FIRED-UP JACK AIMS TO GET SHIRTY AGAIN
IF WYCOMBE overcome Peterborough at Wembley this afternoon, Jack Grimmer will need to rearrange his living room.
The Chairboys defender and occasional skipper has twice won play-off finals at Wembley. The first came with Coventry in 2018, when Grimmer’s magnificent 20yard curler capped a 3-1 demolition of Exeter and launched the Sky Blues into League One.
Two years later, Gareth Ainsworth’s Wycombe side shrugged off pre-season relegation odds, the onset of Covid-19 and an in-form Oxford to clinch a fairytale promotion to the Championship.
“I’ve got both Wembley shirts framed and they’re up there in pride of place,” explains the Aberdeen-born stopper. “They’re a daily reminder of those moments, when it’s make or break and you can have the best day of your career or one of the worst.
“Selfishly, the goal I scored is probably the best moment of my career. But getting to the Championship with Wycombe, it was such a team effort and such a story of underdogs punching above their weight.
“I feel very fortunate. Not many players ever get to play at Wembley, so to play there twice and win there twice - it’s just an incredible feeling that I feel very grateful for every single day.
“Even when we walk out on Sunday, it’ll hit home just how special it is that I’ve been there and won already.
“Will that help on the day? I’d like to think so.
I’d love to go home and hang another shirt up there with the rest.”
Grimmer has since been to Wembley again, when Wycombe lost the 2022 League One play-off final 2-0 to Sunderland.
“But I didn’t get off the bench, so I’m clinging to my 100 per cent record for dear life!” laughs the former Fulham man.
Record
If that record is to be maintained, Wycombe must withstand a Peterborough side who - though inconsistent of late - began the weekend as the highest scorers in League One and remain in the hunt for automatic promotion.
For the Chairboys, however, this is it. An ugly run of one win in 17 games during the Autumn put paid to any promotion ambitions, whilst a recent resurgence means relegation is no longer a realistic threat. It’s Wembley or bust.
“When we were going through that bad run, we weren’t playing badly,” reflects Grimmer. “I couldn’t understand why we weren’t picking up points and we weren’t scoring goals.
“I remember saying to someone then that if we could win the Trophy then the season would make a lot more sense to me. Lo and behold, we’ve got that chance.
“It’s an interesting one because we’ve been a bit of a sticky team for Peterborough. We haven’t lost against them since the promotion season and we beat them 5-2 earlier this year.
“They’ve got the play-offs to think about as well, whereas our season is predominantly based on this one trophy. We have to leave everything out there because there’s nothing else to play for.
“We’re quietly confident but we’re under no illusions either. Peterborough pose an immense attacking threat and I’m sure they back themselves to score against anyone. It won’t be easy.”
Matt Bloomfield captained the Wycombe side that triumphed at Wembley in 2020, but is now manning the dugout after replacing his great friend Gareth Ainsworth in February last year.
The 40-year-old quit his first managerial post at Colchester to return to the club where he spent virtually his entire two decade long playing career. Does a final feel different on the other side of the white line?
“Absolutely,” says Bloomfield, who was forced to retire in 2022 after suffering a serious concussion.
“As a player you’re preparing to perform on the day. Your body
To play at Wembley twice and win – it’s just an incredible feeling that I feel very grateful for every single day Jack Grimmer
has to be right. Your mentality has to be right. It’s all about you. As a manager, you need to perform before the day. It’s training, tactics, formations and getting everybody ready.
“It’s funny, because this week I’ve been asked so many questions about how I feel and what it means to me. But there are so many other people to think about and so many things to do that I haven’t given it a second’s thought. That’s the big difference, really.”
Many of those people are, like Grimmer, good friends and former team-mates. Bloomfield admits that choosing a starting XI for the final will be the most painful part of his week.
“It’s really tough, because you’ve got every person’s hopes and dreams of playing at Wembley in your power,” he says. “But one thing I’ve learned as a manager is that you have to be true to yourself at every moment.
“I know it’s a bit of a cliche, but what
I mean by that is always doing what
I think is right no matter what. Sometimes that’s popular. A lot of the time it’s not.
“All I can do this week is make the most honest selection I can and pick the team that I think can win the game.
“I’ll have a conversation with everyone who needs one. I’ll try to give them as many reasons as I can. They’ll be tough, but if you deal with it with honesty, respect and compassion then that’s all anyone can ask. Authenticity is everything to me.
Honesty
“The good thing is that I’ve been on the other side of it. Gareth was my good mate, my roommate, my team-mate. All of a sudden, he was my manager. We had plenty of difficult conversations when I was sat on the other side of the desk and I know that whenever he gave me an honest decision I had to accept that for what it was.
“In this job, tempting as it is, you can’t let sentiment be a part of anything. You want to win, that’s what you’re judged on, and that’s all I’ll be thinking about on Sunday.
“Going to Wembley… it’s a day for supporters, for family and friends to go and enjoy. For us, it’s just about winning.”
For Grimmer, though, it is also a chance to experience Wembley free of the pressure that invariably goes hand in hand with a play-off final.
“The play-offs are a crazy experience,” he says. “Your nerves and anxiety, right from trying to sleep the night before right to the moment you walk out, it’s one of those things that you can’t really put into words.
“The Coventry one - I can’t remember a single thing that happened in the first half. It’s pretty much a complete daze apart from my goal. The Wycombe one is a bit different because it was during Covid and there was no crowd but it’s still pretty hazy.
“Don’t get me wrong, we’re still desperate to win on Sunday and you know that it can create memories for life. But it does have a completely different feel to the play-offs. The pressure isn’t nearly as intense and if anybody does feel overwhelmed, I hope I can be a calming presence on the day.”
Bloomfield, too, says composure and belief can carry the day.
“I trust this group,” he says. “I love the lads we’ve got here. They conduct themselves so well and they deserve success. If they stay as calm as they can and believe in what we’re doing, then Wycombe can have another special moment.”