Everyone wants to see Cherries' tilt for the title

Those of you checking through the Matchday programme last Saturday will have seen that we have another fixture timing change as the Middlesbrough home tie has been brought forward to a 12.15pm kick off on 21 March 2015. SKYSports have again decided to bolster its coverage of the SKYBet Championship title race by selecting this game to air to their subscribers. It follows changes that we have had for the fixtures against Brighton and Watford and I guess that this is the way it is going to be when AFCB are going well. 

The good news is that it is a bit of extra revenue for the club and it gives our players even more credit for the way they have been performing. For us fans the traditional 3pm Saturday fixture is a prized event that I think most of us want to keep, but the 24/7 news wheel of social media and global sports coverage has really put a spanner in the works of such things nowadays.  

It's becoming a regular occurrence to see cameras at Dean Court nowadays.

AFCB have not been so successful though at winning games in early kick offs and this match will be on of the key battles to decide those top places you would think. The disruption to timings affects just about everybody right down to photographer Steve Cook who I was talking to before the Watford match last Friday. That game of course had been moved for TV and Steve was saying how he has to check things all the time when the usual routine is changed and players become available at different times. 

There are certainly a few must see games coming along as the title race hots up and the gates for the Derby, Middlesbrough and Wolves matches should see near capacity crowds at Dean Court. It was a shade surprising to hear that the Friday match against Watford only pulled in just short of 11,000 fans, but the movement of the match certainly has an affect on some people being able to attend while others may even prefer viewing from home - I know that's strange. 

For me you can't beat the atmosphere of being in the ground and having a good natter with your friends. That brings me round to the note in the same Watford Matchday programme last week which said that the Bowls Centre in Kings Park will be open pre-match to season ticket holders. At weekends that means 100 fans can squeeze in there which may make a change for those who frequently find themselves in a queue outside the 1910 bar to get in for a pre-match drink.


Breaking News
I must have irritated SkySports - the away match against Fulham has been moved to Friday 6th March and a 7.45pm kick off!! At least I won't be hanging on the phone for 50 minutes to get a ticket with so many fans now probably not able to make the trip up from the south coast after work unless they take time off. But how do you all feel about it? You can vote on our poll on the side panel - be quick though it closes on Saturday a traditional football day.

How was it to watch Derby 2 v 0 AFCB - live stream at Dean Court?

Damien Hill is one of my friends who has the misfortune to have a season ticket that's right next to Cherry Chimes, but on Tuesday night he was lucky enough to have secured one of the tickets to watch the Cherries play against Derby, not in his season ticket seat or at the iPRO stadium, but in the Balfour Suite at Dean Court. Here is his view of how the game was experienced, as the first AFCB live TV match to be streamed back to Dean Court for the fans to watch.

AFCB fans get their first taste of live stream football at Dean Court.

Having been to the impressive iPRO stadium last season and having to be at work on the Wednesday after the game against Derby at 5am I was pleased that this game was selected to be beamed back to Dean Court live, so fans could watch there.

The night was well run as a Black Label event.

The tables and chairs were all set out waiting for the first
fans to arrive in the Top Floor Restaurant.

The 1910 bar and Balfour Suite was gradually getting busier.

The club announced that it would be free of charge and the would open up the Balfour Suite and if demand was high the Top Floor Restaurant would be opened up as well. The Balfour sold out by Monday afternoon on the first day, and the restaurant by Wednesday lunchtime with all 500 tickets given to season ticket holders only.

AFCB were beamed back to Elland road when we played Leeds Utd on 16 September, and I spoke a Leeds fan Gareth Lally who went to Elland road as he couldn't get down to Dean Court to watch the game.

He was charged £10 for entry, but this included a Pie and a Drink and there was about 1000 supporters at the ground of all ages, they had a conference room with the live feed with LUTV providing the commentary, and with high demand they opened up Billys bar to allow the extra fans to watch. He enjoyed the experience and would do it again if it was made available but would much prefer to go to ground, so with my ticket I headed to Dean Court for 6pm to gain the full use of the bar and facilities our club has to offer and to see if our club could make good use of the stadium on a non-match day.

Everybody was keen to get a good view even if it meant sitting on someone's lap.

The match was also shown via a projector on a big screen.

I arrived at Dean Court just after 6pm and made my way to the Balfour Suite and there was a few people sat and ready to go already, so I picked my seat at a table and got a beer. The room had four large tables in the centre and not many other chairs around for people to sit on and with a slow steady stream this was okay until 7pm when most people started to arrive. The staff then produced some extra seats out of the store room and everyone was happy.

The rooms started filling up quickly.

The bar staff had a busy night.

We were told when we got our tickets that there was to be no sound and just a picture feed, but to our surprise we had a live feed from BBC Solent sport with Kris Temple and Willo giving us commentary. There was a separate area for people to sit and order food and there was the small TV's on the wall, so no matter where you sat in the room you could see the TV's or the large projection onto the stage area. The Top Floor Restaurant did not have a big screen but had several TV’s all around the room, so again good views all around. The atmosphere was slowing building and when the teams walked out a large arousing around of applause broke out with the “Come on Bournemouth!” bellowing out in the club.

