Greatest Individual Performances
Hi everyone,
Those of you that read The Wanderer will be familiar with the 'Starting XI' feature, where we build Wycombe teams based on some, usually quite tenuous, theme. We've done sensible ones like 'Greatest Ever Free Transfers' and stupid ones like 'Best Scrabble Scoring Names'.
For the upcoming edition, I was thinking of making a team based on Greatest Individual Performances and thought this might be a fun one to open up to discussion in the Gasroom (and yes, also means less research for me to do...)
No rules as such, but ideally I'm thinking of really great performances in key games, rather than just someone having a good 90 minutes against Rochdale in Division 2 in 1998. I was thinking more of our Football League history for the purposes of the article, but I don't want to limit people's misty-eyed nostalgia trips, so let's say it's all fair game.
I'll pick the (imo) best ones, squish them into some kind of formation, and publish it in a few weeks' time.
Here are a few that have already popped into my head so far - but this doesn't necessarily mean that these players are nailed on, so if you have your own idea for that same position, please do put your case forward. My time as a fan only goes back to around 2000 and there are significant gaps in my history knowledge, so please do step forward with your earlier memories, as ideally I don't want the dates to be too close together.
GK: Martin Taylor (FA Cup 5th Round Replay v Wimbledon, away, 20th Feb 2001)
CB: Anthony Stewart (League One Playoff Final v Oxford United, Wembley, 13th July 2020)
LB: Joe Jacobson (League One v Lincoln City, home, 7th September 2019)
LW: Sam Wood (League Two v Torquay United, away, 3rd May 2014)
FW: Eberechi Eze (League Two v Cambridge United, away, 7th October 2017)
ST: Jermaine Easter (League Cup quarter-final v Charlton Athletic, away, 19th December 2006)
Some older performances I would be interested to hear about from anyone who remembers:
Matt Crossley, FA Trophy semi-final second leg v Sutton United, away, 10th April 1993
John Maskell, FA Cup 3rd Round Replay v Middlesbrough, away, 7th January 1975
John Delaney, v Enfield, FA Amateur Cup 1970/71 season
Len Worley, FA Amateur Cup semi-final v Corinthian Casuals, Highbury, 16th March 1957 (Anyone?!)
Either Dave Carroll or Simon Garner - you can argue that one out amongst yourselves - Division Three Playoff Final v PNE, Wembley, 28th May 1994)
There's also a particular Steve Guppy performance from the Conference days that people occasionally refer back to, but I can't remember who it was against. Maybe Gateshead?
Comments
Great idea Jonny.
-The Darius Charles 'Our House' game, 1-0 win against Sunderland at home.
-Max away to Bradford last season was a crazy good keeping performance
sorry they're recent!
I was (just) too young, but didn’t Steve Guppy single handedly defeat Gateshead in the Trophy that season?
For old times sake and for the biggest gulf between two clubs at that stage of the FA Cup (? third round) - Wycombe non-league and Middlesbrough top of the 1975 equivalent of the Premier League - I’d like to nominate the great John Maskell.
In those days the big Football League clubs fielded full (or near full) first teams, regardless of who they.were playing.
I suggest Jason Cousins in our 4-2 victory over Coventry on 5 October 1993 with a cracking performance and great free kick (sticks in my mind as it was my 21st birthday). FYI the other scorers were Ryan, Scott and Evans
I'd argue the great Martin Taylor performance of that cup run was Millwall away
Great question though. I'm off to do some thinking
Great idea for a thread by the way @Jonny_King We’ve got so many great stories that should be told before they’re forgotten. Looking at the results alone we must have had some great teams in the 1920s, but no one left to remember them.
Two to pick from by Jermaine McSporran. At home vs Lincoln in 98 and possibly even better, away v Wolves in the League Cup in 99
Bill Turnbull, Feb 3rd 2018, Wycombe vs Carlisle.
What a great question this is, I'm finding myself remembering all sorts of stuff.
Anyone else remember how good Steve Thompson was in that West Brom FA cup replay?
Thommo was great every game!
Looking at the recent list since I have been doing MOTM, I would nominate Anis Mehmeti in the 3-0 away to Plymouth.
Uche away to Middlesbrough in the final Championship game. He was unplayable!
Yeah o was gunna say jocky at wolves
Kashket’s hatrick at Chesterfield
Mcgleish’s 4 goals at Mansfield
Stuart Roberts at Northampton
Yeah, he really was. My favourite ever Wycombe player
Tony Hemmings v Crewe has got to be in here
I agree with Dave Caroll against Preston N E in the playoff final.
How about the year we played Middlesborough, that year after that match we beat everyone we played, was it Dennis Edwards who scored a lot? Also Larry Pritchard for any match he played in. I don't think we have had a better player for ball control - the proverbial 'playing on a sixpence'.
Oh yes, that was a peach. There we all were mourning the loss of Scotty and we thought we'd found the perfect replacement.
Marcello Trotta at home v Exeter, I think. His Dad was watching, and he waited until the hattrick goal in the last few mins to take off his shirt and reveal the message to his Pa. Always thought the arrogance of that was fantastic.
Also, a big fan of you asking for great performances in key games, then listing Eze v Cambridge in League 2... haha
Bill Turnbaull, July 13th 2020, Wycombe v Oxford. Could hear him loud and proud for the entire second half
So much so they bought him @Thicketblue
Kevin Betsy - Grimsby away, Friday night, we won 1-0 and it took us top of the league. It was 19 years ago tomorrow.
Steve Brown vs Leicester (owned Robbie Savage), Filbert Street - FA Cup 2000/2001.
Paul McCarthy - home game against Wimbledon in the Cup run, amazing at both ends.
Alfie Mawson, Luton away and that goal. It was our 1000th league game.
Jocky against Wolves and Fulham away in the Cup.
Akinde - Brentford away.
there are so many more!
Best opposition performance - Jon Parkin for Macclesfield when Russell Martin scored that volley.
Graham kavanagh, every time we bloody played him.
Miguel DeSouza in Bradford.
Yes! Also Stewart Castledine, same game
Perhaps not ‘greatest’ but Stockdale away at MK in the playoff semi. Memorable.
sub off the bench the mighty Roy Essandou
@Commoner Betsy at Grimsby is a great shout. Even the Grimsby fans were applauding him as he walked off the pitch at the end.
For ease of reference without the need to scroll back.
Paul Hayes & Garry Thompson vs Tottenham FA Cup game 2017