carroll left was awful, one of our greatest ever shuffled out of the door with no ceremony.
Matt Bloomfield to ColU is the most recent obvious one.
About 12 years ago I turned my ankle running for a gate at Gatwick.
Jason Cousins worse I think, released without proper replacement and I think we played crap trialists in his position in his testimonial which ended up costing him money due to policing.
Cousins was way too young to be let go in the way he was by Lawrie Sanchez. At the time he was an absolute rock at the heart of the defence and had light and dark blue blood running through his veins. A travesty.
I was gutted when Jermaine McSporran (my all time favourite Wycombe player) left. He finally found a bit of consitency in a terrible team and was gone to Walsall on transfer deadline day I think!
Also remember crying as a kid calling up ringing the blues and hearing the news confirmed that Martin O’Neill had gone!
Dannie Bulman sticks in my mind too, remember feeling like he still had so much to offer us at the time given his age and experience.
Paul Hyde’s removal was grim too. Although the memory of his mum berating shifty Smith at the Trades & Social club lives long in my memory.
’You’re a bloody liar Alan Smith’
The Simmo decision was even worse though, since he was booed by a fair number of insufferable pricks in the home fanbase on his return to Adams Park, all for the heinous mercenary disloyalty of...being released?
If we can count retirement as a departure then Bayo, obviously.
2 points...
This is a discussion about which departures hurt as a fan. Not saying I wouldn't have done the same in his position, doesn't mean it doesn't hurt as a fan.
However, there is a way to leave a club to better yourself whilst still showing appreciation for a club that has giving you that stepping stone. Beavon forcing through a move by getting grumpy and (if I recall correctly) refusing to play is way off that mark.
The ones that stick out to me are Pierre, Beavon, Tommy Doherty and Bayo; mostly because they were players I enjoyed watching.
If we’re talking departures that didn’t feel quite right then Alex Revell.
Who was the last player we were glad to see the back of? I guess, who was the absolute last of the bad eggs before Gaz and Dobbo's cultural revolution?