An audience with Harry Redknapp

Some of you might have seen me tweet last night a question to Harry Redknapp.  Sadly, the question didn't get answered and in fact none of the questions that appeared on #HeyHarry got replies, as Harry was talking a bit too long to need any questions from this audience. But it was still a great evening. Harry has so many great stories.

Harry on tour in 2020.

I had been treated to an Audience with Harry Redknapp at the Hawth Theatre in Crawley. Harry was on stage for a couple of hours giving his stories about football at Bournemouth, West Ham and Tottenham and even his international management days in Jordan, I'm a celebrity get me out of here, Sandbanks and Harry's Heroes.

Advertisement

 

Harry was on top form and told a story about George Best that I hadn't heard before. George was interested in going to horse racing after training at AFC Bournemouth and wondered if Harry new where Salisbury was. Harry said,"Yes, it's about 40 minutes away." The two of them decided they could make the trip if Harry drove as George was banned again from driving, but George asked Harry a favour. He needed Harry to pick his girlfriend up on the way, Mary Stavin, who was of course a former Miss World, and drop her off at Bournemouth station, so she could go back up to London. Harry agreed and when Mary left the car, George turned round to Harry and said, "thank God she's gone."

Advertisement

Eddie Had a Dream is on sale now!

Harry was perplexed and asked what the problem was. George said, "They had gone to the cinema last night and she had been touching his leg and nibbling at his ear."  Harry was like, "Yes, what's the problem, she's beautiful.?"

"Well, I wanted to watch the film," said George. That made Harry laugh as he though several million men would have loved to have been in George's seat last night.

When they had their day at the races and were just leaving Salisbury, George saw two men who had clearly lost their money and were looking for a lift back to Fordingbridge and Bournemouth. George asked Harry to pick them up and give them a lift. George was overly kind to the two men and talked to them and answered whatever questions they put to him on the journey home. "That was the kind of person George was like," said Harry.

Advertisement

Coastal Garden Buildings

Harry was full of such stories and also talked about his next TV series of Harry's Heroes on ITV, which has the old England team back together again with Razor Ruddock, John Barnes and David Seaman. The team go to Spain and play San Marino gain to try and get revenge for that early first minute goal that they let in on 17 November 1993 in their 1-7 win over the San Marino team that played that day, including the San Marino goal scorer - Davide Gualtieri. So look out for that when it comes out on TV later this year!

Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Howe has to tell his players that Liverpool are beatable

Eddie Had A Dream: A move to Portsmouth should have been the start of something big for Eddie Howe

There was little doubting that Eddie Howe was one of the star players in a Cherries' team that was bumping along in League Two in 2001-02. It wasn't long before other clubs were looking to see if they could take Eddie and play him at a higher level, and on 28 March 2002, Eddie Howe left AFC Bournemouth to join former AFC Bournemouth manager Harry Redknapp at Portsmouth FC. It should have been the transfer move that made Eddie Howe's career take-off, but the fact that it didn't turn out that way wasn't a opportunity to be wasted.

Advertisement

Eddie Had a Dream is on sale now!

Here is another extract from
Eddie Had A Dream
Chapter 4: Playershare power and Financial worries (2002-07).

Portsmouth came calling for Eddie Howe, after Harry Redknapp became Pompey’s manager. In March 2002 Eddie signed for Portsmouth on a three-year deal for £400,000. It should have been the making of the centre-back, but it turned out to be a frustrating period with Howe only making two appearances for Pompey, as he sustained a knee injury in his debut against Preston North End. Eddie was injured after 51 minutes of the game which Pompey lost 2-0. That would have been a crushing blow for any professional footballer, but Eddie is a man who considers and ponders his every move. For him, the period in rehabilitation gave him a chance to see how Harry Redknapp and Kevin Bond worked with players. Howe was once asked whether moving to Portsmouth had been a bad decision? It certainly wasn’t for Eddie in terms of personal development. He viewed it as a chance to learn from others and to find something that would add to his own makeup.

Advertisement

                          

Eddie made his comeback over a year later, on 10 August 2002, when Portsmouth played Nottingham Forest. The match was another devastating blow for Eddie, who lasted just nine minutes before his knee went again. It was only Eddie’s second game for Portsmouth and he would not play for them again.

Advertisement

Coastal Garden Buildings

You can pick up your copy of Eddie Had A Dream on Amazon/Kindle as a £9.99 ebook or a £13.49 paperback.

