Purches relishing player/coach role

Stephen Purches has grabbed the opportunity with both hands to be a player coach at AFCB. Stephen has enjoyed coming back to full training and seems to have fully recovered from his broken leg and claims that his fitness is returning.

Stephen has his testimonial on 13 July against Wet Ham and will hopefully play a part in the game. It is good to see that as long serving players, both Steve Fletcher and Stephen Purches are to have new roles at 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!

AFCB Fans' Forum set for 1st August

I know many fans are keen to know what happened to the BBC Radio Solent's Fan Forums that were regularly held by AFCB and it's good to hear that they are back. The next meeting on Thursday 1 August 2013 should make some fascinating listening with Eddie Mitchell, Eddie Howe, Tommy Elphick and Richard Hughes all available on the microphone to take audience questions.

I am not sure if it was scheduled knowing that 'An evening with Steve Fletcher' is on the same night, but at least the forum is slightly earlier from 6.30-7.30pm. I am guessing that many of the questions will relate to how the club is doing regarding preparations for the Championship in terms of player news, temporary stand erection and the club's finances as we head into the new season.

So I hope you all have your thinking caps on and are starting to work out what questions might be put to the panel. For more on the Fans' Forum visit the club's official website.

P.S. If you have not already noticed there is a new Cartoon Capers story out today - Episode 5. Just click on the Cartoon Capers tab at the top of the page.

End of the Dutch experiment?

This morning there were twitter reports that Frank Demouge would soon to be on his way to Roda JC having been on loan there since January 2013. Frank was signed as a major big name and as a signal for the direction that the club was hoping to go in when Groves was in charge of the team. It is hard to know if this was the manager's signing at the time of if AFCB's owners had been keen on the move for the Dutchman but you have to say that it did not work out.

Frank played just two games as I recall, the Walsall home game last year and the Crawley Town away match. We lost both games.

While we have several players that are probably not going to be required for next season it is a bit of a wonder why they have not yet been released. Some may well be on the transfer list but no mention has been made of anyone who has asked for a move.

Many fans attention will now turn to some of those other players who could be about to exit the club.

Mr Consistency is ready to play his part in AFCB's great adventure

Simon Francis was rightly named Players' Player of the season in 2012/13 and much of his popularity is likely to have sprung from his form in the team. Can you think of when he had a poor game? No, nor can I. Simon tends to do things right and takes the simple option to clear danger when he has to and push forward when he has the opportunity to. It was also lucky that AFCB managed to give him so many games last season.

I believe his among the top few athletes at the club in that he has the ability to race down the right wing seemingly at will without hardly ever running out of steam no matter how many times he looks to overlap in a game. And when the break is on in the other direction it is usually Francis that is back quickest ready to cover any dangerous move. I can't think of two many wingers who of the better of him last season. His positioning skill is perhaps underestimated because it is rare that he has to dive in or make last minute challenges to stop his opponent.

While some of his qualities your would think might go unnoticed in such a skill full team as the Cherries it was good to see that he received recognition for his hard work last season and that many had him as their player of the season. Last season I did not expect too many opposition goals to come down our right side, because Francis was pretty imperious in his  role at right back but it will be of interest to see if he can do as well in the Championship and continue to supply those deep crosses for which he has become renowned. 

There is news just breaking today that Simon has also signed a new contract that will keep him at the club until 2016. See the Official club website.

Keeping the winning mentality going

We all know next season is not going to be a cake walk and AFCB will need to try and get a winning run going right from the start. Consistency is the word that everyone is using and the target of winning back to back games.

In the Championship the bottom teams often cause upsets on any given day so it's all about trying no to make simple mistakes that give silly goals away, and having a stable defence that is secure and does not put the forwards and midfield players under pressure to score a hat full of goals every time they turn out to win a game.

The best way to defend is often to attack and with Matt Ritchie, Marc Pugh and Harry Arter and Eunan O'Kane in the middle of the pitch I feel that the Cherries are very rarely not on the front foot and trying to press forward and advantage they can when we have possession. People have talked of a step up in class and it is interesting to see how soon our players feel this and if they can master the situation early on. The first few games are against strong opposition and while the team might not win that many of them they will have to try and keep the points tally ticking along in this division or they will soon be in trouble.

I am not sure why Championship teams find it so hard to put winning runs together. I suppose many of the teams are of similar size and while many have played in the Premiership I wouldn't say any of the clubs are massive fish in a small pond. AFCB players have to believe that they are of equal status now whether a team has just come down from the Premiership, has been in this league for a while or has just come up with us. I would love to know what talks are given to the players in regard to mental belief, motivation and positive thinking. I am sure it is a side of the game that is looked upon far more than fans really give it credit for.

Keep the team spirit up and create a happy and healthy environment in which to survive and I expect most teams will thrive. The way that the Cherries are building a temporary stand, extending a shop and improving things around the ground all must have a positive energy for them in feeling that things are moving forward and progressively upwards as the club reached for the next level. I don't under estimate the psychology of such events and for Championship teams that are not building a winning and positive mentality the trap door of relegation probably awaits.