Congratulations to AFC Bournemouth on securing promotion to the Premier League

[hans kraay fan club]

Whoever decided to sell Elphick and Cook for pittance should be strung up by the testes along the 'legends' wall. Would be great yet horrible to see them playing in the Premier League next season.

Elf wanted to go in search of regular games, and Cook was nowhere near getting a game at the time. People wanted Hall kept, as well, and moaned when El Abd was pushed out. I even heard a comment on Tuesday night asking why we let Lynch go.

What exactly would we have done with 8 centre backs, FFS?

 

[Hotchilidog]

Think its more to do with the fact that they have highlighted how we have ****ed up our big chance and have been run by clowns. Stadium, training ground, big crowds, PLR and we will still be the last of the South Coast clubs to experience PL football. After years of shit we finally thought a bit of glory and glamour was on the way but blew but little Bournemouth will get there.

But we had to move. We had no choice but build the Amex, otherwise we'd still be at Withdean and going nowhere. Bournemouth are fortunate enough to have a sugar daddy and a serviceable football ground which meant all the Russian money could get spent on the playing staff.

Before we get into calling our board clowns just remember that. We've had to get permission for the stadium, build it and basically start from scratch as a football club that is nearly four times as big as it was five years ago. Despite that we still managed to get into the playoffs twice, so I think we have done ok so far.

We got the football decisions wrong this year, it happens. Bournemouth (whatever the potential dodgy finances are) have got them right by appointing the correct manager, buying good players and not having to deal with any kind of expectations. So let's not beat ourselves up too much shall we.

 

[Surf's Up]

Its very difficult not to feel envy, jealousy, a strong sense of "but we're a much bigger clubbness" and bitterness at our failure to emulate them.

But the truth of the matter is that while we've been gradually f**king it up over the last couple of years Bournemouth have been doing the polar opposite. They have grown sensibly and incrementally, building on a firm foundation created in League 1. They have a young manager who loves being a big fish in a small sea, is smug beyond belief, is loyal to the club and is obviously rather good at what he does (I still can't stand him though).

If they do get into the Premiership I think they'll do rather well both from a footballing perspective and financially. Football wise they will continue to build incrementally, only bringing in players who fit their specific requirements (wouldn't be surprised if they don't raid Brentford for players if they don't go up).

The have managerial and coaching stability and their style of play will cause consternation in the defences of many current Premier league clubs. Financially they will be laughing all the way to the bank. They have none of the absurd overhead and operating costs many clubs, including ourselves, have to work with, all the money, or as much as they choose to invest, can go into the playing side.

And I predict they will be able to turn a pretty good profit year on year thus ensuring their ongoing financial stability. The only blot on their horizon might be if their Russian backer decides to pocket too much of the Premier league dosh himself and disappear back to Red Square.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Obsessed.

It is all too raw of what perhaps should have been for us. We cocked it up, you haven't. Good luck in your final 3 games.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

Obsessed.

Not obsessed - Bournemouth is just an annoying pimple on the backside of life.

The obsessed ones are the Bournemouth people coming on here and giving people Thumbs Down. I don't go on whatever sites you have, why should you come over here?

 

[Icy Gull]

Not obsessed - Bournemouth is just an annoying pimple on the backside of life.

The obsessed ones are the Bournemouth people coming on here and giving people Thumbs Down. I don't go on whatever sites you have, why should you come over here?

Oh I think we are obsessed with Bournemouth at the moment, 9 pages and rising should be a clue. Luckily I don't live anywhere near there or have friends or colleagues who are Bournemouth fans. There are not that many though which is convenient meow

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Oh I think we are obsessed with Bournemouth at the moment, luckily I don't live anywhere near there or have friends or colleagues who are Bournemouth fans. There are not that many though which is convenient meow

David has a point though. If you are a Bournemouth fan you should be relishing your moment in the sun, not getting your pants wet because a few fans of another club are saying uncomplimentary things about them on a message board they don't need to visit or read.

 

[We have sand]

Not obsessed - Bournemouth is just an annoying pimple on the backside of life.

The obsessed ones are the Bournemouth people coming on here and giving people Thumbs Down. I don't go on whatever sites you have, why should you come over here?

hold on a second, we don't continuously start threads regarding Brighton, and you all talk about small Bournemouth, Is it not very similar size to Brighton as a place? and we have sold our ground nearly week in week out so no one knows how big our attendance would have been had we had the space, remember yours were not very big not so long ago, don't be so biased , you are no giants, and we are not minnows compared to you.

 

[Man of Harveys]

Some of us seem to be rather guilty of doing exactly what we used to rip into Reading for doing a few years back: thinking that we're destined for greater things mainly on the back of having a fancier ground than other clubs.

Well, I for one love the fact that it obviously doesn't work that way any more than it did when we were at Withdean and being roundly patronized for it by Reading fans a decade or so back before finishing higher than them in the table.

Oh and give me that nice, clean-cut Eddie Roy Of The Rovers Mummy's Boy over some filthy, grotesque animal like Pardew or Nigel Pearson any day of the week. Such a nice chap.

 

[Icy Gull]

David has a point though. If you are a Bournemouth fan you should be relishing your moment in the sun, not getting your pants wet because a few fans of another club are saying uncomplimentary things about them on a message board they don't need to visit or read.

I think relishing your moment can safely include posting on the board of a locallish club who have been calling Bournemouth tinpot, even when we were more tinpot!

I don't begrudge them winding up a few of our more precious fans even though I am quite pissed off to see them sailing past us.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Well done to Bournemouth and best of luck in the PL.