Advertisement

Eddie Had a Dream eBook 
version -available now!

As of Saturday, after 11am - or late morning, local fans can also pop along to the In off the Far Post shop, at 901 Christchurch Road, Pokesdown, where Paul Orchard will be happy to sell you the first copies of the book that will be available locally.

I am rushing a delivery down to him and aim to be there by late morning, so - fingers crossed - he can sell some copies before and after the start of the match with Man United - do drop in and see him. He has some fantastic stock of AFC Bournemouth books and programmes and I used a lot of his information at the shop as reference for Eddie Had A Dream. You might even get a signed copy if you bump in to me!


ALSO DON'T MISS THIS! Jack Kitson at The Sack Race interviewed Cherry Chimes about Eddie Had A Dream and he has a competition give away - to read his interview and enter the free to enter competition - click this link to the Sack Race website.

Jumping on a few years from Eddie Howe's playing years, here is a video of the period when Eddie Howe left AFCB to join Burnley FC as their manager. 

Eddie Had a Dream: Chapter 8 Farewell to the Cherries 2010-11

Cherry Chimes Newsletter - out tomorrow!
Cherry Chimes' November Newsletter brings you the best stories on the blog and the thoughts behind them from last month. It's out tomorrow, with special stories - Where will we be in another seven years and can we be pleased with the start of the season?

To sign up for the newsletter just complete the form below - like all good things it's free!

Email Address 

First Name

Last Name

Email Format

• html
• text

Win a copy of Dean Court Days - Harry Redknapp's Bournemouth story

Sponsored Article

I was lucky enough to own one of the early copies of Dean Court Days, written by AFC Bournemouth supporter and podcaster Michael Dunne. It is a great read and a book that I couldn't put down this summer, as a relived Harry's playing career at Dean Court and the Cherries charge to League Two with a momentous FA Cup win over Manchester United along the way. You can own a copy of the book as well thanks to Pitch Publishing that have kindly offered three copies as prizes to readers of Cherry Chimes.

The inspiration for the book came from Michael Dunne's own disappointment that Harry Redknapp’s days at Dean Court have featured only fleetingly in his biographies. While Harry is well documented for his managerial career at West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur it seemed only right that there should be a more detailed account of his years at Dean Court. Now, with the cooperation of Harry himself, the tale of his rise from barely remembered player to the country’s brightest young manager is told for the first time.

Harry Redknapp learnt his transfer craft at AFC Bournemouth, as finances were always tight and you soon see what a sharp operator Harry is in the transfer market. The book also follows how Harry took the Cherries out of the Third tier for the first time and how he bounced back from relegation and from almost losing his life to nurture his son, Jamie, from schoolboy sensation into one of Britain’s most expensive teenage footballers.

Featuring interviews with team-mates, colleagues and friends, and painstakingly researched archive material, this is an inside account of Redknapp’s years at Dean Court, as well as a history of two decades in the life the Cherries. You will find out:

· How Redknapp’s playing career in England fizzled out before he reached 30, in the shadowlands of reserve team football and the treatment table
· What Harry did when his Bournemouth team-mates plotted to oust their unpopular manager
· How Redknapp almost quit the game at the end of his playing days to become a taxi driver after he lost all his money to an American con man
· What happened at AFC Bournemouth when George Best signed for the club and comedian Jim Davidson joined the board of directors
· How Bournemouth’s persistent financial problems saw Harry rapidly hone his skills in the transfer market to build a winning team
· How Redknapp wrestled with his dual roles as a father and manager when guiding his son Jamie to football stardom
· How Harry resolved to temper his obsessive work rate after almost losing his life in Rome – only to return to management and repeat his mistakes
· Why Redknapp incurred the wrath of his devoted following at Dean Court when he left the Cherries after nine years at the helm

Free to Enter Competition
We have three books to give away. To be in with a chance of winning is send an email to cherrychimesblog@gmail.com with the answer to this question - Which Bournemouth manager signed Harry Redknapp in June 1972?

Send in your answers by 12pm on Wednesday 10 October 2018.

Good Luck!


Thanks to Pitch Publishing for sponsoring this competition on Cherry Chimes.

Dean Court Days - Boro game set new attendance record for Cherries

Sponsored article

Carrying on our selection of exerts from Michael Dunne's Dean Court Days, our next item takes us up to 1987 when Bournemouth had a top of the table clash with Middlesbrough - it was an all or nothing contest for Harry Redknapp.

