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

THE STORY OF THE BLUES
OPPONENTS: FRANCHISE (A)
DATE: Saturday 1 st February 2020
COMPETITION: League One
SCORE: Franchise 2 (Healy 68, Gladwin 86) Blues 0
ATTENDANCE: 9,699 (including 1,834 who don’t consider them rivals)
REFEREE: Darren Handley
SUMMARY: A frustrating game as we slumped to defeat against the relegation-haunted
Franchise. We only managed one shot on target – Alex Samuel’s effort being tipped over
by ‘keeper Lee Nicholls – and were punished for a lacklustre showing. Rhys Healey
opened the scoring when he tapped in at the far post, then former Marlow midfielder
Ben Gladwin sealed the win, with a long range effort that bounced over the hapless
David Stockdale. Still, a minute’s applause during the 62 nd minute for Wycombe fan
Mark Bird, who tragically passed away before the game against Blackpool, reminded us
that, win or lose, there are some things far more important than football.
BEST BIT: Still being the best team in Bucks.
WORST BIT: The second goal.
HERO: Not the result he would have wanted to mark the occasion, but 1 st February 2020
marked the tenth anniversary of Gareth Ainsworth joining the club on a permanent deal.
VILLAIN: Pete Winkleman. Never forgive, never forget.
MEMORABILITY RATING: 1/10
OPPONENTS: BRISTOL ROVERS (H)
DATE: Saturday 8 th February 2020
COMPETITION: League One
SCORE: Blues 3 (Akinfenwa 9, Charles 39, Bloomfield 41) Gas 1 (Mitchell-Lawson 27)
ATTENDANCE: 5,769 (including 970 who were probably hoping a lightning storm would
get the game abandoned in the 66 th minute)
REFEREE: Tom Nield
SUMMARY: We stormed to victory with a thunderous display against our friends from
along the M4. Ainsworth brought Bayo, Blooms and Mango Man into the starting eleven
and they rewarded him with three goals in a whirlwind first half, our shots raining down
on ex-Blue Jamal Blackman in the Rovers goal. Dark clouds threatened to gather when
Rovers equalised, but we blew them away with two lightning strikes before the break,
Charles tapping home after Blackman parried Jacobson’s thunderbolt and Blooms
storming into the box to flash home a third. Rovers came out with the wind in their sails
in the second half, but we weathered the storm and breezed to three points, much to
the delight of the Adams Park faithful, who hailed their victorious Chairboys with gusto.
BEST BIT: Bloomfield’s well-taken goal.
WORST BIT: Our defending in the build-up to Bristol’s goal wasn’t exactly our best work.
HERO: Ainsworth, for his seemingly prescient team selection and the fact that this was
his 400 th game in charge of the Blues.
VILLAIN: Us, for this match report (the important things is, we think we’re funny).
MEMORABILITY RATING: 7/10
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