Real Madrid trip should fill AFCB players with more ambition

To me it seems hard to see AFCB aspiring to even greater things than what they have already achieved under Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall. They have reached the pinnacle of the Premier League and yet they still need to see that there is more they can do to improve their game and being at Real Madrid's training ground at Ciudad must be something special for them.

AFCB are becoming a more stellar team themselves.

The friendships that AFCB have made with Real Madrid have certainly been a big plus when you can take the team out to their facilities and mix with their world famous players. I imagine the game at the Bernabéu last week was also an electric occasion for AFCB players to watch in such a setting. It is of course the next level up for AFCB players and while they have played an exhibition game on the pitch with Real Madrid stars it is quite another thing to see how those players live and train over in Spain. I just hope it does not give one or two of AFCB's players an incentive to go and learn Spanish!

While the Cherries will no doubt enjoy their time out in Spain they will be worked hard and have to prepare for the WBA match coming up. This will be a very tough fixture and the squad will need to be very switched on for the end of the season push. If the players want to remain on the Premier League and to aspire to play teams like Real Madrid then they will have to graft a lot more, and I guess it is easier to reach a dream when you have seen what it would be like in front of you. The Hawthorns might not be at the same level but WBA are guaranteed Premier League football next season, and AFCB have to come back with much more purpose and resolve to get the points they need now.

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It is one step at a time that AFCB has overcome its challenges and this next test over the following 13 games will need everything the players have got, so I can see why a great trip such as the one to Madrid has been organised. If you can't run out on the pitch at Ciudad without a smile on your face then there is something wrong with you. Let's just hope that some of the winning style of Real Madrid rubs off on the AFCB team.

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Who do you want the Cherries to face in pre-season?

The task of planning for next season has already begun with the release of seven squad players already but attention will soon turn to a summer training camp and a line up of friendlies before the new season kicks off. While it would be great to play one or two Premier League sides before the August date with destiny, it is going to be difficult to arrange such games when most of the Premier League go on the Far East, American or Middle East tours. I wonder if AFCB might even entertain the idea of a pre-season tournament as the best way to play a few top sides?

Of course AFCB don't have to play against Premier League opposition they could try and go a step further afield and see if they can get to take on the likes of a PSV Eindhoven, FC Basel, VFL Wolfsburg, Schalke 04, Napoli, Roma, Paris St-Germain, Monaco, or Athletico Madrid for example, but such prestige matches are only going to be effective if Eddie Howe can learn more about his players and they can benefit from the experience of going up against some of Europe's elite. Just as much planning will go into picking up fixtures against some of the local teams that annually like to see if they can get one over on the Cherries, and I like those games as the competition is friendly and yet usually a good price  to see, while you often see a few new recruits fitting into the team. The Development Squad also needs plenty of fixtures so there is a lot of work to do at the club at the moment.

Ronaldo might not be coming to Dean Court this
 pre-season but there might be some other big players
and European teams that would fit the bill.

Last season AFCB might not have had the likes of Real Madrid to warm up against, but looking at how the European club competitions have gone this season it would not be such a bad idea to see what some of the continental sides are like. The training camp last season was fairly relaxed and not a bad run out against the likes of FC Copenhagen. As recently as last April the team also enjoyed the facilities out in Dubai and I wonder if an excursion to Africa might be a destination the club would like to try soon. It is hard to imagine AFCB as a global brand but that is the next step of the club's progression. Last pre-season there was talk of Rangers coming down but perhaps Celtic would be a good option for the Cherries now.

Getting fit and enjoying playing as a team is what really counts though no matter who the opposition. Hitting form in early August will be the aim and preparation is something that Eddie and his coaching team have a knack of getting right. Lots of fun but hard work, I believe is the ethos. 

Who would you like AFCB to play pre-season? Leave a comment below. 

Cherries would add colour and entertainment to top tier

There will be those who look down on AFCB's charge up the leagues and frown about hearing how many tickets there will be available for away supporters for a Premier League fixture if that is where the Cherries are next season. What many will not know is that this Bournemouth team that would compete in the Premier League and not be simply an add-on to the fixture list. Eddie Howe may well not have fulfilled his full potential yet, just like this side of his and who is to say that he can't do what Nigel Clough did and take his team to further honours and even into Europe.

Could AFCB's players be running out Premier League grounds next season?