The game began and we all sat and watched and hoped for a result to go in our favour and to come home with a point at least. During the game the TV was shouted at several times as expectations and hopes with hearts on our sleeves showed passion to win, pass, tackle and head every ball that we watched on the screens.

Half time came and the score was still 0-0 but a fair result and the plan was working, not too much from us, but the Cherries kept Derby at bay at the top of our box. The second half got under way and hopes were high.

Much discussion about the game took place and that disallowed goal. 

Goal!!! no wait, the ref has changed his mind, Camp sent off and free kick given instead, bizarre comes to mind, but it was still 0-0 and hope to hang on to for nearly half an hour down to 10 men. Nine minutes to go and Hughes broke our hearts and in extra time Martin sealed our fate to a 2-0 defeat!

Fans are glued to the action.

So the final whistle went and the crowd headed off home disappointed but a very enjoyable evening was had. The club will have made some money on this trial and I believe this is a good idea, as we all know that the club still needs an income on non-match days, and with 500 supporters using the bar and having food this can only be good for the club. We have a small but growing fan base and can't compete with Leeds who had 1400 at Dean Court and another 1000 back at Elland Road when their match was beamed back, but 500 people in my eyes is just the beginning and I'm sure AFCB will come up with a bigger and better option next time with more people being able to come. The atmosphere was good and to sit and watch our beloved Cherries with friends whilst drinking a beer and having some food is always for me a good evening.

The evening was a pretty big success with fans like Damien,
even if the Cherries didn't win on the night.

So would I go again? Yes, but You cant beat the atmosphere at a away fixture, so I would still travel to away grounds, but I like Gareth couldn’t make it to the ground, so this was a good replacement and with a few small tweeks, this will be a good adventure and hopefully a prosperous future for the club. UTCIAD!

There's always a pint on offer to drown your sorrows. 

Cherry Chimes talks to Derby County Blog

Rival Lines
Match Preview
Blogger Interview: Derby County Blog

Cherry Chimes talks to Ollie Wright at Derby County Blog to see how he thinks his team has started in the Championship this season and to question him on the in form players at Derby County.

CC: Do you think Derby's slow start was down to getting over the play-off final disappointment?

DCB: The major problem at the start of the season was the bad injury sustained by George Thorne. Thorne is absolutely perfect for this team in the holding role, combining as he does pace, presence and passing ability, but he is out until well into the new year with cruciate ligament damage. For the first few games, Steve McClaren fell into the trap of picking the best players, not the best team and our form only stabilised once he realised that he had to use the canny but almost immobile veteran John Eustace as a holding midfielder, at the expense of a more talented player, Will Hughes, who is not as well suited to that particular role. Eire midfielder Jeff Hendrick has since sustained a shoulder injury, meaning that Hughes has returned to the side.

After a surprise early loss at Charlton and a disappointing home draw against Ipswich, we have gradually come to life and now sit sixth in the formative table. Perhaps the moment that our season really got going was when we deservedly equalised at Nottingham Forest. That goal meant a lot to everyone connected with DCFC, especially given that the Red Dogs were top of the table at the time (and already Champions, if you listened to some of their fans). Since then, we’ve picked up seven points from nine and are starting to look the part again. Back-to-back home games now beckon.

What everybody is waiting for is another sparkling burst of form like we enjoyed last season, when we started to look like an irresistible force.

CC: Have you been able to control games as well as you were doing last season?

DCB: Yes and no. We’ve had the majority of possession in every game, but too often, we haven’t backed that up by preventing the opposition from scoring. There have been spells in every game when we have looked very dangerous, but they have been followed by spells where we look defensively vulnerable. We give away too many silly goals and this threatens to undermine our season, if we’re not careful.

CC: There was talk of Johnny Russell being eyed up by AFCB in the summer, but has he started the season well?

DCB: Johnny is one of four players competing for the two ‘wide forward’ slots in our formation. He is being used as an impact sub as much as a starter. He works hard and is a very useful member of the squad, but with Jamie Ward in good nick and the interloping Liverpool loanee Jordon Ibe pushing very hard for inclusion in the XI, it’s not easy for Russell to get games. That said, he has five assists and one goal to his name already, which is a pretty good return.

CC: Derby also wanted to bid for Simon Francis over the summer so is the right back position a weakness for Derby?

DCB: At that stage, we were trying to cover for the loss of another Liverpool loanee, Andre Wisdom, who is now with West Brom. Wisdom was a key player in our promotion push last season and two signings have been made in a bid to fill his sizeable shoes. Cyrus Christie, from Coventry City, takes the attacking full back tag to new levels and plays almost as a right winger, which causes opposition defences all sorts of headaches. Ryan Shotton, on loan from Stoke, is much more of a traditional defender and currently has to be content with a place on the bench.

I think we are still missing Wisdom’s defensive presence, as Christie is not quite as commanding a figure in the back four, albeit his forays forward are an exciting and productive addition to our attack.

CC: Apart from the big win against Fulham most of your games have been tight this season. Why do you think that is?

