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AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth (2013).svg
Full name AFC Bournemouth
Nickname(s) The Cherries
Boscombe
Founded 1899; 126 years ago (1899) (as Boscombe)
Ground Dean Court
Ground Capacity 11,307
Owner Black Knight Football Club UK Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Black Knight Football and Entertainment
Chairman Bill Foley
Manager Andoni Iraola
League Premier League
2018–19 Premier League, 14th of 20

AFC Bournemouth is a professional football club from Bournemouth, England. They are known as "The Cherries". The team plays its home games at Dean Court. They currently compete in the Premier League, which is the top football league in England.

The club started in 1899 as Boscombe. They joined the Football League in 1923. Over the years, they have moved up and down different leagues. A big moment was in 2015 when they reached the Premier League for the first time. They stayed there for five seasons. After a short time back in the Championship, they returned to the Premier League in 2022.

Club History: How AFC Bournemouth Started

Early Days as Boscombe Football Club

AFC Bournemouth began in the autumn of 1899. It was first called Boscombe Football Club. The team played its first games in the Bournemouth and District Junior League. For their first two seasons, they played on a field in Castlemain Avenue.

In 1910, the club got its own football ground. It was named Dean Court after a local businessman, J.E. Cooper-Dean, who helped them. This is also when they signed their first professional player, Baven Penton.

Why Are They Called "The Cherries"?

Around 1910, the club got its famous nickname, "The Cherries." There are two main ideas why:

  • The team used to wear cherry-red striped shirts.
  • Dean Court was built next to the Cooper-Dean estate, which might have had many cherry trees.

The club first played in the FA Cup in 1913–14. However, World War I stopped their progress. In 1920, Boscombe joined the Southern Football League.

Deancourt 14092013 vblackpool
Dean Court, the home stadium of AFC Bournemouth.

Becoming Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic

In 1923, the club changed its name to Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic Football Club. This was to better represent the whole area. In the same year, they joined the Football League Third Division South. Their first league game was against Swindon Town.

Bournemouth stayed in the Third Division for a long time. After World War II, they won their first trophy. They beat Walsall in the Third Division (South) Cup final in 1946.

The Name Changes to AFC Bournemouth

The club changed its name again in 1971 to AFC Bournemouth. They wanted to be at the top of alphabetical lists of English clubs. A year later, they got a new badge. It showed stripes from their shirt and a player heading the ball. This honored Dickie Dowsett, a great goal scorer from the 1950s and 60s.

The team also started wearing red-and-black kits, like the Italian club AC Milan. This was when Ted MacDougall played for them. He was a fantastic goalscorer. In one FA Cup game in 1971, he scored nine goals in an 11–0 win!

AFC Bournemouth's Journey Through the Leagues

Success in the 1980s

In January 1984, Bournemouth had a famous win. They beat Manchester United in the FA Cup. Their manager at the time was Harry Redknapp. The club also won its second trophy, the Associate Members' Cup, in 1984. They beat Hull City 2–1 in the final.

Redknapp led Bournemouth to the second tier of English football for the first time in 1987. They won the Third Division title. They stayed in the second tier for three seasons. In 1989, they almost got promoted to the top league, finishing 12th.

Challenges and Changes

In 1990, Bournemouth was relegated. A game against Leeds United on the last day of the season caused some trouble in the town. This meant Bournemouth couldn't play home games on Bank Holidays for over a decade.

Manager Harry Redknapp left in 1992. Tony Pulis took over, but financial problems continued. The club struggled in the league. In 1994, Mel Machin became manager. The team almost got relegated but managed to stay up on the last day of the season. Machin stayed for six years, with the team mostly finishing in the middle of the table.

Early 2000s: Ups and Downs

Sean O'Driscoll became manager in 2000. Bournemouth almost reached the playoffs but were relegated in 2002. However, they bounced back quickly! They won promotion in 2003 through the play-offs. They beat Lincoln City 5–2 in the final at the Millennium Stadium.

A player named James Hayter made history in 2004. He scored the fastest league hat-trick ever in the English Football League! He scored three goals in just two minutes and 21 seconds against Wrexham.

Tough Times and "The Great Escape" (2008–2009)

In 2008, Bournemouth faced big financial problems. They had to go into "administration," which is like a company needing help with its money. This meant they lost ten points in the league. They were relegated to League Two.