Impossible? Well, anything is possible at AFCB - you should know that by now. What we can say is that AFCB wouldn't fear being in a new league and will always take the game to the opposition no matter who they face. It's been that way for as long as I can remember and when we had the visit of Real Madrid I thought well the teams don't get any more frightening than this. AFCB know what levels they have to reach to be competitive in the top tier and it is simply another exciting challenge that hopefully lays ahead for Eddie and his staff.

It should not be a great surprise that AFCB are at this level though as the club has been run extremely well for the past few years and with such a stable footing and clear growth plan everyone has been on an upward trajectory which at some point was going to lead them to the Championship and perhaps beyond. The day might come a bit sooner than many would have forecast and yet if the club is better than the other 70 teams that are fighting to reach the top tier then those clubs have to recognise that AFCB have done some things right and better than them. You don't fluke your way to the top.

The kind of football that Eddie Howe plays though is something that I would look forward to against the bigger names in English football. AFCB pass and they pass well and it will be a delight to see the players keep possession against some great named teams. History does not stand still and AFCB can create new pages from here on in. I must confess I don't see a lot of Premier League football as lower league football is always where AFCB has been. It may come as more of a culture shock to some of us fans than it does to the club if things go write in the next two games. The club itself has been as professional as any club in recent years and it's ready to step up. Look out Match of the Day - you might not have seen anything quite like this south coast team before - we're on our way!

Is the Championship heading for Premier League 2 status?

The summer transfer window still has some way to go but it is already apparent that there is suddenly a trend for Championship teams to bring in players from foreign clubs. That does not mean that they are all spending big though. Derby were quick to pick up Athletico Madrid star Ivan Calero on a free. Nottingham Forest have paid £1m for Michael Mancienne of Hamburg and have signed Roger Riera from Barcelona on a free. Charlton have gone for Standard Liege's George Tucudean and Tal Ben Haim on free transfers. Meanwhile, Leeds have signed Tommasso Bianchi of Sassuolu and Souletmane Doukara of Catania. Fulham have brought in Kay Voser of FC Basel and Tim Hoogland of Schalke. We might have expected Watford to look towards Italy, but this time they looked at Parma and Daniel Tozer. Middlesbrough have even bought Tomas Meijas of Real Madrid. The BBC has a good list of July's transfers.

So what is going on? Are the prices for players in Europe suddenly much more affordable for Championship sides? Are the foreign players much better than those in the lower English leagues? I believe that there are many reasons and some of them may not be for the better for English football. The amount of foreign club owners and managers may well be a stimulant in the pull to look abroad while the cost of players in League One has been demonstrated by AFCB's signing of Callum Wilson from Coventry. Among other clubs to pick up League One players we can see that Rotherham signed Febien Brandy of Sheffield Utd in June and Ryan Hall of MK Dons, plus Mat Sadler from Crawley, while Brentford signed Moses Odubago of Leyton Orient Andy Gray of League Two Luton and Byron Webster came to Millwall from Yeovil on a free and Lee Gregory from FC Halifax. Stephen Gleeson of MK Dons also signed for Birmingham along with Johnathan Grounds who was at Oldham - both were frees.

There are fewer big money moves though from the lower leagues to the Championship and League One and Two will be all the more poorer for it in the end. If Championship clubs continue to go abroad for new players that will cut the amount of money going down through our leagues and while transfers between League One and Two remain high they are not of the value of the Championship signings.

We do see Championship sides willing to loan out players to the lower leagues and this may well be the main way that the transfer market works in future years. For teams like AFCB, the signings from Premier League teams have been possible because they have been on free transfers and this goes for a lot of the signings we have seen coming from the Premier League to Championship clubs. The most telling signing from a Championship club to another Championship side has to be Fulham's capture of Leed's Ross McCormack for an estimated £11m. 

Whether you think that foreign signings are bargains or gambles it appears that the Championship will be full of them. I can see this league becoming Premier League 2 which will be yet more bad news for the FA and the hopes of English fans that want to see their national side do well. If there is some good to come of the foreign player attraction it is that the quality of the league is likely to rise and with that the FA has a much more marketable product than it had only a few years ago as seen by SKYBet's sponsorship of the Championship.

Just as a final word, I had some communication with Liz Finney, the general manger at AFCB, and she informed me that the reason for so many mid-week kick offs this season in the Championship was mainly down to two things. Firstly, the clubs had all voted to start the season one week later and also there will be three international breaks in the 2014/15 Championship season.

You can also vote in our poll for where you think AFCB will finish next season - scroll down the right side panel to vote and see the results so far..

Strange but wonderful times at Bournemouth

I've seen this guy somewhere before!

