Wanderers’ decision to scrap the club’s much heralded youth academy is the worst mistake the Blues have ever made, according to former player Steve Brown.

Wycombe Wanderers Supporters Trust disbanded the centre of excellence shortly after taking control of the club from Steve Hayes in 2012 citing financial limitations as their reasons for doing so.

But, speaking exclusively to the Free Press, Blues legend Brown believes the club should have looked to get the big earners off the books before they swung the axe on the academy.

He said: “I’ve not been very quiet in my own opinion of saying the worst thing that Wycombe ever did was get rid of that. People say ‘we were losing money, we were doing this and we were doing that’ well, you should have got rid of the big-hitters.

“They should have got rid of all the big-hitters on big money and thrown in the kids. Because, having watched Wycombe’s kids from afar, they were all ready to take that next step into league football.”

Having worked with Gareth Ainsworth during his time as academy manager at QPR, Brown feels the Blues boss is putting his faith in youth after ridding the club of some of its biggest earners – albeit young talent which now comes from other clubs.

“That’s exactly what Gareth did when he was given the reins. He left out all the big-hitters and put all the kids in,” said the 48-year-old.

“Unfortunately for him the source of where all those kids came from was cut, which is the only thing that ever provided assets at Wycombe – the youth department.

“It should never have been allowed to have been culled at the first point of money saving. It was an easy target. It was too easy a target and that’s always been the case across the country when clubs get strapped for cash the first thing to go is the youth department.”

The club’s youth set-up produced several players now plying their trade higher up the Football League with Matt Phillips, Jordan Ibe, Kadeem Harris and Charles Dunne all having made their names at Adams Park.

Brown, who now works as Assistant Head of Talent ID at The FA, feels it will be difficult for the club to ever rebuild their own pool of young talent to feed into the first team.

“I am privy to some meetings that go on and talking about players and how highly regarded players are that have been through the system at Wycombe,” he said.

“No one realises how hard it will be to get a youth team or a youth department back together and get it producing players again. That’s hard. You’re talking the best part of ten years before it starts producing.”

When asked for comment on whether the club’s decision to axe the academy has been vindicated financially, Wanderers refused to comment citing changes at boardroom level since the decision was taken in 2012.

However, chairman Andrew Howard did state that the club will consider bringing the youth set-up back when the Blues are on a more stable financial footing.

He said: “We would very much like to put plans in place to reinstate the youth system but at present the stability and security of the club are top of the agenda. Once these are achieved, we hope to be able to begin the process of rebuilding such a structure.”

Brown also stated his belief that Wycombe would be in the Championship had Steve Hayes not veered off course with his plans for the club. Click here to read more.