The deal was done with the League by two of Hazlemere Window Company’s Board of Directors, who themselves are involved with one of the League’s junior football teams on a week to week basis. Barry Matthews, Commercial Contracts Director, and Tony Beale the Hazlemere Group’s Sales Director, stepped in to support the League for the next two seasons, after the League found itself without a sponsor. Both directors are huge supporters of junior football in Bucks and Berks, and are delighted to have been in a position to assist the League.

Now known as the Wycombe and South Bucks Minor Football League sponsored by Hazlemere Windows, the League is the fifth largest football league in England and is affiliated to Berks and Bucks FA.

Under 11 to Under 16 year old players from teams within a fifteen mile radius of Prestwood in Buckinghamshire compete in 11-a-side Sunday leagues and Cups.

To find out more about the Wycombe and South Bucks Minor Football League visit their website.

The League is now 38 years old and in that time well in excess of 20,000 boys and girls have participated under its previous names :

Booker Wholesale Junior Football League
Bucks Free Press Junior Football League
Wycombe and South Bucks Minor Football League
Star League
Risborough Boys League

Adams Park Hosts Coca-Cola League One Footie

Having had 13 memorable years working for Wycombe Wanderers at Adams Park I also remember we had 10 successive seasons in Coca-Cola League One, which was not bad for our first ever Football League campaign, having won successive promotions from the Vauxhall Conference as it was then then via the Third Division Play-Off Final in 1994 at Wembley under the inspirational leadership of Martin O’Neill. The Blues beat Preston North End 4-2, having been 2-1 down at half-time, in for me is the best I have ever seen a Wycombe side play over 90 minutes.

With the play-offs out the way, at least fans of Coca-Cola League One side Wycombe Wanderers now can look forward to trips to both Stevenage Borough FC and Huddersfield Town FC after last weekend’s two play-off finals at Old Trafford. Stevenage won 1-0 over Torquay United in the League Two play-off (with former Chairboy John Mousinho scoring the winner!) and Huddersfield lost 3-0 to three goals in 7 minutes by Peterborough United who are now in the Championship.

Looking at the 23 other teams in Coca-Cola League One, the Blues will be doing a far bit of travelling up north, notably Carlisle United, Preston North End, Rochdale, Bury, Tranmere Rovers, Chesterfield, Huddersfield Town, Sheffield United, Scunthorpe United, Hartlepool United, Sheffield Wednesday and Oldham Athletic!

There are away match journeys to the west country to Exeter City and Yeovil Town, whilst Chairboys fans look forward to welcoming their “friends” from Colchester United to Adams Park.

The only real local derby is against the Bees at Brentford, with the other local match being the Buckinghamshire derby at Milton Keynes Dons, then at a slight stretch matches against “local” rivals Stevenage Borough, Charlton Athletic and Leyton Orient.

Anyhow, not long to go now till the Coca-Cola Football League publish the 2011-2012 football league fixtures in a couple of weeks time on June 17th 2011!
Tweet

Hazlemere Window Company High Wycombe Factory v Office Staff Football Match on 4th May

The only booking of the match was when the IT Manager, Ade, “deliberately” handled the ball into the net for the office boys. However, the impartial referee (well it was me actually) disallowed the goal and produced a yellow card.

Whilst all the participants who have made it into work this morning are rather sore and aching, a good time was enjoyed by all, and the factory obviously are looking for a re-match to put the office wallah’s in their place after the 5-3 defeat. The only injuries were a couple of twisted ankles and a few bruises, with no suspensions.
Tweet

The results of the Wycombe District Council’s consultation on a new community stadium and sports village have just been published and we wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your support.

The consultation generated a huge response with nearly 8,400 replies received by the Council. We are delighted to say that of these over 70% were supporting a new stadium and sports village at Wycombe Air Park at Booker.

This is a very positive step for a new stadium for Wycombe Wanderers and Wasps as well as a new sports village for Wycombe.

We have been ‘Backing Booker’ right from the start because it is the only site in the District that will enable our vision for a community stadium linked to a sports village to be delivered. Not only will it maximise the benefits for both Clubs but it will also bring new facilities and opportunities to the communities of Wycombe.

