| HEROES WELCOMED AT 10th ANNIVESARY DINNER (Friday 23rd May 2003)  Inbetween a UEFA Cup Final and a crucial final day in the Scottish Premier League with Celtic, Martin O'Neill received a hero's welcome at a special 10th anniversary dinner at Adams Park on Friday 23rd May. The former Wycombe boss was joined by many of the members of the squad that took Wycombe into the Football League in 1993 who were also greeted with warm enthusiasm by around 300 officials and supporters at the sell-out event. The players were introduced one by one to the audience before the loudest reception was reserved for the former Wanderers' Manager.The players, some of whom who were returning to Adams Park for the first time in years, all took part in a question and answer session conducted by Alan Parry and Alan Hutchinson before an auction of memorabillia raised over £2,000. The former Wanderers players in attendance were Dave Carroll, Matt Crossley, Glyn Creaser, Kim Casey, Dennis Greene, Steve Guppy, Haykan Hayrettin, Paul Hyde, Andy Kerr, Tim Langford, Gary Smith, Simon Stapleton, Steve Thompson, Anton Vircavs and Mark West. Meanwhile striking legend Keith Scott, despite being on holiday, couldn't be kept quiet and delivered a few words via a pre-recorded video message. Present Club Captain Keith Ryan and O'Neill's first signing in the summer of 1990 was also there to rejoin his former team-mates and in answer to Parry's prompt on whether the Club had hit a 'brickwall' commented "Well to be honest I can assure everyone that there are good times ahead at this football club. We have to look at the younger players bceause there isn't the amount of money that was available in football but we've got some very exciting young players. What I'll take probably out of tonight is that I look around and these fellas dragged me up and taught me what I needed to know to compete in professional football and I'll certainly be trying to do the same and give the help and advice that the younger players need at this football club to make it a great football club again." An emotional and honest string of tales from Martin O'Neill closed a truly memorable evening with the modest Irishman concluding a 45 minute speech by saying that the greatest achievement by the Football Club has been to reach the FA Cup Semi-Final and adding "I am absolutely full of envy, it was a fantastic achievement" However, the former Wanderers' boss warned people not to get too carried away, saying "You give people a false expectation of what they are to expect, it is extraordinary. Now you will come again, you've got the right people here, there's no doubt about it. Honestly, it sounds real patronising but it's the best achievement ever." 
Club Chairman Ivor Beeks paid tribute to O'Neill, summing up his thank-you speech by saying to the former Manager "You left us a unique piece of history that we will treasure forever and we thank you immensely for coming this evening and delighting this audience. We could have sold this twice over. All of us our fortunate to have been here this evening and been privileged to hear what you had to say and to hear the players"Click here for 10th Anniversary Dinner Picture Gallery Click here to read all the latest Wycombe news |
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