Matt Maher: The Chairboys’ success leaves a bad taste for some clubs
It has taken far longer than anyone could have expected – but gradually the winners and losers from the elongated 2019/20 season are starting to emerge.
On Monday night, Wycombe confirmed their place among the former after victory over Oxford United in the League One play-off final saw them promoted to the second tier of English football for the first time in their history.
For a club who only entered the Football League for the first time in 1993, the Chairboys’ story has all the ingredients of a fairytale. With an average home attendance of little more than 5,000, they will certainly be the Davids among the numerous Goliaths residing in the Championship.
Yet in modern football there is no such thing as a unblemished fairytale and there is no point pretending everyone is happy with the circumstances under which Wycombe achieved promotion.
It is unlikely, for instance, they have received any messages of congratulation from Peterborough or Tranmere. They were the biggest losers when the coronavirus pandemic hit and the majority of League One clubs voted to end the season early, with the final standings decided on points-per-game.
Tranmere were relegated by less than a point while Peterborough, who had occupied a play-off place, found themselves on the outside looking in.
Wycombe were the biggest beneficiaries, moving up from eighth and into the top six having sat just a point outside but having played one match fewer than their rivals.
Of course, the Chairboys knew this, which is why they joined the large group of clubs, the majority of whom were acting with genuine financial concerns, in voting for the season to be ended early.
They were more than happy, however, to accept a top-six finish and play the matches which might earn them a shot at promotion. Tranmere had no such chance.
In many respects it is unfair to single out Wycombe. Any other club in their position would no doubt have acted the same. It does explain, however, why not everyone is overjoyed at their success.
Not that the EFL would ever admit it. A gushing background piece on the league’s website ‘detailing’ how Wycombe achieved promotion contained no mention of curtailment, points per game or even a pandemic.
Congratulating the Chairboys is one thing. Attempting to airbrush the awkward and controversial details from their success is quite another.