I remember last summer catching the train to the pre-match friendly at Woking. That  day I saw Wes Fogden get injured in what was his last meaningful game for the Cherries and we lost the game 2-0. The next day we would be playing Real Madrid in what was probably the most talked about friendly of the summer, but I also got to speak to Eddie Howe that day and asked him to sign a programme for me. While the team had just been defeated and I was a bit down you couldn't see any such feelings in Eddie's face. He happily signed the Stephen Purches testimonial programme for me that I had brought along from the previous week's match, and while I was wondering how AFCB were going to complete in the Championship in the current season, Eddie was calm and thoughtful with his mind already on the next game.

Who would have thought that after the pre-season series of games and the difficult early away games of this campaign that the Cherries would be sitting here five games away from the end of the season and on the brink of a top six finish? I certainly couldn't see it having lost to teams like Woking and Salisbury in pre-season, but such games improve fitness and much was leaned from the big defeats against Watford and Huddersfield as well as a certain Real Madrid.

Now I just want to take five minutes to take things in and just work out what this team has achieved so far this season. I am looking at the table and all those incredible teams that are sitting below the Cherries. Is it conceivable that Bournemouth could even start rubbing shoulders more often with teams like Liverpool, Arsenal and Man Utd? I can't even contemplate it at the moment, but I know that if it happens one day Eddie Howe will simply take it in his stride. It is strange for us as fans to be reaching such heights, but for Eddie it all seems to comes naturally although I know there is much hard work behind everything. He is one of those leaders that is just born to be in that kind of top company though and will surely become an even greater manager. 

And today we have Yeovil Town waiting to play the Cherries. Are the inflatables almost ready to make an appearance? Yeovil may not be Real Madrid but I am just as excited about seeing Bournemouth take on the Glovers as I was seeing the team play against the Spanish giants. This season suddenly means something - it's probably going to be the biggest season in the club's history and we should savour every minute. Strange times indeed - UTCIAD!

 It's match day so make sure you get your free bet from Free Bet Negotiator. 

Coulibaly will be wanting to play catch up

It has not quite been the season that Mohamed Coulibaly could have wanted when he signed up for the team over the summer. The chance to play in the English Championship must have been so exciting for him and having played pre-season against Real Madrid he must have been pinching himself at times. But then he soon felt his hamstring and then his ankle and it has been an on/off fitness workout ever since, so I was one of many AFCB supporters that will have been so pleased to see him on the bench at Derby. Now I am sure that he'll be hoping for a run in the first team.

Mohamed has great potential, I only hope we get to see some of it this season.

I don't know how much playing time Coulibaly is likely to get for the rest of the season, but he could be just the injection of  talent and energy that the Cherries need right now. He is unpredictable and powerful in his dribbling style and I am not too sure that there are many players quite like him in the Championship. While Mohamed could find it difficult like others have before him to fit into the team and put in consistent performances there is something of a risk taker about Mohamed that makes me excited to see him play.

He will shoot when nobody expects it and he probably will infuriate some when he should pass but instead runs into trouble. Yet, if the team is well balanced and can incorporate a player with a bit of flare and mystique about their play Coulibaly is available again it seems, and it is going to be very intriguing to see how and when Eddie Howe uses him if at all.

Eddie has to be fair to those have already been doing well and are playing at the top of their game and Coulibaly needs careful monitoring with the injuries that he has had. Used to good effect though, Coulibaly is a man who frankly I am not sure how many AFCB supporters know how good he is or could be? It maybe the same for Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall even though they see him in training regularly.

Well Mr Coulibaly, if you want to surprise us and start to play catch up you could still have the season that dreams are made of. Scoring important goals in March and April could yet make him one of Eddie Howe's best buys last summer, even at this late stage.

Will Coulibaly be unleashed on Brewers?

Coulibaly is like an unpolished diamond. I believe Eddie Howe will make
him into a player that other teams will fear.

There is something inside me that says the FA Cup game this week is the kind of game where a fresh Coulibaly could come on to devastating effect. Mohamed Coulibaly or Mo as everyone calls him around the training pitch has not seen anywhere nearly enough playing time with the Cherries and must now be so keen to get his Cherries career back underway.

Coulibaly is strong, powerful and penetrative with his runs.

If he can add goals to his game he will be a star player at AFCB.

Burton Albion might be a smaller name than Real Madrid, Blackburn Rovers, Portsmouth or Watford but I am just willing to see him play no matter who it is against. Mo's injury has lingered just like the injury to Matt Ritchie. In many ways we knew what to expect when Ritchie came back from his period out on the sidelines, but with Coulibaly we have had very little chance to see him in a red and black shirt. Our opinions of him are but fleeting moments from a couple of games and while his wing play was lightening quick we really need to reacquaint ourselves with this nimble attacker.

