WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
We trace Wycombe’s famous FA Cup semi-final squad from 2000-01
STEVE BROWN still finds Wycombe’s FA Cup semi-final defeat to Liverpool hard to take 14 years later.
Brown made national headlines when he was sent off in the 2-1 quarter-final win over Leicester for taking his shirt off celebrating Roy Essandoh’s dramatic last-minute winner at Filbert Street.
Essandoh, now a personal trainer in Cambridge, was famously signed after Wycombe boss Lawrie Sanchez placed an advert on teletext during an injury crisis.
It gave the third-tier Chairboys, who had never been past the third round of the competition, the chance of tasting life in the national spotlight.
They had seen off Non-League Harrow Borough (3-0), Millwall (2-1 in a replay), Grimsby (3-1 in a replay) then Wolves (2-1) before winning on penalties at Sanchez’s former club Wimbledon after a 2-2 draw.
Not many gave them a chance against Premier League Leicester, but they proved good enough to stun Peter Taylor’s side.
Paul McCarthy put Wycombe ahead before Muzzy Izzet equalised, only for Essandoh to win it at the death and spark jubilant scenes.
It earned the Chairboys a shot against Liverpool at Villa Park.
Wycombe held out for 78 minutes before Emile Heskey put Liverpool – who would go on to win a cup treble that season – ahead and Robbie Fowler added a second five minutes later before Keith Ryan pulled one back.
“Gérard Houllier had really done his homework on us, not giving away free-kicks or corners because that is where we scored a lot of goals,” said Brown.
“We got Liverpool playing at a tempo that suited us, but Steven Gerrard raised it and we struggled to cope.
“We never got up a head of steam where we attacked their goal. Maybe we showed them too much respect but they are fond memories.” 1. Steve Brown: Since October he has been the head of regional talent identification for the FA. Previously worked as an auditor of academies, in talent identification for Adidas and as a scout. 2. Mo Harkin: A Northern Ireland U21 international. Is now living and working around the Twickenham area. 3. Sean Devine: Lives in New Zealand. Was events manager for Acrow scaffolding and events. He is now warehouse manager for NHP Engineering products and is head coach of Canterbury United. 4. Jason Cousins: The brotherin-law of another former Wycombe player Keith Scott, he has spent the last 11 years running his own chauffeuring business. 5. Andy Baird: Is now living in Hook Norton, Banbury, and runs a company, W Baird, who are sales agents. 6. Stewart Castledine: Is a director for sports marketing agency Sports Revolution and commercial director for management agency James Grant. His wife is television presenter Lucy Alexander. 7. Paul Emblen: Is now a consultant with Rio Ferdinand’s management company New Era Global Sports Management in London. 8. Dave Carroll: He spent seven years working for Space Station plc in Uxbridge and is now manager of the Brentford branch. 9. Alan Beeton: Is now living in Kings Langley and has worked in the motor trade since leaving fulltime football. 10. Steve Jones: Opened a memorabilia shop in London’s West End, but has spent six years working for Tesco in Laindon and is also assistant manager of Burnham Ramblers. 11. Mark Rogers: A Canadian defender who coached University of British Columbia women’s soccer team and worked with the men’s national team. Is now a Vancouver Whitecaps pundit. 12. Roger Johnson: Now playing for Charlton after moving on to Cardiff, Birmingham and Wolves. 13. Paul McCarthy: Former Republic of Ireland U21 international, he has been assistant manager of Ebbsfleet and a coach at Northfleet College. 14. Keith Ryan: He went into the flooring industry and is now a director of Now Flooring in Flackwell Heath. 15. Martin Taylor: Became a goalkeeping coach at Burton Albion and Derby County under Nigel Clough and is now at Sheffield United. 16. Mark Westhead: After working as a goalkeeping coach with Blackpool’s youth team, he is now a lecturer in sport and public services in further education at Blackpool and Fylde College. 17. Mark Osborn: A goalkeeper who is still living and working in his native Milton Keynes. 18. Jamie Bates: A legend at Brentford, he became a courier driver for a printing company in his native London. 19. Matt Brady: Since 1995 he has been running a lifestyle company Limelight Access Lifestyle from Clerkenwell, London. 20. Danny Senda: The former defender is now running his own fitness company and is an academy coach at Brentford. 21. Peter Holsgrove: One of three footballing brothers, he is now the partner in London creative agency BKKR 2014. 22. Terry Evans: He went on to the physio staff at Wycombe but is now senior physiotherapist with Wasps rugby club. 23. Dave Jones (Physio): Is now running his own private practice and travels around giving university lectures. 24. Martyn Lee: Lives in Woking and was a tiler specialising in marble and stone floors before becoming a self-employed chauffeur. 25. Ben Townsend: The full-back is now working for the family painting and decorating business in Woodley, Reading. 26. Dannie Bulman: Is still playing in the Football League for AFC Wimbledon. 27. Terry Gibson: A member of the Crazy Gang, he is now a pundit for Sky Sports’ coverage of Spanish football. 28. Lawrie Sanchez: He went on to manage Northern Ireland, Fulham and Barnet before having a spell in charge of Greek outfit Apollon. 29. Jermaine McSporran: He settled in the Oxford area where he works locally in the Unipart distribution warehouse. 30. Michael Simpson: He returned to his native Nottingham where he is working as a postman and coaching at Notts County’s academy. 31. Chris Vinnicombe: A former England U21 international, he has managed at Non-League level in Devon and is player-manager of Witheridge. 32. Gary Goodchild: The former youth team manager has spent many years in Norway with Viking Stavanger where he is currently chief scout. 33. Adrian Cole: Was Wycombe’s youth development officer until 2003 and he then started to scout for Brentford.