Redknapp's side bounced back from a bruising defeat at Bristol City winning their next five games to consolidate their position at the summit of the Third Division. The undoubted highlight of this run of victories came in the game on Tuesday 3 March 1987 against second-placed Middlesbrough. The heavyweight clash pitted the side with the best home record against the team with the best away record and, despite almost a third of the season’s fixtures still to play, it felt like a winner- takes-all encounter.

Redknapp was in no mood to play down the fixture, his raw emotion seeing him encourage the Dean Court crowd to spur their heroes on to greater heights. ‘I want the place to erupt when we run out on to the field,’ he said. ‘We want noise for all the 90 minutes; we want to raise the roof.’

He was not to be disappointed. In the days when few matches were all ticket, Brian Tiler predicted a crowd of around 10,000. Come the kick-off, upwards of 14,000 fans arrived to set a new record for an evening fixture at Dean Court. With car parks full, King’s Park became an impromptu car park, fans abandoning their cars on grass playing fields in what proved to be the correct assumption that everyday regulations would be waived as a matter of crowd control.

With his rallying cry emphatically answered by the faithful, Redknapp guided his team to a thrilling victory to match the sense of occasion. Towards the end of a frantic first half, future England and Manchester United centre-half Gary Pallister sustained a nasty gash on his leg in a challenge with Trevor Aylott. Pallister was replaced by winger Stuart Ripley, meaning the key defensive partnership of Pallister and Tony Mowbray was broken, giving the Cherries an opportunity to strike for all three points.

Advertisement

Coastal Garden Buildings

Seven minutes after the break, Mark Newson headed the opener following a well-worked set piece. Benignly chaotic celebrations on the terraces had barely died down when Boro equalised from the kick-off. Hesitation between Newson and Gerry Peyton allowed the prolific Bernie Slaven to latch on to a through ball and slot home from two yards. The away side’s tails were up, but Redknapp’s team rode the storm for almost 20 minutes before taking a lead they would not relinquish. A sweeping move from defence saw Trevor Aylott delicately lay the ball into the path of the onrushing Sean O’Driscoll who fired home off the underside of the crossbar from 15 yards. Bournemouth made it three just five minutes later when Aylott converted the penalty he had won after referee Keith Cooper adjudged Boro captain Mowbray to have pushed the powerful target man.

Once the ecstatic scenes at the final whistle had abated, the league table made very happy reading indeed for Harry. His team were now six points clear going into the business end of the

season, and the Bournemouth manager heaped praise upon the supporters’ impact on the result. ‘The ground is still buzzing,' he enthused. 'Things like that happen when you get a crowd like that, and it made a huge difference to the players. We are looking for the top spot. The players believe they can do it. They believe they are as good as anyone in the division.’

Even today, Harry looks back on the victory proudly. 'Look at that Middlesbrough team that year,' he says. 'What a strong team that was. They had Gary Pallister, Tony Mowbray, Bernie Slaven. We did fantastic to beat them.'

It wasn't just points the players stood to gain from beating Middlesbrough. Paul Morrell, who spent the evening keeping the likes of Ripley and Slaven at bay, recalls Redknapp motivating his squad with the prospect of modest material gains. 'The guy who owned Simone's, a leather shop in Bournemouth, was at a sportsman's dinner a few days before the Middlesbrough game,' says Morrell. 'He went up to Harry and he said, "Your boys aren't going to go up this year." Harry said, "You want a bet?" The guy was so confident he bet a leather bomber jacket for each player if we went up. At the end of the season, he had to fork out for 16 of them.'

You can order a copy of Dean Court Days on Amazon

Dean Court Days- get a signed copy!
I other news, Michael Dunne is holding a signing day for Dean Court Days on Saturday 23 June between 1-3pm at In off the far post, 901 Old Christchurch Road, in Pokesdown BH7 6AX. Richard Cooke and Paul Morrell are also popping in to sign a few copies of the book.

Southgate's World Cup - Day4 Majestic Mexicans!

Dean Court Days - coach crash memories

Sponsored article

The next episode from Dean Court Days, published by Pitch Publishing, that Michael Dunne has kindly provided recalls the period when Harry Redknapp and the Bournemouth team managed by John Bond were involved in a coach crash in Yorkshire!

Harry Redknapp had a few close scrapes when in charge of AFCB.

