Welcome AFC Bournemouth

[Pilgrim Meister]

Didn't catch the name by any chance? We've had periods of going through chairmen at a rate of knots so it sounds possible.

Regarding the ground, nothing confirmed.. Club have been considering various options, but we have various planning regulation constraints being on parkland and hemmed in by housing on two sides which imposes height restrictions . I'd hope to at least add a couple thousand to the capacity in the short term, but doubt it'll be anything significant any time soon. 18k is the theoretical capacity we reckon we could achieve at the site if we have the council on side and the time/money etc. The media exposure could help persuade the council.

Surely in the longer term is success is sustained, a new stadium in a new location may be the only realistic solution on the table. Would 18'000 even be enough in the Prem?

 

[BS_8]

They are looking long term but this has happened quickly. For next season I believe the increase will only be to 14,000, this is to ensure the 10% is adhered to (as we give 1,400 tickets) and the away fans stay in the corner. Any improvement means a move around of fans which the management don't want. I like Mark am still dumbfounded.

 

[AFCB_Mark]

No one really wants a new location, Dean Court has been home since 1910 and it'd be wretched to leave. And any new location would be out of the town with dire atmosphere, pubs, transport links etc.

Half the trouble is, we have no clue what our potential fanbase actually is. This has all happened so quickly as BS_8 says. If we could magically pick a capacity figure out of thin air and apply that to the ground - I'd struggle to pick it. A conurbation of 400,000 certainly could support a big club. For the time being, a small increase seems sensible and we'll see how we go. We also need to get much cleverer at our whole ticketing operation, because it's a shambles at times, and again holds the attendances back.

 

[Super_horns]

Ours isn't a lot bigger for away fans - 2,500.

 

[JaseTheVillain]

A far more exciting club, and one I hoped would come up since they were doing so well earlier in the season. Welcome Bournemouth, hopefully we're still here to play you next year.

Wow, great achievement. Always nice to see a different team come up.

6 years ago they were bottom of L2 with -17 points.

Ahem, 2nd bottom. Luton had -30.

 

[PDS]

Like the other two Cherries on here, utterly speechless, and the reality of it hasn't properly sunk in it. The players and Eddie Howe made history last night, something I never, ever thought would happen to my club.

I have no doubts we'll come straight back down but I hope we can continue to annoy a few of the big boys with a tinpot upset or two.

 

[AFCB_Mark]

For anyone interested up here, follow the link to an article in the Guardian. It's written by a journo supporter who I vaguely know, but it could equally apply to me word for word, even down to the dad giving his savings away in 97. Nerves about the future and where we go now etc, put more eloquently than I could.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/apr/29/bournemouth-football-premier-league-fans-prize

 

[SRNP]

What a bit of money can do eh? a club like Bournemouth should never be buying players for 2million+ period. However I like them and what I like about them is that they've spent wisely, they've got a clever manager and a talented attack minded squad that has gelled together and its a fantastic achievement. Lets just hope they recruit well again because they WILL need to strengthen that squad or they'll fight it out with derby for the lowest points total in the premier league and come straight back down.

It'll be weird seeing Bournemouth on MOTD
<<<<<< ------------- Seriously what the hell would you use this emotion for?

 

[mistermagic]

Rammy has the flu?

 

[Luke Imp]

Just read about Bournemouth needing to improve bits and pieces at the Stadium.

Is there a set of readable guidelines anywhere that state what needs to be done and to what standard? Just curious to read them, that's all.

 

[AFCB_Mark]

Just read about Bournemouth needing to improve bits and pieces at the Stadium.

Is there a set of readable guidelines anywhere that state what needs to be done and to what standard? Just curious to read them, that's all.

Yep, there's a massive document hidden away on the Premier League website somewhere.. if I can find it I'll come back and link it.

Got it, several hundred pages of it:
http://m.premierleague.com/content/...handbooks/premier-league-handbook-2014-15.pdf

The most interesting thing I find about it is - all the requirements and priorities are around Sky and the media. Screw the actual supporters who attend matches - who cares about their facilities? The below are all things we need to improve over the summer:

We need XYZ specific permanently fixed camera positions around the pitch to ensure the best viewing angles for Sky
We need to give journalists and media employees at least X number of seats in the ground
We need the highest quality of foodlights to ensure best lighting conditions for broadcasting night games
We need to permanently install all the fibre optic cabling around the stadium that Sky require for cameras and connections
Everything down to a stipulation regarding the minimum spec/speed of internet connectivity that must available to the media in the press section

Whilst it's all understandable, Sky calls the shots at this level and pay handsomely for it - but to me it does just highlight where the Prem's priorities lie. We have Sky and Premier League officials looking around the ground this week with the club to finalise what work we're going to complete.