While I was hoping that Mo would be in the squad for the Wigan game I am even more praying that he has been kept back by Eddie Howe to play some part in the Burton game. He would be a player that the opposition would know very much about and he could be the spark that puts a smile back on faces after last weekend's league result.

I am backing Mo to be on target against Burton Albion.

Surely Coulibaly is fit now to play some part in this FA Cup tie.

AFCB need someone to sparkle on a cold Tuesday night on the south coast. our wait could be over if Coulibaly has reason to put on his boots and bring back memories of his first couple of games for AFCB in pre-season.   

Eddie Howe's selection issues (plus Millwall fan interview)

There was a wry smile on Eddie Howe's face when he was asked on Cherries Player who exactly was close to featuring this coming Saturday against Millwall. He wasn't going to tell us who was fit and who will be on the bench but it's always fun to test him with that question.

Eddie Howe for once has a few selection decisions to make ahead of tomorrow's game. While the performance of Jack Collison on Tuesday should see his inclusion in the team, there must be a real battle on for some of the other places. Andrew Surman did particularly well when he came on in the second half at Leeds and his legs will not have done as much running as Enuan O'Kane. I am not sure if MacDonald is able to feature on the bench but I suspect Collisson and O'Kane will start.

Then there is the discussion of who to play up front. Grabban you would think is a must start and that leaves Pitman or Rantie. Rantie was preferred for the last game and while he has been putting in the minutes Pitman will be fresh. Both Pitman and Rantie are looking to get on that score sheet but I think Rantie will start and either he or Grabban will get replaced on 60 minutes.

Fraser will also be in line to start having not played more than 30 minutes at Leeds. I am keen to know who else though is coming back to fitness. Coulibably and McQuoid were on the bench for the last home game, while it would be great to see Arter or Hughes back in contention. Eunan O'Kane indicated in his pre-match interview that Harry Arter may be one who is close to making a full recovery and that would certainly put a smile on my face.

Can Arter or MacDonald make it back to the squad for Saturday?

I don't think the formation is much of an issue now. It should be 4-4-2. Ian Harte has shown that he can do his job and Eddie Howe does not want to unsettle the crowd like the last home game. Looking at the keeper situation, everyone would have expected Flahavan to start, but he picked up a thigh strain at Leeds and Howe has made a new 3-month loan signing from West Ham - Stephen Henderson. I don't know much about Stephen but it looks like he will start the game even though AFCB has just recalled Jalal from Oxford Utd.

We've got some new faces then at AFCB and I'll have to get the camera out to recognise who is who. I only hope our players are familiar with West Ham's players as we seem to be playing as many of them as we can. Having had a post-season friendly with them I am sure the lines of communication are strong between the clubs, but didn't we also play Real Madrid pre-season and I've heard Mr Ronaldo isn't that bad. Has someone got Ancelotti's number?

You can now read up on Millwall FC, the next visitors to Dean Court. Our Rival Lines feature offers a chat with Merv Payne who is a regular writer for Sabotage Times. He discusses Millwall's sudden improvement under Steve Lomas.

Howe needs more home heroics

Do you know when AFCB last lost a league game at home? You'll have to look back a bit because the team has managed to go unbeaten at Dean Court since 9 March 2013, when they were felled 1:2 by Doncaster Rovers in the thick sea mist. That is seven winning games in a row which will make them a match for any Championship team coming down to the south coast. While friendly games have seen West Ham and Real Madrid come away with wins, the home form of AFCB is very strong.

Blackpool, who the Cherries play next, have a similar home record. In fact all of the top 10 teams are up there because they don't drop many points at home. Leeds Utd are the only ones that have been beaten at home in the league this season and that was just a one-nil defeat against QPR who are second.

Home form is they key to keeping the Cherries in a good position and with the current atmosphere around the ground on match day the players seem to be enjoying these games in front of the home crowd. The next game will be the first since our Chairman, Eddie Mitchell, resigned so it could be a bit of a strange atmosphere, but I hope the club has something very positive to say before then. The appearance of new striker Tokelo Rantie being introduced to the crowd should also lift the spirits.

We want to keep the positive attitude going into the next group of matches. I am trying not to look too far ahead because there are some amazing games to come and if the team keeps responding to the home crowd's passion and backing for the boys it will be a very memorable season. There is so much to enjoy now about match day and while we have to wait a few more days I hope you are already thinking about  how Eddie and Jason might tackle the top of the table team. Cherry Chimes, for sure, will be doing some homework on Blackpool.  