The next season, they started with another 17-point penalty because of their financial issues. The club was at the bottom of the league. Former player Eddie Howe became the manager. He was only 31, making him the youngest manager in the Football League.

In the last home game of the 2008–09 season, Bournemouth beat Grimsby Town 2–1. This win saved them from leaving the Football League! It was called "The Great Escape." A group of local businessmen then took over the club.

The Rise to the Premier League

Eddie Howe's Return and Promotions (2009–2015)

Under Eddie Howe, Bournemouth had amazing success.

  • In his first full season (2009–10), they finished second in League Two and were promoted.
  • Howe left for a short time but returned in 2012.
  • He led the team to promotion to the Championship in 2013. This was the second tier of English football.
  • In 2014, Bournemouth had a huge 8–0 away win against Birmingham City. It was their biggest league win ever!
  • The club spent most of the 2014–15 season at the top of the Championship. On the final day, a 3–0 win against Charlton Athletic secured the Championship title. This meant they were promoted to the Premier League for the very first time!

Life in the Premier League (2015–2020)

Bournemouth's first season in the Premier League (2015–16) was tough with many injuries. But they improved in the second half of the season and avoided relegation. They finished 16th.

The 2016–17 season was even better. They finished 9th, their highest-ever league position! They signed Nathan Aké for a club-record fee. In 2018–19, they broke their transfer record again for Jefferson Lerma. They had a strong start but faced more injury problems. They finished 14th, securing a fifth season in the Premier League.

In the 2019–20 season, injuries and poor results led to them dropping into the relegation zone. Despite a win on the final day, they were relegated from the Premier League. Eddie Howe then left the club.

Recent Years: Relegation, Promotion, and New Owners (2020–Present)

Jason Tindall, Eddie Howe's assistant, became manager in 2020. He was replaced by Jonathan Woodgate, who led the team to the play-offs, but they lost.

In 2021, Scott Parker became the new head coach. He led the club to an amazing start in the 2021–22 Championship season, going 15 games unbeaten. They secured promotion back to the Premier League as runners-up!

However, Parker left early in the next Premier League season after a difficult start. Gary O'Neil took over as interim coach and then permanently. In December 2022, the club got new owners, Black Knight Football Club, led by American businessman Bill Foley. Hollywood actor Michael B. Jordan is also part of the ownership group.

In June 2023, Andoni Iraola became the new manager. In the 2023–24 season, Bournemouth achieved their best points total ever in the Premier League, with 48 points.

Who Plays for AFC Bournemouth?

Current Squad

No. Position Player
2 Spain DF Dean Huijsen
3 Hungary DF Miloš Kerkez
4 England MF Lewis Cook (vice-captain)
5 Argentina DF Marcos Senesi
7 Wales MF David Brooks
8 England MF Alex Scott
9 Brazil FW Evanilson
10 Scotland MF Ryan Christie
11 Burkina Faso MF Dango Ouattara
12 United States MF Tyler Adams
13 Spain GK Kepa Arrizabalaga (on loan from Chelsea)
15 England DF Adam Smith (captain)
16 England MF Marcus Tavernier
No. Position Player
17 Colombia MF Luis Sinisterra
19 Netherlands FW Justin Kluivert
22 Mexico DF Julián Araujo
23 England DF James Hill
24 Ghana FW Antoine Semenyo
26 Turkey FW Enes Ünal
27 Ukraine DF Illya Zabarnyi
29 Denmark MF Philip Billing
35 Wales DF Owen Bevan
37 England DF Max Aarons
40 England GK Will Dennis
42 Republic of Ireland GK Mark Travers

Players on Loan

These players are still part of AFC Bournemouth but are playing for other teams for a while.

No. Position Player
1 Brazil GK Neto (at Arsenal until 30 June 2025)
6 Wales DF Chris Mepham (at Sunderland until 30 June 2025)
21 Canada FW Daniel Jebbison (at Watford until 30 June 2025)
32 England FW Jaidon Anthony (at Burnley until 30 June 2025)
49 England MF Dominic Sadi (at Carlisle United until 30 June 2025)
No. Position Player
51 England FW Daniel Adu-Adjei (at Carlisle United until 30 June 2025)
France MF Romain Faivre (at Brest until 30 June 2025)
New Zealand GK Alex Paulsen (at Auckland FC until 30 June 2025)
England MF Joe Rothwell (at Leeds United until 30 June 2025)
Ivory Coast MF Hamed Traorè (at Auxerre until 30 June 2025)

Who Runs the Club?

