Why a new stadium is so vital to Wycombe – by Steve Hayes

This week we announced that 'We’re backing Booker' as the place where we want to build a better future for Wycombe Wanderers and London Wasps. This is a really important opportunity for the clubs and for our community here in High Wycombe. It’s something that is vital to the future success and sustainability of both clubs.

The financial world of modern day football and rugby is changing. There are many reasons why we need to move from Adams Park and ensuring that we are well positioned to handle this change is essential. Life is going to be getting much more difficult for football league clubs outside the Championship because of the way central financing is managed. Adams Park has been a great home to Wanderers for many years but it simply cannot support the ambition of the clubs nor provide the type of financial platform we need to progress. For one, it does not allow us to generate significant income on non-match days so we are heavily reliant on match day business and ticket sales. We have got to do more to compete and that’s why we need to invest in a new stadium and better infrastructure. That would give us what we need to support our ambition to be playing Championship football, top-flight rugby and to give our fans and their families a fantastic match day experience.

A move could be the springboard for improving the clubs’ performance on and off the pitch and help us to tackle this changing financial climate. One of the main reasons for moving to a modern and better equipped stadium is to help us strengthen the clubs’ performance as a business. Currently, we have well documented financial constraints. By moving, we could develop stronger incomes for the clubs and invest those in the squad, our youth and academy programmes, and in all of the work we do in schools and across the community. With no facility of our own, we already have programmes in more than 300 schools and work with more than 300,000 youngsters every year – and we would like to expand on that rather than have it threatened.

As part of the planning process, Wycombe District Council (WDC) has launched its public consultation. So far, they have put together a list of 19 possible sites for the stadium and, more recently, shortlisted this to just three: Abbey Barn South, Wycombe Air Park at Booker, and Adams Park. We are now at a stage where everyone can make their voice heard. That’s why we want to be clear about why we’re backing Booker and why we think it’s best for the future of Wanderers as well as Wasps. Our new website at www.wycombe communitystadium.com has much more information and I’d encourage you to take a look.

Our vision for a new home at Booker goes beyond just developing a great new stadium. We want to create something really special for the community we serve and to strengthen the health of the clubs. That’s why we are proposing a combined community stadium and sports village. This could become a dynamic centre for everyone to enjoy, with professional sportsmen rubbing shoulders with youngsters and youth, community, professional and leisure uses all taking place at one exciting venue. It would be a facility that would create many new jobs and deliver a significant boost to the town’s economy for years to come. Something the whole community could benefit from, enjoy and be proud of.

We are confident that, working with the council and the community as a whole, we can achieve this vision. Our early technical and financial work shows that a new community stadium and sports village at Booker is workable and deliverable. We expect to do much more detailed financial work once this current site selection consultation has been completed – now it is simply too early to get into that level of detail. We need to know the site first. Crucially, we cannot get there on our own. That’s why we are hoping that our fans, supporters and people right across the community will want to get involved. This scheme has the potential to achieve a huge amount for our community and everyone can have their say, right now on site selection, and right through the whole process in further consultations.

As WSDL and the clubs, we are clear that we would like to invest in High Wycombe, to build our futures here, and to play an even bigger part in the community we serve. The council is currently asking for people to get involved in its consultation and give their opinions on the three shortlisted sites. So there are two main choices: sit on the sidelines and leave events to run their course, or get involved, find out more, and, if you want to see such a fantastic new facility for our community, help shape the outcome and make your voice count in this initial consultation.

With your support, we can make this happen. Visit our new website at www.wycombecommunitystadium.com for more details and register to get involved.

We’re backing Booker for the community stadium and sports village – and we hope you will too.

Steve Hayes, Owner, Wycombe Wanderers and London Wasps.