AFC Bournemouth: from bankruptcy to the Premier League

By Josh Ranft

AFC Bournemouth will play in the Barclays Premier League in 2015-16, and those who hold the club near and dear surely must be pinching themselves. Bournemouth is not a household name; most people probably couldn’t spot the town on a map. The club had never been a perennial championship contender, much less a Premier League participant. After all, the new campaign will mark their first time swimming with the big fish and truly testing the waters of the best in the world.

Cherries fans have rarely had anything to be excited over, aside from the famous triumph over Manchester United in the 1983 FA Cup. The recent past has been downright dismal.

Bournemouth has floated between League One and League Two of the Football League for most of their existence. They were very nearly promoted to Division Two during the 1971–72 season but eventually got relegated to Division Four a few seasons later.

Bournemouth spent seven years on the brink before getting back to Division Three. Five years later, Harry Redknapp guided the club to Division Two for the first time in its history. The time they spent in the second division was short-lived, and the Cherries were relegated after only three seasons. 17 of the next 18 years were spent in Division Three, with the other spent at the bottom of the Football League in Division Four.

A 10-point deduction and placement into administration because of an outstanding debt doomed the club to relegation from League One in 2007–08. Three points on the final day would’ve secured survival, but the club managed to merely draw. And yet, it looked as though it would become even more grim.

Bournemouth owed £4 million and were almost shut down as a result, but were saved from liquidation by Paul Baker. A 17-point deduction levied against the club as a result of the new ownership almost led to them being relegated to the Football Conference following the 2008–09 season. The Cherries were almost expelled from League Two but were awarded the penalty instead on the condition that the club could complete its fixtures for that term.

On the field, Bournemouth wasn’t producing. Behind the scenes, the club was in turmoil.

Kevin Bond was sacked in September after two years in charge, and Jimmy Quinn was appointed interim manager. Quinn himself was sacked following four months of subpar results with the team deep in the relegation zone. It was the shortest reign as manager in club history.

For the third successive managerial reign, a former Bournemouth player took charge of the club. Things would be different this time.

Eddie Howe was named interim manager to start 2009, and with that came the title of the Football League’s youngest manager at 31 years old. Within three weeks, he was permanently named to the post. Under his tutelage, Bournemouth clawed back from their 10-point deficit in League Two and avoided relegation during their penultimate match. The momentum of survival carried over into the last match of the season, one that saw the club produce its best away result in three decades.

Eddie Mitchell stepped in as the new club chairman proceeding the 2009–10 campaign. Competing that season with just 19 players, Bournemouth finished second and were automatically promoted to League One. This was an incredible feat given the club’s previous financial status and limited resources.

Howe managed the next season-and-a-half until becoming manager of Burnley, but after one whole season and parts of two others, he returned to Bournemouth citing “personal differences” with the club. During his Burnley experience, Bournemouth again changed hands when Max Demin bought a share of the club from Mitchell. A series of mid-table results left the club in no better or worse position before the Buckinghamshire man took control for a second spell.

Howe picked up where he left off, leading Bournemouth to second place in League One and earning promotion to the Championship. The next campaign marked just their second stint in the second tier, and first since the club was relegated following the 1989–90 season. Bournemouth showed signs of their former selves, but this stint at the top of the Football League proved to be shorter than the last.

That’s only because the Cherries won promotion to the Premier League. Following a 10th place finish, the club’s highest finish in the Football League to date, it went on to perform convincingly in 2014–15 by winning the league.

Bournemouth should be wary. Leicester City won the Championship in 2013–14 but became just the first Premier League side to be bottom of the table at Christmas and survive relegation. It seemed certain they would follow in the steps of Cardiff City, who are back in the Championship only one year after winning it in 2012–13. Reading endured the same fate, succumbing to relegation after only one year in the EPL.

One has to believe this squad is well-prepared for the rigors of the Premier League, but each passing game will prove to be invaluable experience regardless. Howe has shown great discipline as a manager and he should be expected to get the most out of his side.

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