A REAL master class

Match Report

AFCB 0 v 6 Real Madrid

21 July 2013

Pre-season friendly exhibition match

Attendance 11,722

As exhibition matches go, I have to say the visit of Real Madrid to Dean Court was spectacular from start to finish. Even watching Renaldo in the warm up had us all drawling or was it simply spellbound. We couldn't the our eyes off Mardid's star player and he certainly new it. So how on earth were our beloved Cherries go to deal with the task set before them over 90 minutes?

Well I have to say for the first 20 or so minutes we were wondering if AFCB had the tools in its repair kit to cover every leaking whole in its defence as Real Madrid was finding it difficult to find the break through goal. In that opening period Bournemouth showed the Spanish team that they can play a bit too. The first few AFCb passes were heralded with some Ole's and I took some time out to double check the scoreboard which read Cherries 0 v 0 Real Madrid and I wondered how long that may last. After just four minutes we were glad that the flag had gone up for an impromptu handball from the famous number 7 in white before he almost cheekily tried to lob Flahavan with a back heel. A minute later he was shooting just over the top right of the bar - an early sighter.

To our delight though Fraser was showing his pace and tricky on the right wing and he crossed to Pitman who shot wide on five minutes. More worryingly, Pitman held his hamstring having made his run into the box.

Soon Modric and Khedira were industrially going about there work, while Macca and Arter started to chase their shadows. Harry did manage to catch up with 23 and when he caught Renaldo after 8 minutes there was a great cheer from the North stand. That seemed to get Madrid going with Renaldo having a shot saved by Flahavan. The breakaway saw Fraser flying down his wing again and the cross seemed to brush a Real Madrid defender's arm in the box, but nothing was to be given. Meanwhile, at the other end, Tommy Elphick was already making the first of many goal saving tackles and blocks.

Mohamed Coulibaly impressed for AFCB winning man of the match.

On Bournemouth's left wing Coulibaly, the new signing was having a great home debut with some good touches and powerful runs. Pitman got himself into a goal scoring position on 15 minutes but dinked it wide, much to his annoyance. Arter was trying to spread play with some short and then long passes but he was not always finding Francis.

Real Madrid were starting to zip the ball about now with Xavi Alonso, Ozil and Modric the chief assassins. They teased and prodded in front of the Cherries box with Ronaldo ready to pounce on any mistake. Such a slip up happened on 21 minutes when Arter fouled Khedira in Renaldo's shooting range. Everyone was glued to see if it would be a trademark Renaldo strike and sure enough, the ball was soon nestling in the Cherries' goal, with Darryl Flahavan looking completely flummoxed at Renaldo's wizardry .  

With Real Madrid 0:1 up there was no slowing in the pace of the game. But Pitman suddenly went down near the half way line, knowing that his leg had said "that's enough". That was the signal for a sub and Elliott Ward came on to replace him with Cook shuffling up to midfield.

Modric managed to get a sight of goal bu Flahavan saved well on 29 minutes. Ozil also was going at the Cherries back line but MacDonald managed to stop him on 33 minutes. Even the small figure of Fraser was valiantly going in making tackles. Macca also made a big tackle on Renaldo in the 39th minute when he had burst into the box.

The pressure was relieved when Coulibaly had a shot from the edge of the area on 39 minutes that looked goal bound, but Diego Lopez made the save low down to his left. Just moments later though and the score read 0:2. That Christiano Renaldo was at it again to slip another shot past Flahavan. Madrid then quickly won a corner and while we watched the 12 Madrid subs warm up in front of us, Khedeira made it 0:3. I was starting to worry. Thank goodness it was half time.

The second half saw Real Madrid swap most of its team. It was a shame to see Renaldo go off but, let's face it, he had done enough damage. What is more he was ably replaced by Kaka. It wasn't long before the shots started reigning in on the Cherries goal again. A swift move involving Higuaine saw them open up the middle of AFCB's defence in the 46th minute to put the visitors 4 up. Kaka was pulling the strings with some fabulous defence-splitting passes and Flahavan was forced into another save on 54  minutes.

While Daniels sped up his wing and beat several players there was always another white shirt ready to stop him getting too far. On 56 minutes another heart stopping moment arrived when Kaka stood on the edge of the D ready to take aim and fired his shot against the cross bar!  A shot also went wide from No 22 a moment later. Arter started to run back and cut out a few of the moves in our box, but the tide was one way now with AFCB having resorted to just one up front since Pitman's injury.  

