FROM THE ARCHIVES FEBRUARY 1998
ALL THERE IS TO SAY AND KNOW ABOUT WYCOMBE WANDERERS ON THE INTERNET....

GREGORY GONE
- THE FANS VIEWS

GREGORY LEAVING - GOOD OR BAD?
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THE VILLA VIEW - 13 March 1998
At last Gregory leaves, only Doug Ellis would be stupid enough to sign him. Of course it will mean i'll no longer have a chance to watch premiership football when villa go down because of it, but never mind, Wycombes prospects are much better.
Dan - dml520@novell3.bham.ac.uk

GOONER SHOCK THE WORLD - 12 March 1998
THERE ARE ONLY TWO MEN TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THE JOB THAT IS EITHER:
DAVID PLATT or
McCILLROY FROM MACCLESFIELD
DAVE WOULD BE SUPERB, AS THAT WOULD BE ONE LESS MIDFIELDER WE WOULD HAVE TO BUY (see you later steve McGavin), although i've always believed Platt should play up front because of his phenomenal goal record. He would function superbly as a Sheringham sort of player (as a creative foil) for someone who is a born striker ie. PAUL READ, as we all know is a quality striker, who just hasn't had the luck as yet. HE WILL GET HIS SECOND WIND , AND WILL SHOCK THE FOOTBALLING WORLD (more aggression needed son).I say give Paul Read a run in the side.
Anyway the other geeza is performing miracles with Macclesfield, he is enthusiastic, charasmatic and has high ambitions just what this club needs. We will never recover from the O'neil legacy.......!!!!!!
CHIEF RABBI ISH-LANK-BOY - R.M.S.Parrett@durham.ac.uk

PASSION AND COMMITMENT - 5 March 1998
Brilliant, Neil Smillie proves that with passion and commitment these players can play. As for Gregory, it's like sacking him but getting paid for it! David Platt has got to be the man for the job, a secure club, decent chairman, available cash and good contacts. Until then let's hope Smillie does the job and doesn't neglect the flourishing youth team.
Chris Moss - Mike.Moss@btinternet.com

DODGY BUYS-READ AND SCOTT - 5 March 1998
I'm not too pleased Gregory has gone as he was a super manager the only thing wrong with him was his dodgy buys.
1. Paul Read: A naff Arsenal reject that couldn't even get in there 2nd reserve squad. He can't shoot, pass and you never see him head the ball. So he scored 2 goals on his debut big deal but because of that Gregory whipped him straight up only after one or two games!
2. Keith Scott: Another reject but this time from Norwich. He's slow, unfit,lazy and over priced. It's as if he couldn't be bothered. I'm a season ticket holder at Wycombe and have calculated that at home he has on average less than one shot on goal a game.
P.S - Wycombe are staying up and we will be playing Reading next season!
Ben Voss - michelle.voss@tek.com

GOOD LUCK GREGORY - 5 March 1998
Good Luck to John Gregory
He joined Wycombe when we were in dire straights and did an excellent job in avoiding relegation last season.
This season has been disappointing with our inconsistant form but we should remember we are a club operating on limited resources compared with many of our fellow division 2 teams. I have been concerned with the style of play adopted by Gregory particularly in our away games but at least it was a marked improvement on that Alan Smith guy.
As for him going to Villa, who would turn down the opportunity to manage a premiership club who were on the verge of a European quarter final particularly when it is offered at a time when your current club are doing Ok but you will not in the forseeable future have the resources to really change that.
No I dont think we can begrudge John his move, we certainly can take pride from the fact that 2 of our last 3 managers (managers used in the loosest sense in Smith's case) have gone on to considerably better things.
Finally well done to Neil Smillie and the team over the last 2 games for virtually ensuring our survival for another season. Keep Neil in charge till the end of the season I say then pair him up with a class pro looking for his first step into management - Platt, Pearce, Rush, Beardsley - could do with a quality player in the ranks. Or how about Simon Garner!
stevens@which.net

HAVE FAITH - 27 Feb 1998
I've just been reading some of the comments on the Chairboys Chat page, and see that some people think that now John Gregory has gone to Villa we'll automatically get relegated. One thing I've learned over the years of supporting/following Wycombe (and I have to admit West Ham) is never to give up hope. You should have faith in your team no matter how badly they're playing and how bad the results appear. This could spark the players into a new determined mood. I hope so.
I hope the board don't rush into any hasty decisions. I have always thought that where the club went wrong, was when they passed over the opportunity to make Cyril Regis manager after the departure of Martin O'Neill. However that is all water under the bridge now, and I'd like to wish the players and the new manager, whoever he, or she maybe, the best of luck for the remainder of the season, and look forward to thr trip to Maine Road next season.
P.S. I'd be interested to know how many other Wycombe fans there are in Devon!
P.Cutler@plymouth.ac.uk

MAYBE A FOREIGNER - 27 Feb 1998
I've only seen Wycombe a couple of time in the last few years because I now live in the USA. However, I did see them against Brentford on TV when I was back home in September and if that's the way Gregory had the team playing then we're better off without him.
I've got no suggestions for the job but wouldn't it be great to have a manager/coach with some fresh ideas who will make the most of limited resources? Maybe a foreigner? Anyone got any favourites? What do the bookmakers think? Venables at 50-1?
I just hope that whoever it is keeps us up and puts us in contention for promotion next year.
Adrian - abevan@weather.com