After exiting the FA Cup at Newcastle in January 1973, the Cherries returned to league action with a 1-1 draw at Scunthorpe’s Old Show Ground. John Bond’s frustration with his team’s inability to take a return of maximum points from a fixture they dominated was soon forgotten when the team coach skidded off the road as heavy snow fell across Yorkshire. Redknapp recalls the frightening incident in which the vehicle he was travelling in was written off. ‘The coach was a mess,' he says. 'We were coming down the road and suddenly the coach just took off and kept going. The road turned one way and the coach just started to skid the other way. We knew we weren’t going to stop. We went straight into the wall of a garage. Kenny Brown, who was the first-team coach, got all mangled up in the wreckage and broke his thigh.’

Advertisement

Coastal Garden Buildings

Brown was taken to hospital in Doncaster for the night. Redknapp, who was sitting across the aisle of the coach from Brown, was fortunate to escape relatively unscathed, a happy circumstance that would not be repeated outside Rome 17 years later. The rest of the passengers were equally blessed, although captain Keith Miller lost two teeth as a result of the impact.

The front end of the coach, where Redknapp, Brown and the rest of the card school were playing, was wrecked, with not a window left intact. Despite the shock, Bond and his staff considered themselves lucky:

‘I just don’t know how we came out of it so lightly,’ said Bond. ‘There could have been five or six players badly injured considering the state of the vehicle afterwards.’

Stranded in freezing conditions, Redknapp says that little help was forthcoming for the uninjured players and staff to continue their journey south. ‘We ended up getting a train home. Nowadays another coach would come and pick you up, but not back then. We had to get taxis from where the accident happened, wait in a station, catch the milk train home, change trains and we got back about four o’clock in the morning.’

To get a signed copy of the book Dean Court Days, visit In off the Post, 901 Old Christchurch Road, Pokesdown, Bournemouth BH7 6AX on Saturday 23 June 2018, between 1-3pm when author Michael Dunne will be there to sign copies.

Dean Court Days - George Best arrives at Dean Court

Sponsored article

Michael Dunne is an avid AFCB fan who has published a biography on Harry Redknapp this summer with Pitch Publishing called 'Dean Court Days'. Michael, editor or All Departments podcast, has kindly asked Pitch Publishing if Cherry Chimes could run some extracts of the book this summer and we are going to start with the arrival of George Best at Dean Court on 26 March 1983. Many thanks to Michael and Pitch Publishing.

The front cover of the Newport match programme
had a picture of George Best on it. There was no
mention of the transfer in the programme, such was
the last minute nature of it. 

Following a 0-0 draw with Huddersfield at the start of March 1983, reports began to emerge that Bournemouth were about to sign George Best, still considered by many to be the greatest British footballer of all time. At 36 and in the grip of alcoholism, Best was a shadow of the player who had put fear into the hearts of defences across Europe in the 1960s, but his fading skills and box office appeal were enough to briefly bring the crowds back to Dean Court. 

After stating on television whilst in Southampton that he ‘could be signing for a club just a bus ride away from here,’ Best was unveiled to a stunned local press at Dean Court on transfer deadline day. Bournemouth had officially bought Best from the San Jose Earthquakes, then known as the Golden Bay Earthquakes, of the NASL, although the Ulsterman had not played for the Californian club in almost two years.

How much Bournemouth had paid to secure Best’s registration was never revealed, although when Best’s girlfriend and former Miss World Mary Stavin joined a crowd of 9,121 to watch him make his debut for the Cherries, the gate money from an attendance double the average at Dean Court would have helped offset some of the fee.

After making his debut in a 2-1 defeat at home to Newport County, Best was granted a leave of absence prior to the match against Orient on Easter Saturday after his former landlady from his early years at Manchester United passed away. He was expected to return in time to feature in the Cherries’ line-up. On the morning of the match, however, it became clear that Best was not going to appear. Managing Director Brian Tiler was prompted to take the unusual step of producing a poster saying ‘George Best won’t be playing today’ which was put up outside Dean Court in order to ensure fans looking forward to seeing the former European Footballer of the Year were informed of his absence before paying their money at the turnstile.

Advertisement

Coastal Garden Buildings

Tiler could not have been accused of giving Best licence to do as he pleased, as his widow Hazel explained many years later. 'I remember Brian going up to London to fetch George Best back to play for the Cherries,' said Mrs Tiler. 'When he got to the Barbican, where George was living at the time, there was no sign of him. So Brian was driving round with Mary Stavin looking for him. They tracked him down to one of his favourite pubs, but George escaped through a toilet window. Then Brian caught up with him at another pub, but by this time it was obvious George was in no fit state to play the following day.’