Richard Hughes came on  to replace Cook on the hour. Flahavan came out to make another save at the feet of Madrid's No 20, Huguaine, who was getting quite rattled.

Eddie Howe then made more changes with Grabban and Coulibaly being replaced by Harte and Chiedozie on 66 minutes. Madrid replaced Nacho and Benzema. The game was still as intense as it had been in the first 20 minutes. Real Madrid were not going easy on AFCB and just to prove a point Di Maria made it 0:5 on 68 minutes having cut in from the right and blasted the ball into the bottom corner.

Shortly after, Tommy Elphick and Fraser were replaced with Addison and Matthews as the Cherries gave more players a run out against the world's elite. Daniels was still looking to make his usual runs and a Cherries corner was won on 77 minutes, but even our neat passing had no cutting-edge against such a good defence.

The showpiece came to an end in rather spectacular style as Casemiro ran and played a wonderful one two before putting a great finish past Flahavan, which Casemiro was clearly delighted with - 0:6. While the Cherries bought on more subs in Jalal, Thomas, Stockley Wakefield and Purches on 83 minutes they at least prevented any further goals. 

What a great night. I am sure the AFCB players will have enjoyed it immensely even if they did not get on the score sheet. As a spectator it was a fabulous game to watch and I am sure the AFCB players will now know what it is like to be at the very top of this brilliant game.

AFCB
Flahavan, Francis, Cook, Elphick, Daniels, Fraser, Arter, MacDonald, Coulibaly, Pitman, Grabban

See full match day gallery pictures on the Match Day Gallery Tab.

Swatting up on Real Madrid

I though it was about time that I had a look at our illustrious opponents on Sunday night. Los Blancos will have to deal with the frenzied atmosphere of some 12,000 Cherries who are absolutely buzzing for this game. It might be a come down from their 85,500 Satiago Bernabeu stadium but at least the Goldstands stadium also now has four stands! So, I'll call that a draw.

As Real Madrid was formed in 1902 it is immediately clear that AFCB already has a longer history having been established in 1899 - that's 1up to the Cherries! It might get harder from here on in.

The Vikings as Real Madrid, are also known have won La Liga no less than 32 times and Copa Del Rey 18 times. I'll pass on AFCB's contribution to domestic achievements in the game, but we have had a few promotions and the odd bit of silverware.

But it is on the European stage that Real Madrid has won its super club status having won the UEFA Cup twice, the European Cup nine times and the Super Cup once. They have also won the Intercontinental Cup three times. To be honest there are not many clubs with a better record and one of the reasons for that is that AFCB will be taking on what Forbes now lists as the richest club in the world at a staggering £3.3bn.

If that is not enough, Real Madrid probably have some of the best players in the world with Christiano Ronaldo, valued at some £80m back in 2009 when he moved to the club from Man Utd - the largest transfer fee in the world at the time. Then there's Ricardo Kaka, the Brazilian who wears No8 on his shirt, he was only bought for a snip at £65m in 2009. They also have Mesut Ozil in their ranks who really came to prominence after the World Cup in 2010. He is only 24 and probably one the club's hottest properties at the moment as other clubs are looking to see if they can pries him away from Real. Luca Modric we know all about having played for several years in the Premiership at White Hart Lane. His trickery is renowned and he weighs in with his fair share of goals. Mr Xabi Alonso is well will be well known for his time at Anfield.

I have know idea how Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall are going to set up AFCB to contend wit such an array of talent, but I know they'll give it their best shot and the Cherries will be just jubilant to be on the same pitch. That is what Eddie Howe will have to overcome. Concentration and focus from that start to the end of the game will be his message and above all enjoy it I hope, because AFCB fans certainly will.

Any one fancy a go at a score prediction?

Real Madrid match is not just a gimmick

You could be quick to judge the Real Madrid match with AFCB on Sunday night as a sheer publicity stunt. In some ways you are probably correct, but I think its significance is far greater than that. Yes we will have a huge crowd and the ground will be buzzing with the prospect of seeing the famous Real Madrid white shirts fizz the ball around the Goldsands stadium. While some will expect the Cherries to be on the end of a heavy defeat, there will be curiosity as to just how well they can play against the Spanish giants. In England, we all like an underdog and I would hope that the people of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole would all want to see the Cherries do well in this friendly. 

