While manager Peter Taylor was studying his wanted list for men available during the transfer market in January 2009, another group at Adams Park were scouring the country for players. At the instigation of Steve Hayes, the Blues decided to set up an official Ex-Players Association.

The club's Managing Director called in former long-serving Press Secretary Alan Hutchinson and lifetime fan John D Taylor to head a committee, which started putting together a list of everyone who's appeared in a Blues' shirt over the past 60 years.

"It's been a mammoth task trying to get details of over 600 players who are eligible and still around," said Taylor at the time. "It's an even bigger one finding out all their current contact details. That's why we want fans to spread the word and ask anyone who's worn a Wycombe shirt over the years - or knows anyone who has - to get in touch with us."

The pair had a head start, having already got together players from the 1950s when they staged the hugely successful dinner at Adams Park half a century on to celebrate the achievement of Wycombe reaching the 1957 FA Amateur Cup Final at Wembley. One of those stars, left-winger Jackie Tomlin, was invited to become the Association's first President. Enrolled on to the committee alongside him were other well-known names from the amateur days.

These included John Maskell, the man who made 616 appearances in goal for the Blues between 1964 and 1980; Keith Samuels, scorer of an impressive 115 goals in 240 appearances; Ian Rundle, the rock-hard defender with 357 appearances in his nine years at Loakes Park and Bobby Dell, another 300-plus man from 1979 to 1986. It meant all eras from the 50s to the 90s were covered. Former club treasurer Gerald Cox provided a link with the current club and Dave Finch, who co-wrote the Blues' history, was co-opted to help verify all the stats.

"The club admits they've neglected former players of the past," said Hutch. "Many have never returned since hanging up their boots. Happily, we can now provide the missing link and get them involved again. In turn, that could also attract back some old supporters who might not have watched the team since the Loakes Park days."

The Wycombe Wanderers' Ex-players Association was officially launched before the March 7 home game with Chesterfield. The reaction was phenomenal. (Report below)

OPENING EVENT - March 7, 2009

The oldest players to have accepted an invitation to go along to the Ex-Players Association first get-together at Adams Park were 89-year-olds Frank Avery and Peter Birdseye. Avery, who first played at Loakes Park back in 1937, still holds the record for most goals in a Cup game after bagging six in the 10-1 win over Kingstonian in an Amateur Cup replay during the 1945-46 season.

Birdseye, just six months older than his former teammate, made over a century of appearances between 1946 and 1951. He travelled up from his home in Worcestershire with son Paul who himself was a regular for Wycombe between 1971 and 1982, donning the Blues shirt 459 times.

Father and son combination, Peter and Paul Birdseye

The guest list also included other players from the 1940s like Tony Chubb and Alan Gaunt, early 50s goal kings Terry Albert and Malcolm Hunt, surviving '57 Cup Final players including Ex-Players Association first President Jackie Tomlin, Dennis Syrett and Mike Wicks and dozens of characters from the 60s through to the 90s. There were plenty of family link-ups too apart from the Birdseyes with Mark West, the club's second ever highest scorer, coming along with his Dad Stan, a player in the early 1960s.

Heading the on-pitch parade was local legend Tony Horseman who, between 1961 and 1978, made an amazing 749 appearances and scored an even more amazing 416 competitive goals and over 500 in total. Behind him in the pre-match parade on to the pitch was John Maskell who made 616 appearances between 1964 and 1980. The long-serving goalkeeper has helped organise the turn-out that also included long-time defensive colleague Ian Rundle, 1957 Amateur Cup Final and England winger Len Worley and 60's hero Charlie Gale.

'Bodger' Horseman scored 416 goals in 749 games for the Wanderers

Of a more modern vintage, Dave Carroll, Keith Ryan, Terry Evans and Matt Crossley from the Martin O'Neill era all made a welcome reappearance before the Blues' crowd along with Micky Holifield, Howard Kennedy, Keith Mead, Barry Baker and Bob Dell. And making the longest trip to be there - former goalkeeper Gary Lester who flew in especially from Romania where he's currently doing aid work.