Saturday 24 April 2010

Cherries back in League 1!


One of the great success story's in English football this year has been AFC Bournemouth who earned promotion back to league one yesterday with a 2-0 win away at Burton Albion.

The South West club secured the third and final automatic promotion place in the division, and are set to join already promoted Notts County and Rochdale in English football's third tier next year.

Bournemouth's promotion has come despite a crippling financial situation. The club have faced a fourteen month transfer embargo leaving the club unable to sign new players.

The Cherries were also given a colossal 17-point deduction the previous year leaving the club stuck in a year long fight to retain their football league status something the club has had for 86 years. Bournemouth managed to survive this relegation scrap, eventually finishing nine points clear of Luton Town and Chester City.

Most of the credit for Bournemouth's resilient turn around has rightfully gone to their 32 year old manager Eddie Howe.

The fresh faced ex Bournemouth centre half became full-time manager of the club on January 20th 2009 with the club ten points from safety in league two. And since steering them to safety that season has helped inspire the club to promotion, in spite of the burden of being unable to sign players.

One of Howe's most crucial decisions was to bring Bournemouth legend Steve Fletcher back to the club. The forward who is five years older than his gaffer goal's last season and this year have proved vital to the club.

The 37 year old managed just under 500 appearances at the club during his first spell and after returning and helping the club avoid relegation now has the North Stand at Bournemouth's home ground, Dean Court named after him.

Fletcher a big physical forward has often been used as a foil for more prolific forwards. In his first spell at the club he formed successful partnerships with the likes of James Hayter, Jermain Defoe and Jack Lester. This year the big man has often been partnered with the in form Brett Pitman.

Pitman, has managed 27 goals this season with the latest coming yesterday in the promotion sealing win against Burton Albion. The striker lies in third place in the list of top goalscorers in league two this year with Notts County's Lee Hughes leading the way on 28 goals 3 more than Pitman has managed. Cherries fans will be hopeful the 22 year old can carry his goal scoring form into League 1 next year to give Bournemouth a fighting chance of surviving in the division.

Bournemouth's success story is a remarkable one which in my opinion deserves as much coverage as the soap opera that has been Notts County football club this year and Rochdale's 41 first promotion in 41 years.

From a personal point of view the success of Bournemouth has pleased me as my friend Jonny McIver has followed the club through this tumultuous five year period for the club and now can look forward to seeing his club back in League two and potentially facing fallen giants Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds United.