Club Officials

Board
Owner
United States Black Knight Football Club
Chairman President of Football Operations Assistant first-team technical director President of business
United States Bill Foley Portugal Tiago Pinto England Simon Francis United States Jim Frevola
First team
Management
Manager
Spain Andoni Iraola
First team coaches
England Tommy Elphick

England Shaun Cooper

Head of goalkeeping First Team Assistant Goalkeeper Coach
England Neil Moss England Gareth Stewart
First Team Fitness Coach
Spain Pablo de la Torre
Medical
Performance Director Head of Therapy Physiotherapists
United States Jay Mellette England Scot McAllister England Michael Harding England Joe Barton
England Dave Gardner England Natasha Nolan
Sports scientists
Head of Performance and Physical Development Lead Rehabilitation & Performance Specialist Sports Scientists
England Alastair Harris England Charlie Moore Northern Ireland Sean McCullagh England Rob Lloyd
Analysis & performance
First Team Senior Performance Analyst Analysts
England Ryan Dawes England Tom Webber England Sam May England Luke Summers
Position Name
Academy manager England Sam Gisbourne
Academy head of coaching & development England Bruce Suraci
Academy head of goalkeeping England Billy Granger
Development squad manager England Alan Connell
U18 coach England James Lowy
U18 assistant coach England Junior Stanislas

Team Colours and Kits

The team's colours have changed a bit over time. They started with red-and-white stripes. They have also played in all-red shirts and red with white sleeves. Since 1990, they mostly wear red-and-black stripes. Fans even asked for the stripes to come back in 2006!

Since 2017, Umbro has made Bournemouth's kits. Many different companies have made their kits before. The team's shirts also have sponsors. For the 2024–25 season, bj88 is the main shirt sponsor, and LEOS International sponsors the sleeves.

Year Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor (front) Shirt sponsor (sleeve)
1974–1978 Umbro No sponsor No sponsor
1978–1980 Adidas
1980–1981 Reg Heynes Toyota
1981–1982 In-House
1982–1983 Osca No sponsor
1983–1985 Umbro Reg Heynes Toyota
1985–1986 Coopers Beers
1986–1987 Hensons
1987–1988 Scoreline Canberra Homes
1988–1989 Nolan
1989–1990 No sponsor
1990–1992 Ellgren A1 Windscreens
1992–1994 Matchwinner Exchange & Mart
1994–1995 Frizzell
1995–1996 Le Coq Sportif
1996–1997 Patrick
1997–2000 Seward
2000–2001 Super League
2001–2003 TFG Sports
2003–2006 Bourne Red
2006–2008 Focal Point
2008–2011 Carbrini Sportswear Cabrini Sportswear
2011–2012 Fila Focal Point
2012–2014 Energy Consulting
2014–2015 Carbrini Sportswear
2015–2017 JD Sports Mansion
2017–2020 Umbro Mansion
2020 Vitality
2020–2022 MSP Capital No sponsor
2022–2024 Dafabet DeWalt
2024– bj88 LEOS International

Who Are Bournemouth's Rivals?

According to a poll in 2019, Bournemouth fans see their biggest rival as nearby club Southampton. Other rivals include Portsmouth, Brighton and Hove Albion, Reading, and Leeds United. Recently, there has also been some rivalry with Nottingham Forest.

Club Records and Achievements

Player Records

  • Steve Fletcher has played the most games for Bournemouth: 726 matches between 1992 and 2013.
  • Ron Eyre holds the record for most goals scored for the club: 229 goals between 1924 and 1933.
  • Ted MacDougall scored the most goals in a single season: 42 goals in 1970–71.

Transfer Records

  • The highest amount of money Bournemouth has received for a player is £65 million. This was from Tottenham Hotspur for Dominic Solanke in August 2024.
  • The highest amount Bournemouth has paid for a player is £40.2 million. This was for Evanilson from Porto, also in August 2024.

League Achievements

  • The club's highest-ever league finish was 9th place in the Premier League in the 2016–17 season.

Trophies and Honours

Here are some of the main trophies AFC Bournemouth has won:

League Titles

Cup Competitions

  • Associate Members' Cup / Football League Trophy
    • Winners: 1983–84
    • Runners-up: 1997–98
  • Third Division South Cup
    • Winners: 1945–46

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: AFC Bournemouth para niños

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