Countdown to Wycombe's Big Kick-Off!

Willi's Wycombe

The new English Football League season is set to begin this Saturday (7th August) with Wycombe kicking off their 2010/2011 Npower League Two campaign at home to Morecambe. The visitors will be desperate to erase the memories of last season's play-off semi-final heartbreak when they were thrashed 7-2 on aggregate by winning finalists Dagenham and Redbridge.

The Blues are priced at 5/2 to win promotion with some bookmakers following a decent pre-season that included a scintillating display in their 5-1 demolition of a young Chelsea XI and a creditable performance against Championship side, Reading.

Much has been made of the attacking style that the team have adopted since the arrival of manager, Gary Waddock. Encouragingly, strikers Ben Strevens, Scott Rendell and Jon Paul-Pittman have all been amongst the goals whilst new 'keeper Nikki Bull is showing signs of being the imperious permanent netminder fans hoped for following loanee Tom Heaton's return to Manchester United at the end of last season.

A re-jigged defence, added to by the acquisition of influential young centre-back, Dave Winfield, combined with a rejuvenated and punchy midfield completes an exciting array of talent.

Expectations are high and growing further still so a victory on Saturday is vitally important to maintain the momentum. Morecambe will not be a straightforward game though. The Shrimpers' squad includes the prolific lower league striker Phil Jevons, who is no stranger to Wycombe fans after his spell at Yeovil Town.

His possible strike partner, Paul Mullin, spoilt Wycombe's opening day in 2007 when he netted the only goal in a 1-0 defeat to Accrington Stanley.

Gary Waddock is aware of the hype surrounding his team prior to the season opener and he's just as excited as the fans about beginning the new campaign. He told the official website,

"Hopefully the fans have enjoyed what they've seen so far and there's more to come from us. It'd be great to see a big crowd for the first game and more importantly, we want to give them something to cheer about by collecting all three points."

Hopefully the Blues will guard against complacency and get three points on the board early on before a Carling Cup hiatus against Millwall, followed by a difficult trip to bogey ground Edgeley Park, home of Stockport County. Then there is the small matter of the 'M40 derby' against newly-promoted Oxford United. Real football is back.