The Wanderer - issue 119 - http://www.wwisc.co.uk/

‘We Did It Our Way’
Review by The Wanderer’s literary critic – P.P.G Wodehouse
The only slight disappointment in the aftermath of Wycombe’s promotion to
the Championship (other than the obvious sadness at fans not being there)
was the club not releasing the, surely obligatory, commemorative DVD, as
they have done in previous promotion seasons. However, they did bring out
We Did It Our Way; a comprehensive 108-page season review, detailing every
step of Wycombe’s promotion-winning story, from a brief pre-season
roundup through to ten pages dedicated to the playoff final at Wembley.
It’s predominantly a photobook – there’s not much text - similar in style to
2001’s Fame and Glory, which chronicled Wycombe’s 2000/01 FA Cup run.
While Fame and Glory, which with the utmost respect was a little on the
cheap and cheerful side, included press clippings and scans of teamsheets,
tickets, fixture posters and matchday programme covers, We Did It Our Way
concentrates on match action photos, with two pages given to every league
game; a full page photo on one and a brief match report with lineups, basic
stats and four or five smaller photos on the other. The inclusion of an ‘as it
stood’ League One top seven for each game is a nice touch. The matches are
interspersed, every ten pages or so, with two-page features focussing on an
array of subjects, including the Couhigs, the fans, training during lockdown
and a roundup of the cups, as well as some stunning shots of Adams Park.
Produced by Ignition Sports Media and using photos from Andy Rowlands
and David Horn from PRiME Images, this is a polished, professional effort,
with high res, glossy photos that capture some of the most iconic images
from a memorable campaign, including that superbly foregrounded shot of
Darius Charles running towards the Sunderland fans, ears cupped, a
suitably out of focus Mackem throwing up a Wearside salute from the stand.
Even just flicking through We Did It Our Way will instantly plunge the
reader into a smiley coma of nostalgia for Wycombe’s greatest ever season.
If I have any criticisms, perhaps a little more text would have been nice, one
or two of the photos seem odd choices and the unusual, sideways-A4 shape
of the book means it doesn’t ‘bookshelf’ particularly well, but these really are
minor gripes over what it undoubtedly a fantastic tome. Reasonably priced
at £15, this is a must-have souvenir of an incredible season and I would
thoroughly recommend it to all Wycombe fans. To order your copy, click on
the ‘shop’ link on the club’s website and go to ‘accessories’.
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