Cherry Chimes attends AFCB's Business evening

Last night I attended the AFC Bournemouth business evening at Sevens Boat Shed in Poole for AFCB business members and any interested fans who wanted to come along. While the weather was abysmal with the torrential rain outside perhaps putting some off from attending and sampling the wine and canapes, those who did attend had plenty to talk about.

The Sevens Boat Shed venue

Nigel Hedges of the Bournemouth Chamber of Trade and Commerce got the evening under way with a brief welcome speech. Rob Mitchell, the club's commercial director, then updated attendees on how AFCB was preparing for the new season which is fast approaching. He said that everyone was eagerly awaiting the fixtures next Wednesday with so many big clubs going to play the Cherries. Currently season ticket sales have topped 5500 up 2000 from 3500 sold last season.The Family Stand is completely sold out which Rob was particularly pleased about with the club having put so much effort into community projects and in attracting more families to AFCB. Of course, we know the club has already picked up the NPower Family Excellence Award in this respect.

As I was making the trip down to Poole it seemed a good opportunity to go over to Dean Court to see what was going on. I popped over despite the pouring rain to take a few snaps of the area being worked on for the new temporary stand and for the club shop extension. I guessed that you all might like to see what progress has been made. There were only three workmen by the South stand and they were busy cutting up iron grids, but the ground for the footings seemed to be coming along with small stakes lined out on the now level ground.

Not sure if I could get near at first.

Found my way in. Photos taken 12 June 2013.

I expected to be chased off but it was so wet no one
seemed to mind that I took some snaps.

This is going to look so different in a few weeks time.

Rob said the new temporary stand will take capacity at the Goldsands Stadium up to 11,500 capacity. Still no news though yet on whether it will be for all away fans or split with home fans, but I was told that time lapse photography has been sorted out on the South stand as it goes up, so we should see a movie on that some time in the future on the AFCB official website. For those who like the Wall of Fame, I heard that they would be looked at in terms of   the posters that are exposed to everything that the elements can throw at them. I think last time I looked some of the bottom corners of Eddie Howe's poster had started to lift.

The club shop extension is really moving along fast. Great big red steel girders are already in place and the scaffolding is well up on the the first floor. Charlie Daniels and Miles Addisson are looking on as a giant poster in one of the bottom windows. I guess you want to see some shop extension pictures as well. I'm spoiling you!

Side entrance for the shop then.

This is starting to look the business.

I wish I had one of those AFCB safety hats.

Charlie and Miles are ready to break out of the shop.

Meanwhile, back at the Boat Shed it was good to be told that the club has also been building its business club members which are now 1100 members and the target is to raise this to 1500 by the Christmas period. 

When Rob had finished his speech, I quickly got the conversations on to Cherry Chimes and met with as many people as I could to see how they were involved in supporting AFCB. The people were very diverse and talked about all kinds of businesses like tyres, glass fitting, hotels, corporate events and entertainment and recruitment just for starters.   

It was particularly interesting to hear about how the hotels were looking forward to hearing the fixtures so that they could apply to away clubs to book their rooms early. The extra business that the Championship has brought to the town is giving local businesses a real buzz and an opportunity to do well in future months.

The next corporate events for AFCB include the Macmillan cancer bike ride on 7th July and the Golf day at the Dorset Golf and Country Club on 31 July. There is also a business breakfast on 10 July at the Goldsands Stadium. For more information visit: http://www.afc-business.co.uk/