AFC Bournemouth facts for kids
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| Full name | AFC Bournemouth | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The Cherries Boscombe |
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| Founded | 1899 (as Boscombe) | ||
| Ground | Dean Court | ||
| 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 | ||
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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.
Contents
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.
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
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Players on Loan
These players are still part of AFC Bournemouth but are playing for other teams for a while.
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Who Runs the Club?
Club Officials
| Board | ||||
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| Owner | ||||
 Black Knight Football Club |
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| Chairman | President of Football Operations | Assistant first-team technical director | President of business | |
| Bill Foley |
 Tiago Pinto |
 Simon Francis |
Jim Frevola |
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| First team | ||||
| Management | ||||
| Manager | ||||
 Andoni Iraola |
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| First team coaches | ||||
| Tommy Elphick |
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| Head of goalkeeping | First Team Assistant Goalkeeper Coach | |||
| Neil Moss |
Gareth Stewart |
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| First Team Fitness Coach | ||||
| Pablo de la Torre |
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| Medical | ||||
| Performance Director | Head of Therapy | Physiotherapists | ||
| Jay Mellette |
Scot McAllister |
Michael Harding |
Joe Barton |
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| Dave Gardner |
Natasha Nolan |
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| Sports scientists | ||||
| Head of Performance and Physical Development | Lead Rehabilitation & Performance Specialist | Sports Scientists | ||
| Alastair Harris |
Charlie Moore |
 Sean McCullagh |
Rob Lloyd |
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| Analysis & performance | ||||
| First Team Senior Performance Analyst | Analysts | |||
| Ryan Dawes |
Tom Webber |
Sam May |
Luke Summers |
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| Position | Name |
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| Academy manager | Sam Gisbourne |
| Academy head of coaching & development | Bruce Suraci |
| Academy head of goalkeeping | Billy Granger |
| Development squad manager | Alan Connell |
| U18 coach | James Lowy |
| U18 assistant coach | 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
- Championship (Second Tier)
- Winners: 2014–15
- Runners-up: 2021–22
- Third Division South / Third Division / League One (Third Tier)
- Winners: 1986–87
- Runners-up: 1947–48, 2012–13
- Fourth Division / Third Division / League Two (Fourth Tier)
- Runners-up: 1970–71, 2009–10
- Promoted: 1981–82
- Play-off winners: 2003
- Southern League
- Runners-up: 1922–23
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
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Chart showing AFC Bournemouth's league positions over the years.
See also
In Spanish: AFC Bournemouth para niños