Despite his drink-fuelled absences, Redknapp does not recall any problems with Best when he did join up with the squad. 'George was great,' says Harry. 'He came to training; he was just fantastic. I still don't think I've seen a better player in this country. He was one of the lads. Came in, trained every day. The lads couldn't believe they had got him here to play. I think he absolutely loved it here. George was enjoying his life, still playing. Obviously he'd lost that pace and everything that he had which was a shame. He was nowhere near the George that we knew in his prime, but it was great just to have him around for that spell. I think any way the club could make a few quid at the time they would do it. George came in, gates went up home and away so I think commercially it was quite a good move for the club.’

George Best wasn't listed to be among the starters for AFCB against
Newport County, but he ran out wearing the number seven shirt.
The full team on the day was: Leigh, Heffernan,
Sulley, Spackman, Brignull, Impey, Best, Beck, Lee,
Nightingale, Dawtry, Sub: Graham, while Morgan didn't play.

If you want to pick up a copy of 'Dean Court Days' just click on the link and order your copy now! Look out for the next extract on Dean Court Days next Monday.

Michael will be organising a book signing soon and Harry Redknapp is also likely to want to sign some copies too. We'll keep you informed. 

TalkSport listening - Sports Bar

Tomorrow night Cherry Chimes will be on the airwaves of Talk Sport's Sports Bar programme at 11.00-11.30pm talking about the past season and this summer's transfer talk.

Howe and Redknapp go toe-to-toe in Carabao Cup

Bournemouth travel to Birmingham in the Carabao sponsored League Cup desperately searching for some goals. It's not been a bad place to go to for the Cherries in recent years with their bountiful 8-0 win in October 2014. Now St Andrews has a familiar place installed as their manager, and I suppose it has been a match up that is long overdue to see Redknapp and Howe put their reputations on the line in a managerial contest for a cup game.

AFCB hope St Andrew's remains a happy hunting ground for them.

Birmingham have not been getting fans that excited with four points from four league games, but at least their team has been scoring. A 5-1 home win against Crawley in the last round of the league cup was something for the Blues fans to celebrate and three of their league points have come at home with a 2-1 win over Bristol City.

Harry has been busy signing players too. Luton sold Isaac Vassell on a four year deal. Redknapp has been bemoaning the lack of strikers he can get on the market and he has had to drop don a league to pick up Vassell. David Stockdale has joined from Brighton in goal. Cheik Ndoye is a midfielder that has signed from French side Angers. Dan Scarr boosts their midfield having come from Scarbrough and Marc Roberts is another defender who joined this summer from Barnsley.

Birmingham have also seen Kerim Free move to Istanbul Buyuksehir, while Che Adams and Koby Arthur were released.

Advertisement

Broom Hill Garden Buildings

Eddie Howe will see this as a match where he plays the back up players to the main team. It could backfire if they get a beating as there would be nowhere to turn to if there aren't a couple of positives to take from this game. The manager will take the criticism himself up to a point as it is his decision like it was last year to make the rotation, but it has to benefit the team come next Saturday. Some times you can play yourself into form and there is a case for suggesting that the bench should be lined with players that need to improve. But having time to think and rest is also important.

At least with Howe taking on Redknapp there is a nice friendly nature to the fixture in the boardroom and the two of them will probably share some friendly chat about how things could have gone better for them both this season.


Possible AFCB XI
Boruc (GK), Worthington (RD), Mings (CD), M Wilson (CD), B Smith (LD), Mahoney (RM), L Cook (CM), Gosling (CM), Pugh (LM), Mousset (FW), Defoe (FW)

AFCB Subs Federici (GK), Wiggins (LD), Hyndman, Butcher, Taylor, King, Afobe

The Premier league here we come!

I am still finding it hard to believe, but yes AFC Bournemouth will be playing Premier League football next year. I have put a new Cherry Chimes banner up on the site in recognition of the team's new status. I am just so happy that the stress and nervous tension may soon be coming to an end, although I still believe I will be curious to see if AFCB can still lift the trophy come Saturday afternoon.

