Loakes Park
Encyclopedia
Loakes Park was the home of Wycombe Wanderers Football Club
from 1895 to 1990. It was located next to Wycombe General Hospital in the centre of High Wycombe
, UK. The ground was donated to the club by Frank Adams, a former Wanderers player who had bought the freehold on the ground from Lord Carrington
in 1945.
The club's present ground, Adams Park
, was named in honour of Frank Adams.
The most famous (and infamous) feature of the ground was the 11-foot slope of the pitch, downhill from the main seated stand.
The record attendance was 15,850 for an FA Amateur Cup
Fourth Round tie on Saturday 25 February 1950, when Wycombe Wanderers beat St Albans City
4-1. It remains to this day the highest attendance for a Wycombe Wanderers home fixture.
Arguably the most memorable match to be played at Loakes Park was in the FA Cup
Third Round on Saturday 4 January 1975. At the time, Middlesbrough
were near the top of the old Football League First Division
(now the Premier League), and Wycombe (a non-league team at this time) held them to a 0-0 draw. The game was watched by 12,000 people.
During the final season at Loakes Park, 1989-90
, Wycombe Wanderers were still playing in the GM Vauxhall Conference
. Three years later they won promotion to the Football League.
The site of Loakes Park was redeveloped, partly as extra car parking for the nearby hospital, and partly as new housing.
When the club moved to its new Adams Park ground, the original gates from Loakes Park were transferred to the new stadium.
Wycombe Wanderers F.C.
Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football team from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, which has been promoted to Football League One after finishing third in Football League Two in the season 2010–11. The club's nicknames are "The Chairboys" and "The Blues", and they play...
from 1895 to 1990. It was located next to Wycombe General Hospital in the centre of High Wycombe
High Wycombe
High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
, UK. The ground was donated to the club by Frank Adams, a former Wanderers player who had bought the freehold on the ground from Lord Carrington
Peter Carington, 6th Baron Carrington
Peter Alexander Rupert Carington, 6th Baron Carrington, is a British Conservative politician. He served as British Foreign Secretary between 1979 and 1982 and as the sixth Secretary General of NATO from 1984 to 1988. He is the last surviving member of the Cabinets of both Harold Macmillan and Sir...
in 1945.
The club's present ground, Adams Park
Adams Park
Adams Park is a football stadium in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. It is the home ground of Wycombe Wanderers F.C. and the Aviva Premiership Rugby Union club London Wasps...
, was named in honour of Frank Adams.
The most famous (and infamous) feature of the ground was the 11-foot slope of the pitch, downhill from the main seated stand.
The record attendance was 15,850 for an FA Amateur Cup
FA Amateur Cup
The FA Amateur Cup was an English football competition for amateur clubs. It commenced in 1893 and ended in 1974 when The Football Association abolished official amateur status.-History:...
Fourth Round tie on Saturday 25 February 1950, when Wycombe Wanderers beat St Albans City
St Albans City F.C.
St Albans City Football Club is a football club based in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. It was founded in 1908 and plays its home matches at Clarence Park, about 800 yards from the city centre. The club is in the Premier Division of the Southern League...
4-1. It remains to this day the highest attendance for a Wycombe Wanderers home fixture.
Arguably the most memorable match to be played at Loakes Park was in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
Third Round on Saturday 4 January 1975. At the time, Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
were near the top of the old Football League First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
(now the Premier League), and Wycombe (a non-league team at this time) held them to a 0-0 draw. The game was watched by 12,000 people.
During the final season at Loakes Park, 1989-90
1989-90 in English football
-European competitions:English clubs were still banned from competing in European competitions following the Heysel Stadium disaster.- First Division :...
, Wycombe Wanderers were still playing in the GM Vauxhall Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
. Three years later they won promotion to the Football League.
The site of Loakes Park was redeveloped, partly as extra car parking for the nearby hospital, and partly as new housing.
When the club moved to its new Adams Park ground, the original gates from Loakes Park were transferred to the new stadium.