www.CHAIRBOYS.co.uk - Wycombe Wanderers - News item from Chairboys on the Net

WE ARE STRONGER THIS TIME
(Friday 13th May 2011)

Steve Hayes says Wanderers are a much stronger side than when they were promoted at the end of the 2008/09 season and promotion will not hurt his ambitions to take Wanderers and London Wasps to a Community Stadium at Booker.

Speaking to BBC Three Counties Radio after the promotion clinching game with Southend, he said, "We have got much better foundations. We have got a Manager and backroom staff who are all on the same side. Everybody knows what their job is and is pulling in the right direction and that makes a huge difference."

Hayes also hinted that promotion could boost his ambitions to deliver a new stadium for Wanderers and London Wasps, saying, "We are generally trying to build something here for the longer term. Our tenure here in the history of Wycombe Wanderers is very very small and it's where we finish as a Club going forward." The Wanderers owner went on to say, "I look at Brighton who have just moved into a fantastic new stadium which I’ve been to look at but they’ve moved into it when they are in the Championship. They’ve sold everything. I know we are not a City like Brighton but equally we’ve got to have ambition and if we don’t have ambition we are standing still and if we are standing still we are moving backwards and that’s not good for Managers like Gary. That’s the biggest concern, if we are not moving forward, then Gary [Waddock] will recognise that and say perhaps I should go somewhere else."

Steve Hayes and Gary Waddock celebrate promotion

Steve Hayes and Gary Waddock celebrate promotion

Hayes said that he wouldn't stand in Waddock's way should on offer from another club came in but added, "He's in the position where, in the future, if another club comes in, he will have a very good look at that club to see what it's like behind the scenes. Because if it's not the same as Wycombe I feel he will turn it down." Waddock made a passionate trek across the pitch following the Southend game to thank Hayes for his backing during the season. Hayes added in the interview, "Gary plays entertaining football and that's the big difference. If you want to watch boring football you don’t come to Wycombe. Come here if you want to see some exciting stuff. We don’t always win but we will compete. There are some real stars within this whole team."

Meanwhile, Hayes says he is keeping pretty quiet about the stadium but admitted that promotion would hurt the plans. Promotion came in the same week that Wycombe District Council appointed a new leader in place of Lesley Clarke, Hayes commenting, "We’ve got a new leader in Alex Collingwood and I’m sure at some stage in the future we will sitting down with him and talking through our plans. Lesley Clarke has been fantastic support." Hayes also asked for supporters to wait and see before passing judgement on the plans, saying, "We are not trying to con people here, this is something outstanding for Wycombe and the district and the community and when all the plans come out, then people might just sit back and think to themselves, we didn’t realise that is what we were doing." Hayes concluded, "I’m not here as the bad guy. I’m passionate about my football and passionate about Wycombe Wanderers and no more passionate than today and I’ve absolutely enjoyed this season like no other and it’s been absolutely fantastic."

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