AFC Bournemouth - Ready For The Big Time

Since Eddie Howe returned to take the reins, The Cherries have gone from strength to strength in their campaign to rule the Championship. And rule it they currently are; topping the league before Christmas, and continuing to pull in the positive results.

The question is... Are AFC Bournemouth ready for the Big Time?

They had a brilliant run through the League Cup, until Liverpool came to visit, and they're through to the 4th round of the FA Cup, with Aston Villa waiting for them. My 8 year old son reckons Bournemouth could spoil it for them!

Having been a follower of AFC Bournemouth since my youth, there is now the very real chance that they could soon meet the mights of Manchester (United and City), Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea etc.

But. Is this a good thing? The financial force of these teams is way beyond anything the south coast team can consider, especially in the early days.  Sure, television rights and sponsorship deals will soon boost the coffers, but is it enough.

There's also the consideration of the stadium. The Goldsands has a capacity of 12,000 supporters.  Could they host the away followers of such huge clubs?

They're talking about expansion; but will it come soon enough?

Finally, there’s the pressure of staying in the top flight.  It’s one thing getting there, it’s something else to retain the momentum and keep their place.

Don't get me wrong. It's a very exciting prospect and I'm sure that behind closed doors the clubs owner, Max Demin, and the directors will be considering all the permutations.

In the meantime, Eddie and his team must continue to work hard to protect their position, so when the time comes, they can hit the Big Time in style.

AFC Bournemouth - The Season Ahead

The start of the new football season is almost upon us, and I, for one, am looking forward to seeing Bournemouth on a revitalised charge, in their attempt to conquer League One.

There's been lots of too-ing and fro-ing in the transfer market, with some of their key players, understandably, deciding to move on to bigger clubs.  I hope it works out for them.

Also, as pointed out by chairman Eddie Mitchell, it's a very northern bias, so this means The Cherries will be visiting the north-west during the season; I've already pencilled in the games I could get to see; starting with the Huddersfield game on 10th December.

There have been a number of signings over the summer, and new captain Adam Barrett replaces Jason Pearce, who left Dean Court to join Portsmouth.

Having beaten Cardiff City 2-1 in a pre-season friendly, it will be a positive team that goes into the first game of the season on Saturday, away to Charlton Athletic.

I, for one, am quite looking forward to the new campaign.

AFC Bournemouth - End Of Season

It was one of the most exciting 'end of season' matches that will set The Cherries up for the new season, in August.

Having been in second place in the league, for much of last season, and dropping back at the beginning of the year; the loss of manager Eddie Howe (to Blackburn) and the appointment of Lee Bradbury (initially as caretaker manager, before being given the job full-time) it was a roller-coaster season.

Having managed to maintain a place in the play-offs; it was Huddersfield against whom they were pitted, for the semi-finals.  Having already played them twice, during the normal season; and both matches being drawn; it was a nail-biting end; which culminated in a penalty shoot-out.

At this point, I should say I'm not a fan of penalties, to get the end result.  I appreciate that there isn't really any other way; unless they re-introduce the Golden Goal.  It is such a shame that two evenly matched teams have to resort to seeing who can score the best of 5.  Might as well forget the previous 2 hours and just line up in front of the goal!!

Personally, I'm extremely proud of the boys; they've worked hard, played well (most of the time) and have shown that they are a force to be reckoned with.  Maybe immediate promotion to the Championship would have been too much; but they are well placed to start the next season.

The cheque book is out, and Eddie Mitchell is spending as he sees fit.  He's also selling; which is good for the boys moving up to bigger clubs; but let's hope they are replaced with equally competitive players.

It's also been noticed that league one is predominantly northern, which means two things:
1. There is less chance of a full-house at Dean Court; reducing the gate receipts
2. More travel for the team (and less chance supporters will follow)

How will they do?

Only time will tell.

AFC Bournemouth - Two To Go

Oh my goodness.  What a roller-coaster ride those Cherries have put us on.  From 2nd in the league, they've been struggling recently; and have been clinging on to the play-offs, in 6th, for the last few weeks.

Finally, on Saturday, they managed to win, and claim three vital points away to Bristol Rovers.

Now, three points clear of 7th place, and their next opponents have nothing to play for, so, in theory, they should be able to make the play-offs.  And how sweet would it be, if they were to win a place in the Championship.

OK, I'm getting ahead of myself; but it's been a cracking season, and the true supporters have been sweating blood and tears as they watch the team ebb and flow; mistake after mistake as their advantage was wiped away.

So, more fingers crossed as we head for the finishing line.  Take a deep breath.......

AFC Bournemouth - Three Strikes

It seems that The Cherries are suffering a crisis of confidence, as they suffered their third defeat in a row, at the weekend.

A visit to Carlisle did nothing to improve their automatic promotion chances as they lost by a single goal.