So why is it not simply a publicity stunt? Sure the match puts Bournemouth right in the public-eye of the nation. There will not be a bigger showpiece game than this on Sunday. While I can't predict that there will be two evenly matched teams on the pitch, it will not be like a heavyweight and a featherweight mis-match in the boxing ring. AFCB will look to create opportunities and do more than simply defend for 90 minutes. The Bournemouth players know that this is one of the biggest opportunities they may ever have to take on the world's best and I am sure they will raise their game. And who know if they go in at half time still even, the pressure will start to turn against Real Madrid and a noisy crowd could set the underdogs on to greater things. I've seen it happen before when AFCB played Manchester Utd in the 1980s.

More importantly though, for our fans it will be a night of celebration with our new Ted MacDougall stand and our and newly extended club shop, plus the visit of a truly great team. A night to remember! AFCB will be putting on an exhibition football match in southern England and hopefully a smile on people's faces. That's what I feel it's all about, bringing new fans to the game. The club is laying down the foundations for a larger fan base and its starts right here on Sunday night. There will be  lots of football to see this coming season and much cheaper priced matches than this, but Real Madrid hits all the right buttons to get our club in the minds of people who haven't yet realised how far the club has come.

Just the ticket, can't wait for the AFCB v Real Madrid match.

When it is over, will the result really matter? If Real Madrid win comfortably then I think not. If the Cherries manage to hold Real Madrid or dare I say do even better, then the back pages of the tabloids will be a sea of Red and Black on Monday morning. That would not be a simple publicity stunt, it would be signalling the arrival of a team in the Championship that has belief and some very good players. At the moment such a result would seem unthinkable. But then again, even the biggest of teams can have an off day. 

AFCB says the game can be listened to on Cherries Player while it is also being shown on Real Madrid's in-house TV channel. For Real Madrid fans this will be manager Carlo Ancelotti's first game.

If you are a Cherry fan and have not got a ticket to the game, you just might want to hear how this one turns out. There are a few extra tickets for the game on sale this morning as well.

AFCB supporters keen to snap up more Real Madrid tickets

While all the talk in the last few weeks has been about the price of the tickets to see AFCB take on Real Madrid it does not seem to have slowed down the sale of the tickets. As soon as the announcement was made today about a fresh set of 2000 available seats being available for the game, Cherry supporters have been either queueing for tickets, buying online or jumping on the phone lines to get hold of the highly prized tickets.

We have witnessed a lot of excitement in the town over the success of AFC Bournemouth in recent seasons, but the Real Madrid exhibition match looks set to eclipse all of that. We still have several days to go until the big match, yet AFCB supporters are transfixed by the thought of Kaka and Ronaldo showboating on the pitch in what is hoped will be a very memorable game.

I am sure there is a case of wanting to say, "I was there" for this game. The long enduring Cherry fan will know that the match on 3rd August is far more important for the club's future, but it is great to have some excitement and anticipation ahead of some of the world's greatest football stars making an appearance at Dean Court.

I imagine there will be a lot of special memorabilia at the club shop which will be unveiled just before the game on Sunday after its makeover. It is nice to hear that vice chairman Jeff Mostyn and former director Steve Sly will open the newly extended shop.

I wonder how many replica Real Madrid/AFC Bournemouth scarfs will be hastily stacked onto the shelves - you know you want one.

Real Madrid tickets - please queue here!

So the telephone scrap for tickets to probably the biggest ever game in AFCB's history is about to take place from this morning. The club has not said this, but can I suggest that any season ticket holders who can actually get to the ground to buy their ticket actually do that in the next few days.

I'm not repeating the phone number, you all know where to find it.  But the less people that are on that phone queue the better for every body all round, don't you think? There are 6000 season ticket holders now so if you thought it was bad phoning up for a ticket before I hate to think of what it is going to be like today and for the next two days. Mind you I can't promise you that lining up at Dean Court will be any easier regarding queue time, but at least your phone bill will be okay. 

There is no way us exiles can make it down to Dean Court to pick up a ticket unless we can get a day's leave. I would have loved AFCB to have a separate phone line just for exile season ticket holders but like everyone else I'll have to take my chance in the phone system and hang on until I can speak to someone. I'm not looking forward to it. When will there be a quiet period? When can I sneak a call in with my boss not knowing? How much will the phone bill be?

The last question is particularly a sore one with Watford fans who had to book their play-off tickets last season by phone and many of them ended up with £100 phone bills waiting in an endless queue! The club has now launched an enquiry into the phone ticketing system there. I don't fancy paying another £100 on top of the £55 ticket price for Real Madrid. I've been told 0844 numbers are 4p/minute, so let's hope our situation is a lot better than those Hornet fans.

