Who Are Ya? | Ten Things You Didn't Know About...AFC Bournemouth

Posted on 19/05/17

From the foot of England’s fourth division and almost disappearing altogether to fighting for a place at the top table in the Premier League, AFC Bournemouth have had an all but different route to the top.

We all know about the Cherries since they burst into the English top flight in 2015, but who are they, really? Here are ten things you might not know about them…

 

1-      Believed to have been formed in autumn 1899, the Cherries were created from the remains of the older Boscombe St John’s Lads’ Institute FC. They became Boscombe FC and competed in the Bournemouth and District Junior League. They first played senior amateur football in 1905.

 

2-      They entered the Football League in 1923 following the withdrawal of Stalybridge Celtic, they were by then known as Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic FC. Their first game was away at Swindon Town where they lost 3-1.

 

3-      They didn’t become AFC Bournemouth until 1972, the same year they adopted their current badge. It was created from the club colours as the background with a player heading a football – in tribute to club legend Dickie Dowsett who played as a striker during the 1950s and 60s.

 

4-      The club’s original colours were much like the one’s of Atletico Madrid today. Red and white stripes with blue shorts and socks which were used in their first recorded season. They briefly experimented with black shorts and socks as well as white but ultimately blue remained until 1936. From that year they adopted an Arsenal style home shirt of red and white which they wore for nearly three decades. In 1962 plain red was worn until the first use of the black and red style we know today in 1970. They reverted back to plain red in 1974 until black and red returned and remained from 1990 onwards. Famous kit supplyers included adidas, Umbro and current partners JD Sports.

 

5-      Before their time in the Premier League with such stars as Max Gradel, Jordan Ibe and Jack Wilshere Bournemouth acquired some big names for a club outside the top flight. These include signing players such as Jermain Defoe, Asmir Begovic and Adam Lallana on loan. Other names include Luther Blissett, Liverpool legend Jimmy Case and football cult-hero goalkeeper Jimmy Glass who spent the majority of his career with the Cherries.

 

6-      Harry Redknapp began his managerial career at Dean Court. Before current boss Eddie Howe he was considered the clubs most successful manager having taken them to the second division in the 1988/89 for the first time. Five years before saw one of the most memorable nights in the club’s history as Redknapp led his side to a giant killing, where his Cherries side knocked Manchester United out of the FA Cup.

 

7-      Now a solid Premier League side it’s hard to think of Bournemouth playing anything below the Championship. However, on April 25th 2009 they not only were they playing in League Two, the fourth tier of English football, but were about to drop into non-league football as administration loomed.  But Wes Fletcher’s 100th league goal secured a win over Grimsby Town and eventually the now dissolved Chester City and Luton Town were relegated. Chester, Luton and Bournemouth were all deducted points that season and Chester were liquidated shortly after.

 

                                   

 

8-      In the summer of 2013 just a month or so after winning promotion from League One, Bournemouth announced out of nowhere that Real Madrid along with superstars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Luca Modric were coming to Dean Court. Non season ticket holders were charged £60 a ticket to see the Cherries battered 6-0 by Los Blancos.

 

9-      Manager Eddie Howe is a legend on the south coast having began his playing career with the black and reds. From 1994 to 2002 he was part of the Cherries line-up before former Bournemouth manager Harry Redknapp made him his first signing at Portsmouth.  Howe played just two league games with injury ending his season early on in the campaign. He returned in a game against Nottingham Forest but nine minutes in he was sidelined again and was out for a further nine months. In the end Bournemouth fans raised money to return him to Dean Court where he played a further 53 games before he was forced to retire at 29. He was appointed manager in 2008 and kept his side in the Football League before departing for Burnley in 2011 after his 100th game in charge. He returned to the South Coast in 2012 taking them from League One to the Premier League.

 

10-   Records: Bournemouth’s record appearance maker is 726 games from Steve Fletcher between 1992-2007 & 2008-2013) and most goals scored were from Ron Eyre who scored 202 goals from 1924 and 1933. Ted MacDougall has the honour of most goals in one season, netting 42 during the 1970/71 Division Four season.

 

You can check out our variety of AFC Bournemouth shirts by clicking the link below or here.

 

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