I just hope somewhere in the priorities is a way of increasing capacity for us actual paying customers, and if I'm greedy some more bar space which means I don't have to get down the ground 2 hours before kick off to get a pint.

 

[AFCB_Mark]

Just an update on our tinpot-ness, the club released a statement saying we will not be increasing any capacity for next season. The club cite the amount of work required on the media and Sky side to get the ground sorted as being prohibative to doing any capacity work. Club also cite some contamination survey and planning work required on the south stand land before any further development.

Both of which are total bullshit, for reasons I won't bore you with.

Capacity remains at 11,700 - although that is also bullshit from the club because we'll actually be losing seats because of the TV gantries we need to build and the increased media allocation. I imagine a capacity of just over 11,000, with a shade under 1400 to away fans.

"Capacity increase will be a priority if we stay up" - even if we go down we need more capacity, that's been clear for over 2 years of constant sellouts. So I fear if relegation is the most likely outcome, then we're missing the best chance we'll ever have to expand our fanbase.

Season Ticket prices are out, my ST goes up to £550. I feared worse, considering the demand and lack of supply.

 

[JimJams]

The most interesting thing I find about it is - all the requirements and priorities are around Sky and the media.

It's not really interesting though is it? They're essentially paying you a fuckload of money and so they expect a certain standard.

 

[Madejski]

even if we go down we need more capacity, that's been clear for over 2 years of constant sellouts. So I fear if relegation is the most likely outcome, then we're missing the best chance we'll ever have to expand our fanbase.

Last three seasons average attendances have been 7,393 and 10,641 with 10,265 last season. I know it's not great seemingly reducing capacity on promotion, but looking out you already have enough room for all the true supporters, increasing demand will just be adding the Premierleague hangers on who mostly won't care about Bournemouth when you get relegated. Then with an expanded stadium you'll be getting similar attendances to those above but rather than a 90% full stadium, it'll be 50-60%, which massively takes away from the atmosphere. It affects every club that gets relegated, Bournemouth would be no different, it's not like the fanbase has been in hiding for years, just not there. Don't run before you can walk.

 

[Skinner]

Even the ones that haven't even been promoted to be relegated, like Brighton

 

[AFCB_Mark]

Last three seasons average attendances have been 7,393 and 10,641 with 10,265 last season. I know it's not great seemingly reducing capacity on promotion, but looking out you already have enough room for all the true supporters, increasing demand will just be adding the Premierleague hangers on who mostly won't care about Bournemouth when you get relegated. Then with an expanded stadium you'll be getting similar attendances to those above but rather than a 90% full stadium, it'll be 50-60%, which massively takes away from the atmosphere. It affects every club that gets relegated, Bournemouth would be no different, it's not like the fanbase has been in hiding for years, just not there. Don't run before you can walk.

I agree with the gist of that, and I wouldn't want a large expansion. In fact there's little point on a stadium we currently don't own. And it's true that most of the loyal fanbase will be able to see a fair number of games. We just wanted maybe 2000 extra by swapping the temporary stand - some breathing space. Which could always be swapped back if our gates ever dropped off significantly.

With that 7393 the capacity was 9k in L1, with away gates often only 300 or so, that 7393 had the home areas mostly sold out every week. And then these last two seasons at Championship level with 11.5k capacity, and those numbers you mention. We've had 3 seasons of very high % sold home areas. And the frustration of ST seats left empty by no-shows, whilst the ticket office have to turn away non-ST regulars.

There is currently a preception that if you don't have an ST, and you don't have a significant history on the database, then you have no chance of getting a ticket, such is the criteria we have to apply. Whilst that perception isn't totally true, it's true to say it's not easy for any non ST holder, no matter how regular or newbie they might be.

Having to apply a strict history based criteria to most home ticket sales is no way to try and grow a fanbase.