If you’re planning to do a spot of hassle-free shopping in town this weekend, later today might be a good time.

High Wycombe may just seem eerily quiet come half past five, with the town set to empty as an estimated 20,000 people to flock to Wembley for its football club’s biggest occasion in years.

Not to mention the hundreds who will pack out the town’s pubs to see Wanderers’ date with destiny.

Walking through town, there has been a tangible sense of anticipation in the air as conversations at bus stops, in pubs and supermarkets has turned to the Blues’ trip to the hallowed temple of the English game.

1994 was the last time fans got their chance to follow Wycombe Wanderers to Wembley – the heady days of curtain haircuts and Britpop, and when the twin towers that witnessed England’s World Cup triumph still stood firm.

Many young fans taking the trip for the first time weren’t born when Blues triumphed over Preston North End and won promotion to what was then Division 3.

As fate would have it, current Chairboys manager Gareth Ainsworth was on the losing side that day, which has presumably steeled him still further towards victory tomorrow.

And it’s clear that the fixture has galvanised the town too.

On a stroll along the High Street this week I saw scarves, flags, balloons and even bedspreads in Wanderers colours adorning shops and businesses in town.

One bakery has even produced a limited edition run of gingerbread men kitted out in Chairboys colours for those fans with a sweet tooth.

It’s great to see that sense of pride in the team – and by extension, the town.

High Wycombe has its challenges, we all know that, and community relations have become strained with the wave of vandalism to hit the town over the last couple of months.

But Saturday’s spectacle represents something we can all unite behind – whether you happen to enjoy football or not.

Like its home town, Wanderers have been through some hard times – the club has struggled through a tough financial situation and has one of the tightest budgets of any league team out there.

And that’s what makes this season’s heroic effort all the more remarkable.

Having survived by the skin of their teeth in last year’s miraculous great escape, for Ainsworth to pick his team up, dust himself off and lead a charge for promotion with the smallest squad in the country surely has to be one of the stories of the year from any division.

Some of the players visited John Hampden Grammar School on Thursday as part of a pre-match show of goodwill around the town.

Hopefully the students took heed of their success story, and any positivity the youngsters can derive from the sportsmen of their home town team can only ever be a good thing.

In fact, Blues goalkeeper Matt Ingram - a former John Hampden pupil – is the perfect example of what can be achieved through hard graft and dedication.

Rated as one of the best young keepers in the country, he will surely go on to become a top class High Wycombe success story and role model to the town’s youth.

We at the BFP are tremendously proud of Wycombe’s achievements this season, and four of our staff members will be hotfooting it to Wembley to cover the action via a live blog starting on Saturday morning.

But whatever happens during the 90 minutes on the sacred turf, there are huge positives to be taken. Not just for the team, but for the town.

The synergy in this squad, the success against all odds and the tight-knit ‘One Wycombe’ mentality peddled by Ainsworth since day one are just some of the things we residents in this great town may just be able to learn from.