The consultation results strongly back this view and shows that the majority of people think that a new sports village with community sports facilities should be located alongside a new stadium for Wycombe Wanderers and Wasps and that the site with the most potential for this is at Booker.

The importance and value of sport to our society and in particular community based sporting enterprises was highlighted again at Christmas in the Queen’s speech. This public recognition of the great contribution sport makes to our daily lives further supports our vision to provide a new sporting village for the District.

However we now need to wait for the Council to meet on 17th January and decide whether to accept the recommendation to proceed to the next stage, as set out in the Wycombe District Council Cabinet report. We will then be in touch again to let you know the result of the meeting, set out what will happen next and how you can keep informed.

Until then we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest and support so far. It is fantastic to have received such a positive response to the consultation and although there is still a long way to go we are buoyed by the results of the consultation and the huge amount of support we have for a new stadium at Booker.

Thank you
Mike Brooks
Chief Executive
WSDL
Tweet

Adams Park, the Home of Wycombe Wanderers

As a Blues fan for the last 20 seasons, I first started supporting Wycombe when they were in the Vauxhall Conference whilst Martin O’Neill was there Manager. I remember watching my first match in 1991 when Dave Carroll scored a wonder goal in a 5-0 win over Merthyr Tdyfil. Despite finishing on 94 points that season, they lost out on promotion to the Football League on goal difference to Colchester United. However they were promoted the next season (1992/93) by a record margin and also beat Runcorn 4-1 to win the FA Trophy at Wembley in front of over 30,000 Wycombe Wanderers fans. Under the inspiration of Martin O’Neill the Blues won successive promotions by beating Preston North End 4-2 at Wembley in the Play-Off Final in front of a crowd of over 40,000 (My personal all time favourite Wanderers match!).

Since then they spent 10 consecutive seasons in League One, before being relegated, and have since gone up and down once more! However one massive highlight for me personally was the 10 match FA Cup run in 2001, when the Chairboys lost 2-1 in the FA Cup Semi-Final at Villa Park to Liverpool. The goal scorers that day were Emile Heskey and Robbie Fowler for Liverpool and Keith Ryan for the Blues. Subsequently Wycombe Wanderers Football Club have reached the Carling Cup Semi-Final, losing to the eventual winners Chelsea, so have done pretty well since the Club turned professional for the first time in their history in 1993.

Back to the present, and today’s 1-0 win in Coca-Cola League Two has set a new club record for scoring in 19 consecutive matches, so having previously won 6 straight away matches earlier in the season, could 2011 see the Blues win promotion back to League One? It is too early to say, as if “we” are I suspect we will need to concede less goals and keep more clean sheets!
Tweet

The entire night almost ended in disaster, after more than half the floodlights failed during the first half! Enormous credit is due to both the referee and VT FC, who were prepared to play on till about 8.34pm in descending darkness till half-time was reached, during which an electrician did his best to get as many of the floodlights working as possible. He managed to get around 70% of the lights to work after about 25 minutes, which was just sufficient to enable the referee to allow a belated start to the 2nd half! Thankfully the temporary fix held out to enable the last fixture in the Zamaretto League Division One South and West to be completed, be it rather late into the night!

I was impressed by the overall performance of Windsor and Eton striker Nathan Jack, who not only scored the goal that won the Royalists the title, but also because he was the stand out player on the night. Many many congratulations to everyone at the club for capping an outstanding season, especially after coming 2nd last season, then missing out in the play-off’s.

For the Windsor and Eton Football Club’s defence to only concede 20 goals in an entire season is obviously the bedrock to any league title, so well done the lads! Scoring 84 goals is none too shabby either! I am delighted to say that Hazlemere Windows had already previously agreed to sponsor this Zamaretto Premiership club for at least the next two seasons.

After the floodlight failure the Royalists adopted anthem for next season could well be “Always look on the brighter side of life………”

Take my own football club, Coca-Cola Football League One side Wycombe Wanderers FC. It has reported debts of over £8m, although its compact Adams Park stadium and other assets are apparently worth less than this at present. The situation is far far worse at Premier League Pompey, with the Fratton Park assets being only worth a fraction of the apparent debt. Sadly, for the fans of Portsmouth FC, if any other clubs are interested in any of their players, they will now be able to “purchase” them for less at the end of the season, plus entice them away more easily now it is certain Pompey will be playing in the Championship next season if they manage to avoid liquidation. Selling players is not an option to help towards reducing the debt whilst the transfer window remains shut.