WYCOMBE - NESTING PLACE? - 27 Feb 1998
So much for managers bleating on about loyalty and commitment amongst players, they're the first ones to turn tail and head for pastures new when a tasty carrot is dangled before them. At least Martin O'Neill stuck by Wycombe long enough to earn the club some honours and didn't jump ship at the first available opportunity.
Personally I'm not so sure wether John Gregory was as surprised by this 'unexpected' rise to fame and fortune as he would have us all believe! Could it be that Adams Park provided Villa with a useful little nesting place to send JG until an appropriate opportunity could be found to recall him to the blue(& claret) skies of the premiership?
I don't know and to be frank don't really care. I just hope Wycombe get the right man this time. Hopefully somebody that won't be obsessed with signing second rate, down on their luck defenders or enforcing a playing system well beyond the ability of most of his squad.
Despite keeping Wycombe out of the relegation zone last season the sad fact is that JG's only other legacy is that he released or lost some of the best players we've ever had (Desouza, Lawrence, Bell, Evans), thankfully we've managed to hang onto Carrol and McGavin or I fear we would now be mixing it with Macclesfield Town and Rochdale!
Unfortunatly for all the quality players we lost during his tenure, the signings he did make were a pretty uninspiring bunch. (Scotty excepted, if he can ever get off his crutches!) Come to think of it if I was an Aston Villa fan I'd be pretty hacked off right now, JG's managerial career to date hasn't been particularly impressive and with people like Venables, Gullit and Gerry Francis floating around I'd be rather disappointed by this latest appointment to say the least.
So who's favourite for the jobs ? Neil Smillie could be in the running for Manager and how about Terry Evans to come back as his deputy?
Fingers crossed let's hope Mr Beeks and his colleagues get it right this time!
Lance - lancee@globalnet.co.uk

MANAGING WYCOMBE - Fast Lane to success - 26 Feb 1998
Not sure what others think but I'm not that disappointed by Gregory's departure. He did a great job last season in helping the club avoid relegation but this season I had hoped that we would make better progress under his leadership. Instead our home form has been patchy and the record on the road is looking much as it did last season. I don't think Gregory has done badly by any means, I just got the feeling that we weren't likely to get much better. A perennial struggle against relegation is no fun for anyone but that fate was and still is fast approaching unless we can find the inspiration and motivation to avoid it. I'm not convinced that Gregory would have done it. I guess we'll never know now eh? Anyway, good luck to him. I hope he does well at Villa.
So now we have another concern. Who will the club will appoint to replace Gregory? The last thing we need is some old 'has been' with a famous name who's failed at every management job he's ever taken. At least Alan Ball is in a job now !
I'm hoping that Ivor and the board will choose carefully once again. Managing Wycombe Wanderers is obviously the fast lane to success (Smith excepted !) so there's bound to be plenty of applicants. Get in with the Chairboys and you're guaranteed a Premiership club within a season or two however well you do. Got Wycombe relegated? No problem, have the Liverpool job ! I've no idea who will get the job. Last time I was hoping it would be Dario Gradi at Crewe but not much chance of that now. Maybe the advert in the paper should carry a warning. " Odious little f**kwits need not apply" . That should keep quite a few failed managers away. Here's hopin'
Simon.M.FLOWER@British-Airways.com

WWFC handy stepping stone? - 26 Feb 1998
The overwhelming atmosphere surrounding the departure of Gregory, including thousands of Villa supporters convinced that Duncan Edwards or someone was going to be appointed, is one which almost completely ignores Wycombe. This is to be expected from the national newspapers etc, but even Gregory himself said virtually nothing about the club he departed (six points of the bottom, thanks). It makes you wonder whether Gregory was always going to jump at the first offer he received, and was simply using WWFC as a handy stepping stone. Many were worried when Smith was booted out, that the new manager might be a careerist. However, Gregory did not appear to fit this description and appeared to really care about the club. I am not begrudging him the chance in the Premiership, but the whole scenario seems very suspicious. It can't be long before Hill joins him up the M40 and although it easy to be magnaminous or optimistic now, if the club is relegated in May, this weeks developments will be seen in a much more depressing light.
mfsx5dja@stud.man.ac.uk

26 Feb 1998
So Gregory's gone?
Hooray!
So Aston Villa want to get relegated do they?
Now I see that Richard Hill's resigned as well, so does that mean that Neil Smillie will take over?(like Autumn 1996). It jusy looks as if we'll be going down as well, which is a pity,as I was looking forward to seeing Wycombe at Maine Road again?!?
Sean - rp.systems.barron.control@dial.pipex.com

25 Feb 1998
Well as a Wycombe fan living in South London, I'm not 100% sure if John Gregory was well liked and if he was doing a good job. I only have the league table for evidence, and to me it looks like he was doing an ok job. WAS HE.???? Also I don't think a top team like Aston Villa would appoint a manager who wasn't very good. OR WOULD THEY.???
If anyone has any info on them points PLEASE let me know, it is hard for me to get news about Wycombe Wanderers, It's all Millwall Crap here.......
Graham.Turner@mcmail.com

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GREGORY GONE
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