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| 25 years of attendances at Adams Park - Part 3 |
This is an additional third instalment of a piece first published in August 2010 to commemorate 20 years
of playing at Adams Park. Part One looked
at the first ten years at Adams Park, the rise to Football League status and the parallel
rise in capacity from the initial 6,000 to the 10,000 figure set when the Woodlands
Stand was built in 1996. Part Two covered the second ten year period which began with arguably the most memorable cup run in the Wanderers long history. This third part covers the next five seasons as Adams Park reached a quarter of century old in August 2015.
2010/11The 'League Two' promotion season under Gary Waddock saw the average League attendance at Adams Park finish at just over 4,500, a near 1,000 drop from the previous season in 'League One'. Those in the 8,567 attendance that saw the final day promotion clinching match against Southend United can claim to be in the fourth ever highest League attendance at Adams Park. Cup attendances continued to match the national decline with only 2,353 turning out to see a delayed FA Cup Third Round tie with Hereford United. Ten years previous, at the start of the famous 2000/1 FA Cup run, 2,681 turned out to see the First Round tie with Harrow Borough. Highest cup - 3,205 v Chelmsford City 27th November 2010 - FA Cup 2nd Round Highest league - 8,567 v Southend United 7th May 2011 Lowest league - 3,345 v Burton Albion 22nd February 2011 Average league - 4,546  2011/12Back in 'League One', the average gate rose around 300 to 4,834. The away followings from the two Sheffield clubs (United and Wednesday) boosted those respective attendances but the highest gate of the season was for the meeting with Walsall when a 'Community Day' ticket initiative attracted a gate of 7,097. No FA Cup games at Adams Park in 2011/12 after Wanderers lost at then non-League Fleetwood Town in the First Round. A fairly uneventful cup season for the Wanderers saw the home Football League Trophy meeting with Bristol Rovers in September 2011 attracted the lowest First Team attendance at Adams Park since Wanderers gained promotion to the Football League in 1993 - a paltry 771. Wanderers were relegated back to 'League Two' again on the penultimate weekend of the season when close to 6,000 turned out for the meeting with Notts County. Highest cup - 2,866 v Nottingham Forest 23rd August 2011 - Football League Cup 2nd Round Highest league - 7,097 v Walsall 8th October 2011 Lowest league - 3,259 v Bury 20th August 2011 Average league - 4,834  2012/13Relegation to the basement division again hit Wanderers' home gates hard with the average dropping more than a 1,000 to 3,720 - the first time it had dipped below the 4,000 mark. The 2,365 attendance v Dagenham & Redbridge was the lowest at the time since the 2,836 gate v Rotherham in April 1996. Unusually there were no home cup ties for Wanderers in 2012/13 after being drawn away in all three major competitions and losing all three at the first attempt. Gareth Ainsworth took as Wycombe Player/Manager in November 2012 and the led the side clear of relegation. Ainsworth's 600th professional appearance coincided with Wanderers' highest League gate of the season at Adams Park when promotion chasing Port Vale were allocated the entire 'old Main Stand' in addition to the usual 2,000 capacity Hillbottom Road end on a final day celebration for The Valiants. Highest cup - No home games in 2012/13 Highest league - 7,120 v Port Vale 27th April 2013 Lowest league - 2,365 v Dagengham & Redbridge 19th January 2013 Average league - 3,720  2013/14The 2013/2014 season will always be remembered for Wanderers' miracle last day escape at Torquay. Prior to that, a miserable home League record of just six wins from 23 went alongside attendance figures that rarely troubled the 4,000 mark. The 2,185 gate for the re-arranged meeting with Fleetwood Town on a cold night in February 2014 was the lowest ever Football League gate at Adams Park to that date. Earlier that season, the 2,357 figure versus Exeter City had taken that 'honour' from the previous low of 2,365 versus Dagenham & Redbridge the previous season. Howver, Wanderers' final two home games of the season against fellow relegation strugglers Northampton Town and Bristol Rovers attracted an aggregate gate of a close to 14,000 - more than the four previous home games combined - and the main reason why the season average managed to make it to 3,680. Highest cup - 3,158 v Leicester City 6th August 2013 - League Cup 1st Round Highest league - 7,004 v Northampton Town 18th April 2014 Lowest league - 2,185 v Fleetwood Town 11th February 2014 Average league - 3,680  2014/15A remarkable season for the Wanderers following the miracle escape from relegation the previous campaign. Despite a home record of ten wins in 23 games, an away record of just two defeats in 23 saw Wanderers reach the League Two Play-Off Final at Wembley. It was perhaps the home form that had the effect of attendances at Adams Park still struggling, with just seven regular League games breaking the 4,000 barrier. However, the final home League attendance against Morecambe of 5,177 pushed the season average to just over 4,000, while the 7,750 gate that attended the Play-Off Semi-Final 2nd Leg at Adams Park in May 2015 are not included in the 'League' averages but gave hope that the 'missing 2,000' can be tempted back. Highest cup - 7,750 v Plymouth Argyle 14th May 2015 - Play-Off Semi-Final 2nd Leg Highest league - 7,539 v Luton Town 26th December 2014 Lowest league - 2,621 v Accrington Stanley 17th March 2015 Average league - 4,044 In their first 22 seasons in the Football League, Wycombe Wanderers' average home league attendance was 5,086. In the first 25 years at Adams Park the average League gate was 4,908. Also see  First game at Adams Park - 9th August 1990 The move to Adams Park in August 1990 - what they said The Adams Park sell-outs |
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