Looking back at Wycombe Wanderers' friendly versus Chelsea

It was a sea of light and dark blue at Adams Park on July 16, 2014, as thousands of Chairboys fans and supporters of the West London side descended to South Buckinghamshire to see both teams in action.

Then-manager Gareth Ainsworth signs autographs at Adams Park (Image: ARM)

Bloomfield, who was 30, had celebrated a decade with Wanderers the previous December, having featured in 325 competitive appearances for the club ahead of the fixture against Jose Mourinho’s men.

Mr Wycombe received a rapturous welcome when he led his team out in front of 7,774 people inside Adams Park, where then-manager Gareth Ainsworth presented him with a framed photograph that was signed by the Wycombe team.

Mr Wycombe was given a framed photograph that was signed by all the Wanderers players (Image: ARM)

The chosen picture was of Bloomfield celebrating the club’s 3-0 away victory at Torquay United two-and-a-half months earlier – the match that kept the Chairboys in the Football League.

Over 7,000 people were at Adams Park that night (Image: ARM)

Despite the celebration for one of the longest-serving players in Wanderers’ history, the pre-season encounter belonged to Chelsea as they easily brushed Wycombe aside.

Goals from Patrick Bamford, a brace from Izzy Brown, John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic gave Chelsea a 5-0 win.

Wild Thing and the Special One shaking hands pre-match (Image: ARM)

The season that followed was successful for both teams in different aspects.

Wanderers would go onto finish fourth in League Two, one point off automatic promotion before narrowly losing the 2015 play-off final against Southend United on penalties.

A vast improvement from the previous campaign.

Blooms was celebrated that Tuesday evening at HP12 (Image: ARM)

They also acquired the services of the likes of Marcus Bean, Joe Jacobson, Paul Hayes (for a second time), Sido Jombati and Alfie Mawson during the course of the year – players who would become cult heroes at Adams Park.

Ainsworth also gave himself a few minutes in the friendly match (Image: ARM)

The two captains in Matt Bloomfield and John Terry embrace (Image: ARM)

For Chelsea, they would go on to secure their fifth top-flight title, their fourth in the Premier League era, as well as winning the League Cup for the fifth time.