DCB: As a known quantity in this division, we’re getting used to facing massed ranks of defenders challenging us to play through them. More often than not, this group of players will manage it – and anyone not up to it will suffer, as Fulham did - but sometimes, as happened in the draws against Ipswich and Cardiff at home, we will be frustrated.

When we play at home, teams usually set out to frustrate us, waste time and nick a goal from a corner or free kick. Away from home, the onus is on the hosts to attack us more, but still, most coaches choose to flood the midfield. Blackburn fielded two strikers and we revelled in the space that they afforded us, beating them 3-2 - but their first goal was a fluke and in truth, we should have won more comfortably.

CC: Which midfield player should AFCB fans look out for in the Derby team?

DCB: Prince William. Will Hughes is a joy to watch on his day and even when he’s not at 100 per cent, it’s still very rare to see him waste a pass. For a team who base their success on possession and carving out opportunities in open play through creativity, Hughes is crucial. The fact that he was developed through our academy is a source of great pride and I am already dreading the day that he is stolen away. He has the ability to play for England one day.

CC: You signed Leon Best in the summer, but has he had much of a chance to impress yet?

DCB: Not really, because he acts as cover to the main man, Chris Martin. Best has appeared as a sub in most of the games, but hasn’t scored yet – although he tried to claim the goalmouth scramble equaliser at Forest. He is a useful player to have in the squad, but Martin is integral to the way we play and I don’t see him being left out, or a radical change in formation, any time soon.

CC: Has McClaren changed anything in the way Derby play of late, like getting the ball forward quicker, more crosses or is it still very much the patient build up play that he has kept to?

DCB: No, we still pass it. In fact, everything the club did during the summer was about keeping the squad together, keeping faith with them and encouraging them to carry on where they left off last season. There is now a very clear Derby County style and a consistency to the first-team personnel.

CC: It's early in the season but which six teams do you think will be at the top come next May in the Championship?

DCB: Before the season started, I predicted the three relegated clubs, Derby, Wigan and Watford as my top six. Obviously, I didn’t realise quite what a nutter Felix Magath is and what a mess he would create at Fulham, but Norwich are going strong and I still think that Cardiff will be there or thereabouts, if they make the right managerial appointment.

Wigan have made a very patchy start, which has surprised me, but Watford are going well. To slightly tweak my predictions, I will go with Derby, Watford, Norwich, Middlesbrough, Cardiff, and perhaps a wildcard – who knows, maybe even AFCB? But as you say, it is very early days and so much will happen between now and May – including a transfer window…

CC: AFCB have been playing better away than at home so are you confident of a Derby win?

DCB: I think that it has the potential to be a good game. Both teams are set up to pass it, not clog it, so I hope that this will be open, lively and competitive encounter, with plenty of attractive football to admire.

CC: A big thank you to Ollie for sharing some very open and informed opinions about Derby County FC. Please take a close look at Ollie's writing at Derby County Blog. 

My good friend Damien Hill is going to watch the Derby v AFCB match at Dean Court on the live stream and has agreed to report back on the experience, so I should have that for you in a few days time. I think he already has his pint on order and is looking forward to putting on his slippers in front of the big screen - please let him have a good view!

Please all note that the Brighton home game has been moved again back to Saturday 1 November but at a later 5.15pm kick off - See the official AFCB website. Finally, good luck Stephane Zubar at Port Vale - Stephane has signed on a month's loan.

Will you leave home for telly at Dean Court?

I had a moan earlier this year about the number of games that had turned into mid-week fixtures. It does make it a problem especially for away games when you sit at one end of the country and most matches in the Championship are at least a 100 or more likely 200-300 miles away. As an exile I have a head start being half way up the country, but that means the new initiative for home fans to watch an away game at Dean Court on a televised screen won't really effect myself and other exiles. But lots of AFCB fans in Bournemouth will be able to make the decision whether to listen to the radio or make the trip down the road to the Goldsands Stadium to see the Cherries play at Derby on 30th September 2014.

Do you want to make the trip to the club to see
an away game with some fellow fans?

For those that are have the dilemma of whether to buy tickets for the game or not having already booked the day off it is probably a hard one to call. Most fans will prefer to be at the ground in person but the value of the ticket perhaps becomes less when you have travelled all that way and know that there are some fans who are watching it at the home ground with a beer in their hand and will be able to get home long before you. In fact, they will probably have a drink after the game as well whereas you'll be rushing back onto the coach for a long kip and a late arrival back on the south coast. 

The initiative which is being promoted by the football league especially for mid-week games which involve long distances is being tried out at other clubs as pointed out by the AFCB official website, and I am keen to know what fans think about the idea. I believe it is pointing the way towards club TV just like has already taken place with Man Utd, Liverpool and Chelsea etc. At the end of the day football is a product and the clubs must have a say in the best way they can market their product. I am slightly wary though of seeing empty stadiums with no atmosphere and ever higher ticket prices to try and balance the equation. I must admit as long as I have the money and can get the time to travel to a game that would be my preference, and somehow offering other options to fans just might do the clubs more harm than good in the long run.

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.