Another game v Wycombe

[Fuller]

Not much on the telly tonight so I’ve dug out a dvd boxset of the two play off semi finals v Wycombe in 2006 and the final v Grimsby.
Watching the home leg v Wycombe now and Whaddon Road was absolutely packed that evening, commentator said just under 7,000 were squeezed in. Supporters half a dozen deep in the flat area between the main stand and the side terrace and in the canteen area, must have had a cr@p view. Fantastic atmosphere though. I remember the whole night well.
Ground looks exactly the same of course apart from the scoreboard. Pitch in good nick but looks softer than these days. Cotts chipping in with a few guest viewpoints.
Wycombe had some good players in Lee, Betsy, Mooney, Bloomfield and Johnston. John Gorman their manager was on compassionate leave after the recent death of his wife.
Robins defence of Higgs, Gill, Shane Duff, Caines and Armstrong resolute and Finners his usual all action self. McCann, Vincent, Wilson, Guinan and Odejayi not getting much change in attack.
I’m up to half time, that’s all for now!

[Benhall-Robin]

We did very well to hang on, we were second best for large parts of the 1st leg and they were the better side at WR too.

The lad Betsy was a real handful.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

Rob Lee was a guest on Sky Sports News between the two legs. He was basically saying how Wycombe were a much better side than Cheltenham and were confident of going through comfortably despite the first leg going wrong. He had a cut on his head which he used as evidence of Cheltenham being a rough physical team.

[asl]

I was more nervous during that Wycombe second leg than I was during the penalty shoot-out with Hartlepool! Yes, I remember us being under the cosh and distinctly second-best for most of it.

[Fuller]

I've watched the second half now and yes Wycombe were the better side. Mooney went off injured after missing a great chance, Charlie Griffin came on as sub and there were few clear cut chances after that, although Guinan should have done better for us with his one opportunity. I thought Caines and Shane Duff both had great games, although the quality of football we now see is of a better overall quality.
Also I saw ex Robins manager Jim Barron on their coaching staff, and Wardy looked quite emotional at the end when he realised we were off to the play off final at Cardiff, he had done brilliantly in his two and half years to build a promotion winning team, backed up by coaches Keith Downing and Bob Bloomer.
Think the crowd was announced as 6.813, wonder how many of those are still now regulars at Whaddon Road?
Anyway they were great times all of 18 years ago, hope for many more to come.

[Si Robin]

Wardy struggles to get the respect he deserves for what he achieved at Cheltenham.

It was a 2 and half year build (twice finishing 14th) but he took over a club in a mess and, if I remember correctly, we were favourites for the drop in 05/06. We hit such a great run of form going into the playoffs there really was only one team winning them.

I watched the first leg in Portugal, immediately after the cup final. I made two Scottish blokes honorary Cheltenham fans in my drunken stupor. I landed back at Bristol 5 hours before kick-off of the second leg and managed to drag my then girlfriend to the game. The celebrations after were awesome. I really remember nothing of that game at all apart from the fact I recorded the fans singing ring of fire over and over at the end. I did put it on Youtube but I think it was taken down a few years back due to EFL copyright issues...