Wycombe Wanderers – Not Just An Ordinary Team
In the last couple of seasons, we have had some amazing stories in English lower leagues. Burton Albion and Yeovil Town got promoted from League One to Championship with really low budgets, in seasons where they should be fighting against relegation. The Glovers didn’t even have the main sponsor before the season started. We talk about two teams who recently played in the fifth tier of English football (National League) and with good managers, great player’s recruitments, plan, strategy and all kinds of stuff that small teams without money must-have, they climbed on the English football pyramid almost to the very top.
This summer we have another great story. It’s Wycombe Wanderers. As the headline said, they aren’t just an ordinary team. Wycombe is a small club from High Wycombe which was founded 133 years ago. Their nickname is The Chairboys or The Blues. So, what is so special about them? Everything.
Not many clubs can brag about a manager who has a rock band. Plus, one of the most famous players in the world (not Leo Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo) plays for them. Until recently the club was owned by fans, and Wycombe is one of the few teams in England that doesn’t have reserves or youth categories. They were closed a couple of years ago. Sometimes, they barely have enough players for 11 vs 11 training sessions.
“Wild Thing”
Gareth Ainsworth is the man who runs this show. He started his professional career in Blackburn Rovers youth team, before he moved to Northwich Victoria, where he made his professional debut. Ainsworth changed many teams during his long career, but his best years came in Queens Park Rangers where he played for seven years from 2003 to 2010. After QPR he signed for Wycombe. When Gary Waddock was dismissed in September 2012, Ainsworth was put in charge as a caretaker manager. Two months later he was given a full time contract. Since then, he managed to finish 3rd in League Two in 2018, and win League One play-off in 2020. So, next season his Wycombe is going to play in Championship with some big teams like Blackburn Rovers, Watford, Nottingham Forest, Derby County, Cardiff City, etc.
Gareth is a big rock fan. During his playing days, his nickname was Wild Thing thanks to his rockstar life. He was in a band called APA with his teammates Chris Parry and Trond Andersen. Later they split, and Gareth is now frontman of the band The Cold Blooded Hearts.
This passionate rock singer is still a hot head when it comes about football. A couple of times during the season, when players were injured, they didn’t have enough players for the training session. When these situations happen, Gareth is the first person who puts his boots on and fills the numbers.
The Strongest Player In The World
You may have never heard of this player, but he is one of the most famous in the world. Ladies and gentlemen, Adebayo Akinfenwa - the strongest footballer on the planet, according to the FIFA game. Akinfenwa is probably the only player who can thank his more-than-100-kilos for being this famous.
Known as Bayo, he’s a big fan of Liverpool. After Wycombe beat Oxford at Wembley and gained promotion to Championship, the first person who called Bayo to congratulate him was Jurgen Klopp itself.
At the age of 38, Akinfenwa is one of the oldest players in the English Football League (EFL), but he doesn’t want to stop playing and recently signed a new one-year contract with the club. Most of his time in football career he spent in League One or League Two (3rd and 4th tier of EFL), but next season for the very first time in his career he will have the opportunity to play in Championship.
- The last big name playing for Wycombe Under 18 was Jordon Ibe,
who later was sold to Liverpool. -
In 2012 Wycombe’s fans took ownership of the club and The Chairboys became one of the rare clubs in England with that kind of ownership structure. But, in February 2020, Rob Couhig became the major shareholder in Wycombe with 75% and Wycombe Supporter Trust kept 25%. Before it was shut down, the academy had some quality players. The last big name playing for Wycombe Under 18 was Jordon Ibe, who later was sold to Liverpool.
As you see, Wycombe is a unique club.
I’m sure they have many fans from all over the world. For this small club it won’t be easy to compete in the Championship with giant clubs who can spend about 10, 15 or even 20 million pounds on new players. Life will be tough for them next season, but that doesn't mean everyone will score an easy victory against them.
