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PLAY-OFFS THE AIM
(Friday 8th May 2009)
Steve Hayes - relieved after hearing the Bury result

Wanderers MD Steve Hayes has said that he doesn't intend to see his side making up the numbers in 'League One' next season and that the Play-offs are a realistic target.

Like most Wycombe followers, Hayes waited nervously for five minutes after the final whistle of the defeat to Notts County to first hear that Bury had scored a stoppage time penalty and then hear the joyous moment of a fellow executive box holder confirm the final whistle at Gigg Lane and Wanderers promotion to 'League One'.
Speaking to the Bucks Free Press, Hayes said, "I was tense beyond belief. It would have been gutwrenching to have missed out after everything we've been through. We started the season so well and we should have buried it and had it all done by mid-April."

And the Wycombe MD is looking forward to next season, adding “This saves us three weeks. That makes a huge difference so Peter (Taylor) and I will sit down and work it out for next year. The most important thing is we don’t want to go up and just make up the numbers. We want to compete. We’ve seen what Peterborough have done. We’ve seen what MK Dons have done and we are going to be working pretty hard during the summer." He went on to say, "It's about progression and we want to progress. We want to get to a position at Christmas where we are there or thereabouts. I think it is realistic that we could get in to the play-offs, that's the aim"

But Hayes, who has bank rolled the Club to the tune of close to £5m in the form of loan notes since taking his place on the PLC Board five years previous added caution to his statement, saying, “We’ve got to be sensible and we can’t go all-out because there are plenty of other teams in the division. It’s about shrewd buys and making sure we’ve got a good strong squad because that’s what has pulled through this season – a good sized squad.” In a special to the supporters via a special supplement in the Bucks Free Press, Hayes added "There's no point recklessly chucking money into the playing squad, you'll just end up going bust."

Wanderers achieved promotion to 'League One' with a points total of 78, the same amount as the previous season when the side missed out on promotion via the Play-offs under Paul Lambert. Hayes is confident that Peter Taylor is the Manager to lead Wanderers to greater things. “Peter has got a habit [of winning promotion] so he’s quite a good man to back, isn’t he? He is totally committed and I’ve got a really good relationship with him. We talk every day and meet at least once a week. We’ve got to be the team behind him and I think we’ve done pretty well." Hayes will sit down with Taylor in the 'next few weeks' to discuss an extension to his contract which is currently on a one year rolling basis. "From our point of view Peter Taylor's hard work has paid off in just one season and there's no reason why we can't push on and do it again."

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