Lying 5th in the league, three points behind south coast rivals Southampton; Peterborough and Huddersfield also stand between them and the chance to play in the Championship next season.  As it stands, they are in the play-off zone; so, whilst the possibility is still open to them, each loss is going to make it more difficult.  They need to find that self-belief and drive home every goal they can.

Next weekend, they host Charlton,, followed by a trip to Peterborough - which might turn out to be a make or break game.

AFC Bournemouth - South Coast Derby

Oh well - it had to happen eventually, and on Saturday, The Cherries succumbed to The Saints.

Playing on home turf, at Dean Court, and having taken the lead very early, with a goal from Della Valle; the boys performed well; indeed, it was a much improved performance over their visit to Exeter during the week; just not well enough to keep the visitors at bay.

Let's just hope it's not the start of the slide.  No back down in 5th; and being leap-frogged by Southampton, I really do hope the boys pick up quickly and get back to their winning ways fast.

Their next outing is at Carlisle next Saturday.

The full match report, from the Bournemouth Evening Echo, is right here.

AFC Bournemouth - First Defeat

On Tuesday night, The Cherries suffered their first defeat under the management of Lee Bradbury, when the hosts, Exeter, beat them 2-0.

Now seven points adrift from Brighton, and only one point ahead of third place Huddersfield, the boys have it all to do on Saturday, when they host Southampton, in a south-coast derby.  That promises to be real humdinger, and Bournemouth will need to dig deep and have total faith to seal a victory.

No need to start panicking yet! Just keep fingers and toes crossed for a great result at the weekend.

Last nights full match report can be seen here.

AFC Bournemouth - Onwards and Upwards

Oh wow! Is there no stopping them?  The Cherries have again made strides towards automatic promotion, following their 3-0 victory over Oldham.

It was thanks to Lauri Dalla Valle, who scored on his debut appearance, finishing the third goal.  The previous two by Danny Hollands and Michael Symes.

It was enough to keep AFC Bournemouth in 2nd place in the league, 4 points behind the leaders, and four points clear of their nearest rival, Huddersfield.

Next up, it's an away trip to Exeter, tomorrow night.

AFC Bournemouth - Made in Dagenham (and Redbridge)

Last weekend saw The Cherries unbeaten run continue, as they won against relegation zone team Dagenham and Redbridge.

On paper, it should have been a simple task of keeping them at bay, but at the half-way point, the score was 1-1 and 3 points were dwindling away.  However, a late goal by Anton Robinson, saw The Cherries snatch victory, and keep their automatic promotion hopes alive.

They are currently one point off the leaders, Brighton.

The season remains exciting, but there are some very important matches coming up... who am I kidding? They're all important.

Next weekend they host Oldham Athletic, who have just confirmed that they have not paid their players wages for February.  That's followed by a trip to Exeter, then what can only be described as the 'local' derby, as Southampton come to town!

The full match report for last weekend is available here.

AFC Bournemouth - The Cherries March On

Oh wow! Unbeaten yet again; and although the game on Saturday resulted in a draw, it means the team are just 3 points behind the leaders.

Michael Symes gave The Cherries the lead before the break; however, Leyton Orient managed to equalise in the dying moments of the game.

With 50 points, the season is still going well.  Although it can't be ignored that the leaders, and some of the teams below still have games in hand, so the boys can't relax for one single match.

Speaking of which, their next encounter is next Saturday, away to 22 placed Walsall.

AFC Bournemouth - Management Moves

Great news; Lee Bradbury and assistant Steve Fletcher have been given two and half year contracts to manager Bournemouth; following the departure of Eddie Howe in January.

Bradbury has overseen three games since Howe left, and has managed a clean sheet; even over-seeing a win against league leaders,  Brighton.

With a Nil/Nil draw against Rochdale, followed by a home win against leaders Brighton; and this weekend a victory away to Plymouth, The Cherries are really on a roll at the moment.

Tonight they're hosting Swindow, so I hope their winning streak continues.

Steve Fletcher, the 38-year old veteran of the club, will also continue playing for the club.

It's an exciting time; they're in a strong position to challenge for promotion, and I hope that Lee Bradbury and Steve Fletcher do their best to maintain the momentum.

AFC Bournemouth - Brighton Rocks

Last weekend saw The Cherries knocking at the top spot in League One.

A 62nd minute goal by Liam Feeney took Bournemouth to 2nd place in the league, and boy, they deserved it.  This was the first home game for caretaker-manager Lee Bradbury, and a sell-out crowd turned out to see the victory.

Now just three points behind Brighton (although they have 2 games in hand!) it will be very exciting to see them in action, and whether they can consolidate their win.

The next game is away to 15th place Plymouth.

Everything is crossed.

AFC Bournemouth - The Year To Date

The Cherries have got off to a pretty good start, since the new year.

They won their home matches against Brentford and Plymouth (in both matches, scoring three times).

