Wycombe Wanderers F.C.

Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is an English football team from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, currently playing in Football League Two. Their nickname is the "Chairboys" and they play in light blue and dark blue quarters. The traditional name of Wycombe's ground is Adams Park.

The club's manager is former Celtic captain Paul Lambert. He is assisted by Wycombe legends Steve Brown and Keith Ryan. The club captain at Wycombe was defender Roger Johnson, until he recently joined Cardiff City for a fee of £275,000.

The club was founded in 1887 by a group of furniture-makers, and settled at Loakes Park in High Wycombe in 1895. From 1896 they played in the Southern League, but had little success in a league dominated by professional teams. They moved to the Great Western Suburban League in 1908 and to the Spartan League after the First World War. After winning the Spartan League they joined the Isthmian League in 1921. Although they won the FA Amateur Cup in 1931 it would be 1956 before they won the first of eight Isthmian League titles.

In 1985 they were promoted to the Football Conference (then the Gola League) and, though they only lasted one season they were promoted again at the first attempt. Two important changes occurred in 1990: the Chairboys left Loakes Park for a new home at Adams Park, and Martin O'Neill was appointed manager. Under O'Neill they won the FA Trophy twice and were eventually promoted to The Football League in 1993 following a bad-tempered campaign alongside Roy McDonough's Colchester side in 1992. They were an immediate success in the League, winning promotion in their first season and narrowly missing out on the Division Two playoffs in their second.

Martin O'Neill left the club for what would turn out to be a short tenure at Norwich in 1995, and the side became, at best, mid-table performers in Division Two. The club tasted more success under the guidance of Lawrie Sanchez as they enjoyed an epic FA Cup run in 2000-01 which saw them reach the semi-final where they were beaten by Liverpool 2-1 at Villa Park, Keith Ryan scoring the Chairboys' goal. However, Sanchez was sacked just a few months into the 2003-04 season after a terrible start that saw the club bottom of the table. His successor was former Arsenal and England defender Tony Adams but he was unable to save Wycombe's season and they were relegated in 2004, joining Football League Two for its first season under that name.

Their first season in League Two saw a change of manager as John Gorman took charge of the club after a brief spell as caretaker manager the previous season. Wycombe finished the season in 10th place. However, a 21-match unbeaten start to the 2005-06 campaign saw them lead the division for a considerable amount of time. Unfortunately after manager Gorman's wife died Wycombe went on a 6-match losing run, seeing them drop out of the automatic promotion challenge, finishing in 6th. They eventually were defeated 2-1 on aggregate by Cheltenham Town in the play-offs. It was later announced that Gorman had been relieved of his duties as the club's manager as the Wycombe board did not believe that he was in the right condition to manage the club. Also during that season on the 14 January 2006 before a match with Notts County 21 year old chairboy Mark Philo died tragicly in a car crash on his way to the match. His manager, John Gorman, paid tribute to him by saying, "He was a fantastic kid. He lived for football and always had a smile on his face." Mark Philo R.I.P.

Current squad

History

1896-97 - Joined Southern League
1908 - Left Southern League
1921-22 - Joined Isthmian League
1930-31 - F.A. Amateur Cup Winners
1953-54 - Missed runner-up spot on goal average
1955-56 - Isthmian League Champions
1956-57 - Isthmian League Champions (2nd time); F.A. Amateur Cup runner-up
1957-58 - Isthmian League runner-up
1959-60 - Isthmian League runner-up
1969-70 - Isthmian League runner-up
1970-71 - Isthmian League Champions (3rd time)
1971-72 - Isthmian League Champions (4th time)
1973-74 - Isthmian League Champions (5th time)
1974-75 - Isthmian League Champions (6th time) (on goal average)
1975-76 - Isthmian League runner-up
1976-77 - Isthmian League runner-up
1981-82 - F.A. Trophy semi-finalists
1982-83 - Isthmian League Champions (7th time)
1985-86 - Joined Alliance Premier League
1986-87 - Rejoined Isthmian League; Isthmian League Champions (8th time)
1987-88 - Rejoined Conference (ex-Alliance Premier League)
1990-91 - F.A. Trophy Winners
1991-92 - Conference runner-up (missed title and promotion to Football League on goal difference)
1992-93 - Conference Champions; F.A. Trophy Winners (2nd time); Promoted to Football League Division Three
1993-94 - Promoted to Division Two after play-offs (SF Carlisle United 0 Wycombe Wanderers 2, Wycombe Wanderers 2 Carlisle United 1 - Agg 4-1, F Wycombe Wanderers 4 Preston North End 2 @ Wembley)
2000-01 - F.A. Cup semi-finalists
2004 - Relegated to Division Three, which was then renamed "League Two"
2005-06 - Not promoted after play-offs (SF Wycombe Wanderers 1 Cheltenham Town 2 Cheltenham Town 0 Wycombe Wanderers 0 - Agg 1-2)

Source:

Managers History

Brian Lee	1968 - 1976
Ted Powell	1976 - 1977
John Reardon	1977 - 1978
Andy Williams	1978 - 1980
Mike Keen	1980 - 1984
Paul Bence	1984 - 1986
Alan Gane	1986 - 1987
Peter Suddaby	1987 - 1988
Jim Kelman	1988 - 1990
Martin O'Neill	1990 - 1995
Alan Smith	1995 - 1996
John Gregory	1996 - 1998
Neil Smilie	1998 - 1999
Lawrie Sanchez	1999 - 2003
Tony Adams	2003 - 2004
John Gorman	2004 - 2006
Paul Lambert	2006 - Present

Honours

FA Cup semi-finalists 2001
Division 3 Play Off Winners 1994
Football Conference champions 1993
FA Trophy winners 1991, 1993
FA Amateur Cup winners 1931
Isthmian League champions 8 times

Rivalry

Wycombe's main local rivals are considered to be Oxford United. Traditionally, there is also ill-feeling between the supporters of Wycombe and Slough Town. Other rivalries are also present with neighbours Reading and Watford.

They are also vicious rivals with Colchester United due to Colchester and Wycombe being in a 2 horse race title challenge for the conference title during the 1991/92 season in which Colchester came out on top in the final game of the season between the two with a dubious last minute penalty. Wycombe won promotion the following season.

External links

Sport in Buckinghamshire | English football clubs