So what can I say that will be positive about the whole process? I'm not really sure. All I can say is that when you do get your ticket you are likely to be mightily relieved and have the prospect of seeing the Cherries take on some of the world's greatest players at Real Madrid this summer.

Don't get too overheated today on the phone, it's going to be a scorcher as it is.

For those going to the Christchurch match tomorrow, enjoy it. If any one want's to tweet me a picture I'll be pleased to post it later.

I've just heard that Darren Anderton and Steve Fletcher will come out of retirement to play in Stephen Purches' testimonial against West Ham on Saturday - how great is that?

Real Madrid match: "priceless for the club"

Eddie Mitchell mentioned on Cherries player that a mutual friend of Tom Mitchell and Real Madrid enabled the club to secure the spectacular fixture against Real Madrid.

The chairman said the he and Maxim Demin took more of a back seat in negotiations for the Real Madrid fixture and that Tom and Neill Blake sorted most of the arrangements. Real Madrid have been over to see AFC Bournemouth and the facilities in preparation for the game.

Seeing the smiles on peoples' faces is what Eddie Mitchell is looking forward to. Eddie says the match will be "priceless for the club".

Still undecided whether to pay the price for the Real Madrid match?

Did you sleep okay? I'm rubbing my eyes but no I'm still reading headlines that AFC Bournemouth are playing Real Madrid this July.

I don't blame those AFCB fans who are struggling to decide if they can afford to go to yet another fixture, which they had not expected. I also know that many of you will have been delighted to see that AFCB has been successful in asking Real Madrid to come over to play a pre-season fixture at Dean Court. We all want to support our club and we all want to see them play against one of the best teams in the world. We want to see for ourselves how they get on.

Such matches were never going to be cheap to attend. It may be a friendly but there will be match costs and the revenue may well be split between the clubs. The decision whether to pay the inflated price for a friendly is made all the harder when you look at the full NPower Championship League season ahead. Do you save some money now so that you can go to one or two extra fixtures away or do you break the bank to see Real Madrid?

I was reminded by a fan last night that the game still compares favourably against many Premier League prices and that it would be a shame for those who wanted to see the game to miss out just because of the prices that have been set.

At least AFCB has given us all a bit of time to weigh up the decision, which is perhaps harder for family supporters and the multiple ticket prices involved. I myself am a bit lost in it all - I still can't believe that real Madrid's stars are coming to play at Dean Court. It really is going to happen, isn't it!What a game for AFCB players. After playing Real Madrid they can hardly be scared of playing Nottingham Forest or Blackburn Rovers, for example. It's quite a masterstroke by AFCB as long as we don't get hammered 0-10!

I am thinking of seeing the away fixture at Woking the day before but if I go to that game it is going to be pretty hard get excited about when the next evening an AFCB eleven is taking on Real Madrid.

I guess what I am saying is you may have to ask yourself how often are you likely to see the likes of AFCB playing Real Madrid in your club's own back yard? Is it worth breaking the piggy bank just this once? As long as Real Madrid play one of their strongest teams I believe it will be an excellent showpiece to go to. The last time I was as excited about a match is when we played Manchester Utd at Dean Court over 20 years ago. And that's the rub - over 20 years ago! This is a one off match and it is one that will live in supporters memories for a long time.

I hope I have help make the decision a bit easier for some of you - one way or the other. I'm off to see what I can sell to raise some cash!

Finally, All Departments has been taking more pictures again of the temporary stand so I am sure you all want to have a little peak.

Mr Mitchell says the South stand should be ready for the big match so perhaps we should call it the Real Madrid end.

It's true Real Madrid are coming to play AFCB!

There were lots of rumours this morning about Real Madrid playing AFCB in a friendly. Well, indeed it appears to be true. The match will be played on 21st July and fans will get the chance to see Christiano Ronaldo, Mezet Ozul and Brazil's Kaka take on our own Harry Arter, Marc Pugh and Brett Pitman.

If there was any doubt that AFC Bournemouth had not yet arrived on the football world map you can just scrap that. AFCB are suddenly playing one of the biggest teams on the planet. It's a match that will be a complete sell out and the anticipation will be enormous ahead of this fixture.

I would expect the world's press to be keen to cover the game and the footballing world will descend on our club. Other Championship teams will be jealous and most of the Premiership teams will be too.

Cherry Chimes speculated earlier in the week that Maxim Demin has some very powerful connections in the footballing world and now you know it is true.

There is more information and those prices on the official club site!