It is frightening that less than two years ago in 2008 Portsmouth won the FA Cup under former Pompey Manager, and current Spurs boss Harry Redknapp, which goes to show even success on the pitch is not necessarily a remedy for poor financial management and bad senior management decisions off it. It is not so much a case of “Up Pompey”, but rather “Down Pompey” at present, until a viable financial solution can be found, but found quick!

My understanding is that when a company enters into administration, as Portsmouth Football Club have now done, it is protected from angry creditors intent on getting their money back and further legal action. Administration is designed to buy a company time (a maximum of eight weeks?) and enables an emergency strategy to be formulated.

Under administration a Licensed Insolvency Practitioner is appointed and has the job of deciding the company’s future. If the company is fundamentally sound (and from what seems to be in the public domain we know Portsmouth Football Club is not), the Insolvency Practitioner would look to implement a recovery plan aimed at streamlining the business and maximizing profits. If it is apparent Pompey has no future then it can be sold or liquidation can commence.

The three outcomes from Portsmouth Football Club’s adminstration appear to be a) a Recovery Plan b) a Company Voluntary Arrangement or c) Liquidation. Whilst it would be massively disappointing for the fans and a major embarrasement for the Premier League, liquidation would be a massive wake up call to the dozens of other football clubs chasing the dream admist growing debts.

The football industry needs to bring in rules to force clubs to live within their means or do something drastic as the entire system seems on the point of collapse, and in my view rather morally bankrupt looking. Will the players lose out? No because the PFA will ensure they don’t suffer too much hardship. The big losers are the fans and the rather foolish “investors” who have sunk money into an industry that makes “the black hole” in space seem a prudent alternative.

Having left Coca-Cola League Two side Aldershot Town, Gary Waddock saw a positive and encouraging performance by the Blues in his first match in charge as Wycombe Wanderers Manager. Former Wycombe Wanderers Manager Peter Taylor left the club by “mutual consent” having failed to see his side make any progress in League One. The only way for the Blues is up as currently are 24th in the division.

Hazlemere Windows Marketing Director Mark Austin, worked with Gary Waddock during his time as Commercial Director at QPR when Gary was Queens Park Rangers Assistant Manager and Ian Holloway Manager at Loftus Road. Having achieved promotion from the Blue Square Premiership with Aldershot Town, Gary Waddock is a proven winner, so hopefully he will turn things round soon at Adams Park for High Wycombe based Wycombe Wanderers.

In addition to being Beaconsfield SYCOB “Official Website Sponsors”, Hazlemere Windows are now the sponsors of the advertising board that advertises which match is on next at Holloways Park. Beaconsfield Football Club ground share with Slough Town FC, so the fixture board gets well used! Hazlemere Windows now have seven advertising boards at Holloways Park, one of which is above the main clubhouse as Hazlemere Windows, Doors & Conservatories are also “Official Clubhouse Sponsors”. Other Hazlemere Group community sponsorships for the 2009-2010 season include Hazlemere Windows support of Burnham Football Club, High Wycombe Cricket Club and Berkshire based Windsor and Eton Football Club.

Hazlemere Windows Doors and Conservatories Sign At Windsor & Eton Football Club

The Hazlemere Group have sponsored Coca-Cola League One Wycombe Wanderers Football Club for nearly 20 years, so are no strangers to sponsoring local clubs, as when they first started the Blues were in the GM Vauxhall Conference, and Aston Villa Manager Martin O’Neill was then Wycombe Wanderers Manager. In fact he managed Windsor & Eton FC’s current manager Keith Scott, whose goals helped the Club earn promotion to the Football League during the 1992-1993 season. Keith scored the only goal at home to local rivals Slough Town, who were Wycombe Wanderers main rivals that season. Hazlemere Windows also sponsor Bucks based Beaconsfield Football Club and Burnham Football Club who play in the same division and Windsor & Eton Football Club.