This week’s coronavirus column comes from Matt Cecil, who oversees media and marketing at Wycombe Wanderers Football Club.
This season has been incredible for the Chairboys, with Gareth Ainsworth’s men enjoying their greatest season to date.
Prior to the season being suspended due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Wycombe sat in eighth place, sitting outside the play-off places on goal difference, despite being in the top six for most of the season.
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But, due to the points-per-game basis which went in favour of the Adams Park outfit, the club will play two play-off matches against Fleetwood in the coming weeks - with Wycombe being three wins away from Championship football for the first time in their history.
So, what does Matt Cecil, who is Wycombe through and through, think of this remarkable, fairy tail season.
He said: “Our 2019/20 football season was already following a pretty Hollywood-esque tale of underdog heroics for Wycombe Wanderers before a global pandemic arrived with an unwanted plot twist just as the Blues were preparing for an exciting finale with 10 games left to go.
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“It was a season in which the club had welcomed American businessman Rob Couhig and his family into Adams Park, become free from debt, recorded some of their highest attendances in a decade, topped the table for a lengthy period and built a vision to provide the best fan experience of any sporting venue in the country.
“But the rollercoaster that is the League One promotion race was brought to a halt with quite a bump.
“On the morning of Friday, March 13 it was business as usual.
“Games were cancelled later that day - 10 days later the country was in lockdown and there was no sign of football coming back anytime soon.
“Within days, the club had placed the majority of its employees – players included - on the government’s Job Retention Scheme, due to the immediate need to limit expenditure at a time when its usual revenue streams were set to freeze.
“While the players kept themselves in shape with home workout routines – many of which were shared online to keep fans amused in lockdown – the club embarked on opening up new opportunities, such as the launch of the Wanderer Wall which is set to be installed this summer, featuring more than 700 tiles dedicated to fans, players and staff who’ve played a part in this unforgettable season.
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“The club opened its own online store for the first time in a decade, selling official merchandise to all four corners of the globe, and kicked off a new live chat show on YouTube, connecting players and supporters in the absence of matches.
“At the same time, clubs across the land debated on how best to resolve the unfinished season, and ultimately a motion to settle the league table on a ‘points per game’ basis was agreed, leaving Wycombe in third and now preparing for a two play-off semi-final ties against Fleetwood Town which will be played behind-closed-doors in July.
“Although there’ll be no fans in the stadium to watch the game, the club is inviting fans to order cutouts of themselves to be placed in the stands, have a souvenir programme delivered to their homes, and organise their own ‘watch parties’ at home with the games due to be shown live on TV.
“Regardless of the outcome of the play-offs, the club is looking ahead to the new season, and the return of supporters to stadiums once social distancing restrictions are lifted, with season tickets for the 2020/21 campaign due to go on sale in the near future.
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“But for now, let’s all get behind Gareth Ainsworth and his team in the hope that they can deliver Championship football to High Wycombe for the first time in 133 years of history.”
Let see if the boys can do it!
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