Source: TheGuardian
Wycombe and frontman Gareth Ainsworth are unlikely Wembley headliners
The Wycombe manager has led the relegation candidates to the League One play-off final while fronting a rock band in his spare timeLast summer, when nine players pitched up for the first day of pre-season, there was little expectation that Wycombe Wanderers would reach the League One play-off final. Then again, how many other managers have had to cancel band practice because they have a date at Wembley? Gareth Ainsworth, the country’s longest-serving manager and part-time frontman, is the inspirational leader who has taken a team tipped for relegation to the verge of an extraordinary promotion. “When your gaffer drives into training in a Mustang, wearing a leather jacket, and plays rock‘n’roll while working out in the gym, how can that not be contagious?” says the defender Darius Charles.Wycombe’s rise is nothing short of incredible but Charles’s personal tale takes some beating. Last year, before being released after playing only a handful of games owing to injury, he was told to retire in order to prevent the prospect of a hip replacement before the age of 40. But Charles had other ideas, which is why there were tears when he returned to the starting line-up in August. Without setting foot on Wembley turf, the centre-back believes he has won his biggest battle. Related: Oxford to face Wycombe in League One play-off final after pipping Portsmouth Related: Adebayo Akinfenwa complains of 'dehumanising' abuse in Fleetwood match Continue reading......read full article
