If Wanderers are to go one better than last season’s play off final and clinch automatic promotion to the Championship, they will have to finish above some of the biggest clubs in English football.

The line up in League One this coming season is arguably stronger than it has ever been before. No fewer than eight clubs – that is a third of the division – have played at the highest level, six of them in the Premier League era.

Barnsley, Bolton, Charlton, Derby, Ipswich, Oxford, Portsmouth, and Sheffield Wednesday have all enjoyed time in the top division alongside giants of the sport like Liverpool and Manchester United.

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Indeed, four of Wycombe’s promotion rivals – Sheffield Wednesday, Portsmouth, Ipswich Town, and Derby County – have been crowned English champions in their illustrious past.

Now, some will argue that history counts for nothing when the first whistle blows, but I disagree.

The historic status of these clubs is a major factor in attracting huge support and with it the finances that enable them to acquire better quality players.

Smaller crowds have a direct impact on the chances of success, leading to a smaller wage bill for players and a less intimidating atmosphere for visiting teams.

All but one of the clubs I have mentioned attracted average crowds of between 13-23,000 last season, the exception being Oxford (8,400).

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Wycombe’s home games were watched by an average of 5,662 spectators, an improvement on some previous seasons but still way below their rivals.

If you draw up a League One table for last season based on average crowds, Wycombe would have finished a lowly 17th and four of the six clubs below them in the attendances table were relegated.

Given the disadvantage they face in this respect, it is quite remarkable that Wanderers have challenged for promotion in three of the last seven years.

There are odd exceptions - Wycombe being one of them - but it is no coincidence that the best supported, and therefore the richest clubs in English football, are also the most successful.

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However, Gareth Ainsworth and his players have a history of overcoming the odds and I am confident they will do so again in what promises to be another exciting season.

So, get down to Adams Park and encourage everyone you know to join you, because your support really does matter – in more ways than one.