We had the Finn and the Berk. They didn't.

 

[GreersElbow]

Eddie Howe must be telling his players to drop like a sack of shit when in the penalty box. They've had the most awarded penalties of any club. Middlesbrough are second but by about 6 behind.

Makes you wonder...

 

[JOLovegrove]

more away goals than any other team in second tier history in fact, with a game to spare

What exactly would we have done with 8 centre backs, FFS?

Sounds like our managers dream. 8 at the back, and Best even more isolated upfront.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Eddie Howe must be telling his players to drop like a sack of shit when in the penalty box. They've had the most awarded penalties of any club. Middlesbrough are second but by about 6 behind.

Makes you wonder...

It helps when you get players (and the ball) into the box on a very regular basis.

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

Its very difficult not to feel envy, jealousy, a strong sense of "but we're a much bigger clubbness" and bitterness at our failure to emulate them.

But the truth of the matter is that while we've been gradually f**king it up over the last couple of years Bournemouth have been doing the polar opposite. They have grown sensibly and incrementally, building on a firm foundation created in League 1. They have a young manager who loves being a big fish in a small sea, is smug beyond belief, is loyal to the club and is obviously rather good at what he does (I still can't stand him though).

If they do get into the Premiership I think they'll do rather well both from a footballing perspective and financially. Football wise they will continue to build incrementally, only bringing in players who fit their specific requirements (wouldn't be surprised if they don't raid Brentford for players if they don't go up).

The have managerial and coaching stability and their style of play will cause consternation in the defences of many current Premier league clubs. Financially they will be laughing all the way to the bank. They have none of the absurd overhead and operating costs many clubs, including ourselves, have to work with, all the money, or as much as they choose to invest, can go into the playing side.

And I predict they will be able to turn a pretty good profit year on year thus ensuring their ongoing financial stability. The only blot on their horizon might be if their Russian backer decides to pocket too much of the Premier league dosh himself and disappear back to Red Square.

Much of this seems about right.

Bournemouth found a formula that works for them on and off the pitch. Good luck to them for embarrassing clubs with parachute monies.

If Bournemouth's success makes Tony Bloom and Paul Barber take a long hard look at our position then that's not a bad thing. Somehow we've managed to regress after two very decent seasons, culminating in the play offs. OK we probably played above ourselves under Oscar Garcia but there were no real excuses under Poyet. That precious momentum has been lost. Two managers later and we cannot even buy a goal. The Amex is hardly a fortress either.

We no longer have sufficient quality across the squad to remain contenders. OK we had to rein in the spending and losses and I accept that some of our best assets would have moved on (earning us decent fees) - but equally some of our retention and recruitment decisions have been badly flawed. Tony is right not to be held to ransom over transfer fees and wages but this has also been reflected on the pitch. Too much dependence on questionable loanees.

Looking at the bigger picture I know Tony was right to create a superb infrastructure for the medium and longer terms - but I just hope we do some quality rebuilding over the summer and become the force we should be.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

hold on a second, we don't continuously start threads regarding Brighton, and you all talk about small Bournemouth, Is it not very similar size to Brighton as a place? and we have sold our ground nearly week in week out so no one knows how big our attendance would have been had we had the space, remember yours were not very big not so long ago, don't be so biased , you are no giants, and we are not minnows compared to you.

Personally speaking, I did not start this thread, have participated in it in the form of banter, have never looked at any chat forum from another football club, have no "illusions" about Brighton being a big club and have never said anything about Bournemouth being minnows.

My first Brighton match was in 1967, I have not watched them regularly season in season out through all those years, but it has always been the first result I looked for, I am coming to the end of my second year now as a STH, and have already renewed for next year. I travel about 120 miles round trip for each home match I go to because it is an enjoyable experience (even when we are not doing well), and because no other team matters to me. my wife is a Saints STH and I have been down there with her on occasion, but I just can not get excited about it.

I have never been particularly bothered about Crystal Palace, which club many on here would say I ought to hate with a vengeance. I find the current Bournemouth success mildly irritating because I genuinely don't like the place - Brighton is much more interesting in every way - and I don't like Eddie Howe in the least.

But any irritation I might feel about all this will dissipate fairly quickly once the season is over. If we are in different divisions, which I suspect we will be, then I will be much more interested in what the teams in my own division are doing. If you are promoted, it will be - this is sticking in the throat - because..... you..... deserve it. Good luck to you. But I will not be getting excited on your behalf.

 

[Sweeney Todd]

Would any Bournemouth fan care to explain why referees give them penalties against us, when no Brighton player has committed an offence (October 2010 and January 2014), yet fail to give us a penalty when one of their players blatantly scoops the ball away with his hand in the box (this month)?

 

[jimbob5]

Lower wages than ours? Dream on.

If they are pay less wages than us good luck to them. If they are paying more they must be sailing close to the wind if they miss out on Premiership dosh!

 

[Bombadier Botty]

hold on a second, we don't continuously start threads regarding Brighton, and you all talk about small Bournemouth, Is it not very similar size to Brighton as a place? and we have sold our ground nearly week in week out so no one knows how big our attendance would have been had we had the space, remember yours were not very big not so long ago, don't be so biased , you are no giants, and we are not minnows compared to you.

Ignore it mate, it's a minority of deluded patronising idiots on here. We're not all labouring under the delusion that we're the Real Madrid of the South Coast. Got a lot of time for Bournemouth and always have. Good luck.

 

[Bombadier Botty]

It helps when you get players (and the ball) into the box on a very regular basis.

This. But whatever suits the anti-Bournemouth argument eh?