Is it me or is a full house more enjoyable?

I had a good look around as usual on the first Saturday of the season at Dean Court. With a camera in your hand you can't help but take a close look at people's faces and feel a response from fans as they chat away to one another. This season more than any other at Dean Court we will see more packed houses and, although the gate was just 10,114 for the Brentford game it felt even more packed than that when milling around outside the ground. With bigger games to come, the seat next to you is more than likely going to be filled most games and it's something you don't really think about in the summer, but when it comes to match day and you think I'll just nip down to the refreshments before half time you just might find it a bit more tricky than last season.

A full stadium is what we want to see, not a half empty one like England
had at Wembley last night after its  failed World Cup exploits. 

I personally love the impact of a full ground and the away supporters play their part in that as well. It is the singing, the anguish and excitement that reach more of a peak with everyone joining in. I still believe AFCB will retain its family club image and its supporters love for clean and precise, passing football but with a larger crowd I see that there is more urgency to obtain success which is what the club and hopefully the majority of fans also want.

I will still curse when I can't get out of the ground quickly at the end of the match and I'll probably find the half time queues get even longer, but all the time I'll know there are more people enjoying being at AFCB. It is a world away from those quiet days when we were in League Two with a couple of thousand fans. I used to wonder what it was about our club that made it unfashionable and destined never to rival the truly big football clubs even though the team was taught to play the right way. Financial clout has certainly made itself felt now and to Maxim Demin we are hugely grateful, but it has taken a lot of people many years of work to get the club to the position it is now and I hope those people are remembered. Now it is becoming fashionable to support AFCB and long may it remain so.

One of those people that have helped build the style of play at AFCB is former Cherries' manager Sean O'Driscoll who has become the England U-19 coach - the very best of luck to him.