 CHAIRBOYS ON THE NET1998 - 1999 Perhaps John Gregory had read Chairboys on the Net and realised that supporting a return of the quarters at the start of the 1997/1998 campaign would earn him a few points in the good books. However, he was generally a friendly and popular person at the Club anyway and he needed to be after overseeing the shambolic defeat to Basingstoke Town in the FA Cup in November 1997 (find the link yourselves). Incredibly he'd left Wycombe by February 1998. Not 'sacked/departed/asked to resign' this time but poached by a suitably impressed Aston Villa.  Meanwhile back in the unreal world, there was still no message board and still no mobile phones smaller than a brick. Hence on the morning following an away game at Bristol Rovers - now this is where the archived match reports start to come in handy - it was Tuesday 24th February 1998 - the news some how got through. Time to fire up the photo editor package and play at being real journalists.It was Youth Team boss Neil Smillie that led Wanderers on the 'Survival Path' for the remainder of the 1997/1998 season. The archive says we achieved safety with two games to go (looking back, easy really). The momentum at the end of that season earned Smillie the job full-time and we were looking forward to a more settled time during the next campaign.  It was around this time that a real time message board was introduced as a link from the main site. The Gas Room moniker had yet to be thought up and it was called something as bland as 'Chairboys Chat'. No doubt it was a bit quiet to begin with and although no archives exist you can guess by the time we had reached January 1999, there would have been at least one 'Smillie Out!' posting to contend with. Their wish was granted after an unfortunate defeat/disaster at Luton Town. Out with the photo editor again. South Park must have been popular at the time.So just over three years into the site and Wycombe had already gone through three Managers and were heading towards a third consecutive relegation battle. The days before and after a Manager is appointed are generally the most busy at any Club. But media speculation was now coupled with 'internet gossip' by 'spotty teenagers'. To be fair to COTN, the name of Lawrie Sanchez was actually mentioned before his appointment and with the news being announced on a Friday afternoon, the site began to come into its own by providing a relatively up to date service. The 'Survival Path' that followed was the most nerve racking in the history of the Club made all the more tense by real-time updates, various result permutations and one day in April 1999 where Wycombe had no game and all the teams around us won or picked up points. Maine Road, Sincil Bank, say no more, it's all documented and archived elsewhere and also gave COTN the chance to experiment with sound files and improved pictures. 
Chairboys on the Net - 1999 and onwardsClick here to read all the latest Wycombe news |
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