Bournemouth: It Took 125 Years To Get Here

soxfan121

JAG
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 22, 2002
23,043
Championship winners Bournemouth make their Premier League debut, after a journey of 125 years into the top flight of the Pyramid. This is awesome, and should be celebrated. I have no idea who plays for Bournemouth, but I'm gonna follow them (as I fell into following Burnley's doomed season) because rooting for minnows is fun. 

The PL revenues will inject Bournemouth with an estimated 130m, and they've started spending. They're upgrading the training facilities. Three cheers for fiscal responsibility!
 
The windfall of a PL season is huge for a club like Bournemouth. One of the things I'm interested in is just how much of an effect it has. Following Burnley down will be equally fascinating, as the economics of the sport are going to fundamentally change the Pyramid; will the first few clubs to go up under the new financial system retain some advantages when (inevitably) relegated? Or will a few key signings and the right foundation/player development machine yield more Southamptons?
 
Let's learn more about Bournemouth and the money they are about to make.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A.F.C._Bournemouth
 

rguilmar

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
1,610
Step one- hold onto Callum Wilson. That might prove too difficult because damn near every team in the Prem wants him.

They'll probably be fighting for survival. Smart buys and loan deals like Christian Atsu will help. They do have a few interesting players in the squad and should be fun to watch.
 

DLew On Roids

guilty of being sex
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Aug 30, 2001
13,906
The Pine Street Inn
Eddie Howe is a rising star in management.  He's one to watch if a bigger club is looking to make a change next season. 
 
Sadly, Ian Harte (of Leeds in the CL fame) was released and won't accompany Bournemouth to the Premier League.
 

Dummy Hoy

Angry Pissbum
SoSH Member
Jul 22, 2006
8,232
Falmouth
DLew On Roids said:
Eddie Howe is a rising star in management.  He's one to watch if a bigger club is looking to make a change next season. 
 
Sadly, Ian Harte (of Leeds in the CL fame) was released and won't accompany Bournemouth to the Premier League.
 
I almost didn't believe Howe's story when I heard it. His rise really is incredible.
 
As far as him moving to a bigger club, I wonder where his connections with Bournemouth would keep him in place- he's been with the club for all but 3 seasons since he was 13 years old. 
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 2, 2006
22,345
Philadelphia
Bournemouth made a couple savvy moves to shore up their backline this week, first signing the ancient Sylvain Distin on a free.  He's cooked but comes cheap, provides loads of experience with the Premier League, and I bet there are some similarities between how Roberto Martinez and Eddie Howe think about tactics.  And they just recently broke their transfer record to sign highly rated LB/CB Tyrone Mings from Ipswich for 8m pounds, a player with whom Arsenal have been very heavily linked in the past.  I would not be surprised if Mings turns into one of the better left backs in the Premier League over the next couple seasons and Bournemouth soon sell him on for double what they just paid.