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.
The accounts for AFCB make poor reading with a financial loss of £32.4m n the accounting period ending 30 June 2019. This is on top of a loss of £10.9m in the previous financial year. While much of the investment has been spent on player signings, which rose to £94.2m last year compared to £55.8m the year before, it does indicate that the Cherries have spent more than they perhaps should have to be competitive in the Premier League. This kind of spending is unsustainable in the long-term and AFCB are again playing the roulette wheel in my opinion.
AFCB need to get their finances in order.
The player and staff wages have risen significantly at £110.9 compared to £101.9m in FY18. The club did not disclose how much money was paid to agents during the period. The income of the club was largely dependent on their league position finish which was 14th and landed the club with £131.1m in FY19 down from £134.9m on FY18. But non-Premier League revenue was virtually stable at £15.5m.
The club's Chief executive Neil Blake stressed that £22.6m profit did come into the club shortly after the accounting period closed on player sales, but even that would still show AFCB has been prepared to take a loss of over £10m for the past two seasons to keep its Premier League status.
What happens if the club goes down to the Championship with a parachute payment and a need to recoup funds with player sales? The club did not reveal whether it is in debt and if so by how much, but most of its assets are on the playing field and we could see many players need to leave if the club is relegated. The only problem is that those market values won't be as high as if the club remains in the top flight.
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Spending big might have kept the club growing, but this season it hasn't resulted in better results. The signing of Dominic Solanke, Philip Billing and Lloyd Kelly in the last 12-18 months and the sale of Lys Mousset doesn't bode me with great confidence about recruitment and player sales, even if the purchase of Jack Stacey and the sale of Tyrone Mings can be considered better decisions. The direction of player spending perhaps needs to change very quickly. That is why the new training complex is vital to bring players through and to reduce the player transfer fees. The model AFCB has works okay when the big money continues to come in, but it could leave the club having to face the music next season if things don't go according to plan on the pitch. The new stadium idea certainly looks a distant pipe dream with these kind of financial results. NB. I am self-isolating at the moment having picked up a chest infection and high-temperature. I'm over the worst but I advise others to self-isolate if they feel any flu-like symptoms as soon as they can for the sake of the elderly and those with underlying conditions. We'll beat this. UTCIAD! Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Howe can only concentrate on his players and preparing for Newcastle United
It did not take Neil Blake, AFCB's chief executive, that long to reach the conclusion that Dean Court could not be expanded in time to make the start of the 2015-16 season. While it would have been satisfying for everyone to have a bigger ground with more people able to see the games, making a bigger temporary stand would I suspect only have increased capacity for away fans and any improvements would have been taken with as a short term fix rather than a long term view of what can be achieved with the available space.
Dean Court is not the biggest of stadiums but it's home and AFCB will make do with what it has.
The knowledge that the South stand is located on former waste ground seems to have been the final factor that just made it too difficult to sort out quickly, as further tests are needed for a larger permanent structure at that end of the ground. Neil Blake refers to this as, "one of the major stumbling blocks in our proposed plans." The question now is whether the ground will be able to host larger crowds in 2016-17? Mr Blake said that: "If we are able to retain our place in the Premier League, stadium capacity will be a priority for the following season." Even that though would need testing to be done at some stage and plans will have to be advanced to create a stadium that would pass building regulations and safety standards if the club is to build during next summer when the time period to build I imagine would be from the end of May to the start of August. It would probably mean that any pre-season games next season would have to be held away from Dean Court, while this summer the ground may also be out of use with so many revisions needing to take place such as the underground heating, new pitch and expansion of the media section with hard wiring and new floodlights. It's a lot to take on and as Jeff Mostyn indicated earlier in the month, this promotion allows the club to invest in the team and that will be a priority to try and retain Premier League status. It does mean that away fans will probably be restricted to around 1500-2000 fans while it will be important for AFCB fans who don't already have season tickets if there will be a number of seats available to new season ticket holders. The news on season tickets is said to be announced on 19 May 2015.
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!
