Are the TV cameras being put before the fans?

The club has worked really hard to raise its profile among the footballing elite. I am particularly thoughtful of the work of Jeff Mostyn as a Football League representative and the ability of AFCB to attract the cameras to Dean Court for internationals and FA Cup games. Last season we also saw the cameras come out for the Brighton derby and the same fixture has now been moved from Saturday 1 November to a 7.45pm evening kick-off on Friday 31 October this season. How about televising a different game to the Brighton matches every year Sky? Did anyone tell them there are 23 teams they can choose from?

I do note that SkySports also see fit to show Bournemouth's Watford away game, which had already been selected for an early kick-off now on 20 September at 12.15pm - at least they kept this one to a Saturday. Somehow it never comes into TV company's thinking that there are exiles out there who find it easier to travel to games at the weekend rather than take time off to make mid-week matches! I hope Sky are not just showing the Watford V AFCB match because there were seven goals at Vicarage Road last time we played them in the league. Yet, somehow I think this might well be the reason. I also note that the Ipswich away match has also been moved although this is not over TV coverage - shame that might have been a good game for the cameras to go to considering that they were two teams pressing for the play-offs last season.

Shame SkySports shows no imagination when picking AFCB games to cover.

As always I would be keen for the TV cameras to pick a few of our more distant fixtures to televise rather than those nearby. Wouldn't it be marvellous if TV companies actually thought about the fans and checked which matches they would most like televised for their club - will live in hope? Still the fact that AFCB are getting on TV is important and if it attracts another family or two to the next home game then it is all good in my book. But no matter how many times the club is on TV it won't match the feeling of being there and sharing the excitement and noise with your fellow fans.

While the club may well receive extra revenue from the odd televised game a few good cup runs are what will probably help to get the club on the cameras. It is hard to estimate what impact the matches against Real Madrid and Liverpool had on the local community and its view of AFCB. It is important though that such matches don't become isolated specks in the history books of our club and that fans and directors at the club seek to attract wider audience. The more people take a look, the more I believe they will like what they see about AFCB and we should all be proud to be supporters of the Cherries.

I just must be an old-fashioned kind of fan who kind of liked having the odd game on a Saturday afternoon at 3pm.