One thing people often underestimate about Buckinghamshire is its sporting, particularly footballing history. There are a number of pro and semi-pro clubs in Buckinghamshire with an assorted history and today I thought we would take a tour of some of these clubs and really demonstrate our sporting credentials.

MK Dons

First and one of the most disappointing is MK Dons. As with anything coming out of Milton Keynes, you can’t expect much. After quite literally eating another football club and then wrestling it away from it’s ancestral home grounds, it’s fair to say it wasn’t a great start. Since then though things have improved. Having made it to the Championship although relegated that season, they’ve had rocky performances throughout League 1 however a 3rd place finish last season was more than enough to buoy hopes. But mediocre football isn’t the only noteworthy thing about MK Dons. They sadly gave Dele Alli the false hope of a career but in better news they run 16 disability football teams and the MK Dons foundation engages over 60,000 people - both very respectable achievements for a League One team. MK Dons, for it’s initial faults, notable as they are, is a club which serves its community valiantly and will continue to do so.

Wycombe Wanderers

Another League One Club with a fierce rivalry with MK Dons, Wycombe are the classic English football club. Founded in 1887 with a small core group of loyal fans Wycombe has been a feature of semi-pro and pro football for decades. Going from almost certain relegation in League 2 to promotion to the Championship 3 years later, the club has had tumultuous years but once again they’re competing successfully in League One, finishing sixth last season. Most importantly, one cannot forget that Wycombe was the home of AKINAFENWA, who scored 61 goals in 250 appearances for the Chairboys.

Aylesbury United F.C.

A local team which bounces through the Southern Football League. Never a team which has achieved great heights however its services and fixture in the local community has been unwavering. They’ve been in the Southern League Division One for the last 10 years and while there doesn’t seem to be much hope of promotion - nor does there seem to be the threat of relegation. One of the more delightful features of the club, being a smaller one, is that it is fully owned by the supporters' trust meaning that the Ducks are in the safe custodian hands of who it means the most to.

Beaconsfield Town F.C.

Despite having the name of a club which everyone will swear they’ve played against in an FA Cup run, Beaconsfield are one of the smaller clubs in Buckinghamshire. Despite this, they sit one league above fellow Buckers Aylesbury in Southern League Premier South. The Club boasts an impressive mix of 40 different age groups of men and boys teams which serve throughout the community with the junior teams having succeeded in getting access to the Junior Premier League. They also have a very respectful clubhouse and bar.

A brief snapshot of some of the football on display in Buckinghamshire, a miniscule picture of the footballing heritage which can be claimed by most of the South East. It is a pleasure to see these teams get battered and disappoint fans week in, week out, with little sign of progression or success. As football should be.