It will be a happy day at Charlton though no matter what now. Among all the scenes of last night with the crowd on the pitch and the interviews being carried out, I was really pleased to see Harry Redknapp at the ground in the Sky Sports' tower, leaning over to the window and applauding the job that Eddie Howe had done at the club. I know he will be absolutely chuffed with what has happened and he will know that there is no nicer guy than Eddie Howe to have eclipsed what he has achieved at the Cherries.

The players did manage to get a bit of space
eventually last night, but they will see more photographers
around the ground next season.

Last night the players looked equally as surprised and shocked that they had done it as some of the fans which was also pleasing. The team put in a top performance and thoroughly deserved the points on the night. I liked many of the late scenes in the changing room with Jeff Mostyn getting the bumps and interviews being interrupted by a boisterous chorus of "We are going up!" in the background. I hope that the lads do celebrate in style for a day, because I am sure Eddie will have them back at work asap and thinking of what they can do on Saturday when the headlines could be even bigger for them.

Jeff Mostyn is having a party!

Harry Redknapp enjoyed the evening's entertainment.

The players were the heroes against Bolton as they could have got nervous and felt even more pressure by leaving it to the last game of the season. In the background though we know that Eddie Howe and his players have been backed by Maxim Demin, Neil Blake, Jeff Mostyn and many others who are integral to the team and I am just so delighted for all of them as well as the fans. UTCIAD!

Old Plymouth v AFCB programme is another for the collection

I can see I have started something here with old programmes. When everyone in the family knows that you are an AFCB fan, they kind of know that the addiction needs feeding now and again. So when my brother-in-law and partner went down to Plymouth for a weekend and they visited a car boot sale, it was rather lucky for me that they saw a guy selling old football programmes, and among them just happened to be one AFCB v Plymouth Argyle match programme from Friday 12 April 1974.

The front cover artwork does not carry a name,
but I imagine a graphics company
such as Peter Grainey was involved. Perhaps
one of you knows?

I am told that it did cost my brother-in-law more than the cover price of 10p to buy, but whatever he paid I am pleased that he picked it up for me.

The mid-1970 covers are some of the most iconic that AFCB have ever had. The back cover of Cosy Coaches was drawn by Mr Peter Grainey and I believe the business is still going in Castle Lane West. Apparently Martin Grainey of Peter Grainey Graphics did the artwork for Led Zepplin's 1975 concerts at Earls Court, London.

While spotting a youthful Harry Redknapp on page two I was soon drawn to the players who took part in this match which include Paul Mariner who had been signed from non-league Chorley and was in his first league season. He who went on to become an England international and league winner with Ipswich Town. 

By complete coincidence, the programme has a From the Chair lead column in which assistant Cherries manager, Reg Tyrrell had been dismayed by the low turnout of of 2839 for a testimonial match for Arthur Cunliffe, Tommy Mitchinson and John Meredith, and he implored Bournemouth supporters to come to the next testimonial that would see the late Sir Bobby Robson bring his Ipswich Town side to Dean Court on 30 April 1974.  Paul Mariner was to join Ipswich Town just two years later in 1976.

Harry Redknapp in his prime at AFCB.

Another Plymouth player who must have been well-known to the crowd was their goal keeper Jim Furnell. Jim Furnell had played for Arsenal in goal in the 1968 League Cup final against Leeds Utd. The Plymouth team were managed by Tony Waiters at the time.

Plymouth Argyle team in 1974.

Bournemouth's side included a Bobby Howe as well as Harry Redknapp but it was all a bit before my time as a supporter. What I was interested to see was that Bournemouth were top of the Football Combination League at the time, while in division 3 they were lying in a healthy sixth place compared to Plymouth's 19th position. Bournemouth had lost the earlier November fixture between the two sides at Hope Park by 2-0, and in this match they drew 0-0. Bournemouth ended the season in 11th place and Plymouth finished 17th. Trevor Hartley was managing the Cherries and he had a brief spell in 1987 at Spur's caretaker manager.

Beauty pagants were all the rave!

AFCB Team in April 1974 - looks like there is still a place for one of us to be the sub.

Some of the advertising in the programme was a bit risque in that Alan Dee was suggesting that you beat the cold with one of his sweaters but used a nude lady cuddling up to a fire to prove the benefits of his sweaters, while on page three it was that period in history when Miss AFC Bournemouth was a prized competition with a cash prize (no figure given), and the chance to be a guest at the Maison Royale or the Dormy Hotel - but just for an evening out!

Not sure about the lady on the beat the cold advert.

