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THE ADAMS PARK SELL-OUTS
It was in January 1995 that the 9,000 barrier at Adams Park was broken for the
first and only time prior to the meeting with Wolves. Victories over Chelmsford and Hitchin were rewarded with a home tie with Premier League West Ham. There was no doubt that this game was important but Wycombe's rise to Division Two the previous season and recent Football League victories over Huddersfield and Oxford took the edge off the game against The Hammers. The game was all-ticket on police advice and 9,007 fitted in quite comfortably - the Woodlands terrace now having the luxury of crash barriers. The game was still goalless at the break and with Julian Dicks and Alvin Martin solid at the back for the visitors there were few chances for the Chairboys. A Tony Cottee goal on 48 minutes got the Hammers fans singing their lovely cockney rhymes and Kenny Brown's headed goal towards the end confirmed the cup exit for Martin O'Neill's lads. It would be O'Neill's last FA Cup game in charge of Wycombe.

The construction of the Woodlands Stand in the summer of 1996 took the Adams Park capacity to its present figure of 10,000. Four years and four
Managers later, Lawrie Sanchez became the first man in charge to lead the team out before a full-house under this capacity when Wolves were the visitors on Saturday 27th January.

Lawrie was delighted that ticket sales went so well and the demand could be an indication of what to expect if he achieves his goal of taking Wycombe into Division One. Sanchez said "We've put up the sold-out signs which is amazing. The town's gone mad for it, which is nice because when we came back from Grimsby we thought we'd get 7,000 or 8,000 at a push but the phones haven't stopped ringing. It's enjoyable - the crowd have seen the Second Division for the last seven years. Over the last six years the most they've had to look forward to is relegation fights up until my time here, but now we're looking at the other end
of the table and this is something different for them that they haven't seen
and they're coming out in their numbers to support it."

To be continued

THE GAS
 ROOM
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