Their latest match, away to Colchester, started well, but the home side managed to contain and finally overcome the visitors, and they lost 2-1.

This places them fourth in the league, behind Southampton, Huddersfield and Brighton.

Their next game is away to Rochdale, on Tuesday, followed by hosting the league leaders, Brighton, next Saturday.

However, Eddie Howe, the man credited with building the team; along with his assistant, Jason Tindall, has decided to move on, after he was wooed by Burnley.  Last Fridays game at Colchester was his last in charge.

In the interim, Lee Bradbury has been appointed caretaker manager, with Steve Fletcher, the club captain, as his assistant.  The overall response by the fans has been positive, and I only hope they manage to maintain their form, and continue to challenge for promotion to the Championship.

Eddie Howe did a fantastic job; it would be a shame if changes were made, just for the sake of it.  If it ain't broke; don't fix it.

AFC Bournemouth - Oops!

Celebrating 100 years of football at Dean Court, The Cherries were looking to add to the party with another home win.  Unfortunately, they stumbled, with their first home defeat in three games, against Hartlepool.
It was a disappointing result.  They were behind at the break, but came out fighting and had many more attempts on target.  However, it wasn't to be, and the visitors took the three points away with them.

You can see the video highlights here.

The result drops Bournemouth to fifth in the league, still in the play-offs, and only six points off the leaders, Brighton.  That's how close it is.

Tonight, they're in FA Cup action, in the re-scheduled game against Notts County.

League action continues next Saturday, when they travel to Rochdale.

AFC Bournemouth - Match Postponed (again!)

Due to the recent bad weather, the FA Cup draw between The Cherries and Notts County has been postponed twice, due to a frozen pitch.  However, the match is now scheduled to take place next Tuesday.

If they win, the boys will have earned a third round match against Sunderland.

Before that though, they have a League One game at home to Hartlepool on Saturday.  Hartlepool currently lie just below the mid-way point in the table; and, on paper pose little threat to the current form shown by AFC Bournemouth; who are currently 3rd in the league.

Of course, now I've written that, watch The Cherries crumble at the weekend!

AFC Bournemouth - Score Draw

It was a bit of a disappointing weekend for The Cherries, as they lost their 2-0 advantage over Leyton Orient, and finished with a draw.  The boys have been playing well lately, and it was a shame they couldn't consolidate their playing form into a win.

However, they remain 4th in League One, so, as long as they don't let it get to them, there's no reason why they can't continue to impress and move on.

The full match report can be found here.

Next up; they're at home to Yeovil, tomorrow night.  Yeovil are currently in the relegation zone, second from bottom.

AFC Bournemouth - Winning Ways

Last Saturday, The Cherries returned to their winning ways by beating Walsall 3-0.  OK, so Walsall are currently bottom of the league, but that doesn't mean the match was a walkover.

Josh McQuoid scored his second hat-trick in the week, his first during the FA Cup tie, against Tranmere.

You can see the match highlights here.

Their next league game is next Saturday, away to Leyton Orient (who are 17th in the league table).

AFC Bournemouth - Planning For The Future

Last weekend, The Cherries hosted Colchester, for a League 1 fixture.

I was hoping this would be a continuation of the positive form they've shown over the last few games, but there was a stumble, as they lost 1-2
It was a shame, because they made more chances, committed less fouls and played the better game.

You can read the full match report here.  This result drops them to fourth in the league; by no means a bad place to be; I just hope it's not the start of a slide.

They're away to Brentford (currently 15th) tomorrow evening, before an FA Cup game, at home, against Tranmere, next Saturday.

Stadium Plans

Club chairman, Eddie Mitchell has also announced to build a new south stand, as well as the possibility to buy back the ground.  The club sold the stadium to a property developer, back in 2005, for £3.5m to prevent the going into receivership.  They currently pay an annual lease of around £300,000.

I'll be watching this story with interest, as the boys on the pitch do their bit to keep the club in league one and, hopefully, progress further.

AFC Bournemouth - The Cherries March On

The sweet taste of The Cherries success continued at the weekend, as they drew 1-1 against Sheffield Wednesday.  They took the lead in the first half; only losing out to a draw in the 82nd minute!

The point takes them up to second in the league, 6 points behind leaders Brighton.  This is a great position for them to be in. 

The full match report, courtesy of the BBC, can be found here.

Next week they take on sixth place Colchester, at home.

AFC Bournemouth - Another Win

Those Cherries Boys are on a roll, with another win yesterday, against MK Dons.

Playing at home, the team are garnering further support, as their season continues in a very positive way.  Although they conceded a penalty, the final score was 3-2

This has moved them up one place, to 3rd in the league, only one point behind Peterborough, and a futher 3 points away from leaders Brighton.

Their next match is on Saturday, away to Sheffield Wednesday.

Keep up the good work guys.