I'm starting to think that the position that AFCB are now in is really as good as it can ever can get for a Cherry supporter. Why is that? Well I know we all have dreams of seeing our team play the Man Utd's, Liverpool's and Arsenal's of this world in the Premiership. I can't say that I have never wondered what it would be like to see the Cherries taking on such teams regularly, but there is a catch. firstly the cost but also do I want to see my team losing most weekends?
Who can blame adult supporters of Premiership teams for becoming armchair fans when they were asked to pay £453-650 for a season ticket in the 2012/13 season? (Prices from Guardian Newspaper survey 22 May 2012).
If we were to ever go up to the Premiership we are likely to see more high earning players coming into our squad. For the owners, it is more beneficial to get to the Premiership with higher revenues and even larger TV viewing money. But what is in it for your average supporter?
I read that Premiership attendances were actually up on average this season to 35931 from 34601 the season before, but you see fewer games and pay more for them. If AFCB stay in the Championship for a decade we are still likely to draw some big teams in the cups, especially now that we do not have to play the earlier rounds. We will also see some big names and teams who have been relegated from the Premiership only the season before. Our club will benefit from being in the Championship with good TV money and healthy crowds.
For supporters then, surely AFCB is now in the best league it can be in for our family club if fans want to watch good football at a reasonable price. But I am not happy about that because for players and supporters it should be about trying to achieve the very best standard that the club is able to reach.
Even more worrying, come the end of next season what if AFCB are in the play-offs should I be wanting them to lose? I would be ecstatic if the Cherries were playing at Wembley a year from today. It also makes me understand why some QPR, Reading and Wigan fans are even looking forward to playing in the Championship again - maybe they are not so daft.
Have I got it wrong? Would we be happier fans in the Premiership?
This is a fan’s personal view of AFC Bournemouth from the outside looking in. It reports on the daily official activities reported by the club and comments made by individual fans on social media and fanbase websites. Life as an AFCB fan is never dull. As a life-long supporter of the Cherries, it is the friendliness of the staff, fans and my enthusiasm for the club that inspired me to write this blog.
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