Well that's the end of my review for this programme, but keep looking our for the past match programmes in the MatchDay programmes this season and see what you can find out about past players and our club. If you have a copy of the Rotherham home programme from this season you'll find the 1973 AFCB v Rotherham programme inside and it is interesting to compare it to the Plymouth programme here just one year later. If you did not pick up that programme AFCB has put it free online today. In 1973, it seems that the Bay City Rollers were the band to follow as the AFCB programme covers then bare a resemblance to the Scottish band's look, even if it took another year before they started getting hits.

AFCB covers from 1973 went a bit logo mad with the
the then fairly new crest. This programme can be
 found in the Rotherham MatchDay programme from
 this season and AFCB has put that programme online today free.

There's nothing to fear while the Cherries hold on to Eddie

A look at the line up of Championship managers shouts big names through most of the clubs. At AFCB I don't think Eddie Howe considers himself as a big name and yet everyone else on the south coast sees him as the special one, if you don't mind Jose. With Eddie you just feel that the club is in safe hands and that the goal is always to improve. But you never get that feeling that he feels it's job done. That is the message that AFCB fans are already getting across to the Saints' fans who had their fears confirmed yesterday when Mauricio Pochettino was appointed as the new Spurs boss, while Eddie Howe was short-listed as 12-1 for the Southampton job, but has already gone out to 14-1.

Eddie Howe has already turned down Southampton
before. I hope his loyalty is not tested again.

Yes, AFCB have shot up the leagues in recent years and have been great entertainment while they have been doing this. Much if not pretty much all of that is down to Eddie, even if he won't admit it. Without him you couldn't really have imagined the club getting to the Championship. He may not yet have the experience of Harry Redknapp or Steve McLaren who were the two battling it out the Premiership spot last weekend, but I wouldn't swap either of them or any of the other Championship managers for Eddie Howe. Why? Because Eddie has given the club direction and belief and everyone of those players and all of the fans have bought into his belief. The result has been to see a team that has excelled and still believes it has room for improvement.

We may sit here in two years time or more and be disappointed if the Cherries are unable to keep their place in the Championship. I don't expect that to happen though while Eddie is in charge. He puts too much of himself into the job to ever see his players under perform and while he is inspiring and willing all around him to give of their best, I don't see any of them shirking their responsibility. They all try even harder because it's for Eddie, and that extends to the fans in the stands. 

I hope we can always hold Eddie Howe as high in our regard for him as it is now as it rarely happens at a football club. It's easy not to like, not to applaud to pick fault or, just dismiss - it takes courage to say you believe in someone and in Eddie we have something to treasure. He is simply too valuable at this stage and to let him go to our arch-rivals. It would be more than most could take, so quickly rule yourself out of the Saint's job Eddie. UTCIAD!

Will QPR make a late raid for Lewis Grabban?

Harry Redknapp will have been delighted to get QPR promoted last weekend but he knows that the squad needs rejuvenating for a season. Now that the club is up, Harry will be keen to stay and have another crack at the Premiership and perhaps with some younger players in his squad. Bobby Zamora may have got QPR promotion but will he be replaced? As everyone knows, your strikers have to be scoring and Harry was already ruing the fact that he had not snapped up Lewis Grabban back in January. That decision back fired when Charlie Austin was injured and Lewis Grabban signed a new contract with the Cherries having turned down Brighton's offer. Even worse Grabban scored against QPR at Dean Court, which only confirmed Harry's views on the potential of the Cherries' striker. 

Lewis Grabban has lots of admirers.

There is a sticking point though. Cardiff have already had a bid accepted by AFC Bournemouth. But will Lewis turn down Cardiff in order to have the chance to play in the Premiership with QPR? It seems a reasonable decision for him to make as I believe his family is still living in London. There has been no news on Lewis Grabban talking with Cardiff yet and there has been murmurs of Frederico Macheda possibly being a target for Cardiff City. Derby County and Middlesbrough are also interested in Grabban, but with the Premiership being dangled in front of a player, it will be hard for him to resist an approach by QPR. I am not sure if Eddie Howe has resigned himself to losing Lewis Grabban having seen his price being met, but this transfer saga might have quite a way to run yet. 

Harry Redknapp is known as a wheeler dealer and perhaps this would underline that he still can get the players he wants. QPR can't afford too spend to big, but Grabban might just fit their wage bills better than most and Harry's links with Bournemouth just may help him get his man if Grabban is a player he still wants.