In partnership with
Bournemouth with a tough test to open the season traveling to the East side of Manchester to take on Manchester City at the Etihad on Sunday, August 23, 8a CST.
Erling Haaland. Have you heard of him? Feels like City have a whole new level of fans after Haaland’s great run with Norway at the World Cup. The Cherries had a great run last season. This season starts with a new manager, player turnover and a road trip against a team looking to get back on top of the table. Will be a tall task for the Cherries.
2025/26 Finish - 6th Place
Qualified for Europa League
50 - Projected over/under season points.
126 Years. AFC Bournemouth is a Medium-Small club on the south coast of England who fell to League 2 (level 4) in the 1990s and again in 2000s. The AFC stands for Association Football Club. In 2008, Bournemouth hired former player Eddie Howe (recent manager at Newcastle) who led them to 3 promotions and into the PL for the first time in their history and then kept them there 5 consecutive years. The Cherries enter their 5th straight season in the PL and 10th overall. The Cherries had their best ever season last year, their 125th.
Will be a brand new season and experience for Bournemouth and their front office as they hired a new manager when Andoni Iraola left for Liverpool in the offseason, AND they will be playing in Europe (Europa League) for the first time in their history.
The club is hoping their stadium remodel and expansion remains on schedule and that they will be able to get over 20,000 fans into Vitality Stadium this season. two of three seasons the Cherries were bettors picks to be relegated yet stayed up, including a 12th place and 9th place finish.
Three years ago the Cherries had new ownership, a new manager and a commitment to spending/acquisition - $100M+ in additional spending - and that combination worked. They are back in a similar position this year and will be hoping for more success.
The Cherries will be looking for leadership from USMNT player Tyler Adams who has been a part of the recent success.
The Club
Located in Bournemouth (South Coast)
Dean Court, now called Vitality Stadium, 11,307 capacity
$120M REMODEL is IN PROGRESS
Will hold 20,000+ when completed.
Rough estimates
$250M Annual Revenue
$130M Player Payroll
Home Kit
Away Kit
Ownership
Black Knight Football Club
American Businessman Bill Foley (LV Knights owner) completed a takeover bid for Bournemouth in December 2022. Foley is chairman of Cannae Holdings which owns 51% of the club. Michael B Jordan (Actor) leads the minority ownership group. Together they bought the club for $150M.
Very good article on why Foley bought the team and what he plans to do with it here.
“We will move forward with an 'always advance, never retreat’ approach”.
LV Knights
Biggest Rival - Southampton
Southampton is in the Championship so this rivalry will not be renewed this season.
31 miles separate the two south coast towns.
Southampton does not consider Bournemouth a rival, their rival is Portsmouth which is labeled the South Coast Derby.
Rivalries exist across the South of England, for this season expect big matches with Brighton & Hove Albion - also in the PL.
The Culture
In 2009, AFC Bournemouth was 1 match away from being relegated out of League 2 (Level 4), out of the EFL and down to Level 5. SEVEN years and three promotions later they were celebrating their first ever promotion to the PL. This was great news for other PL team’s fans, as Bournemouth is the first away match the fans look for as they can turn the trip into a seaside getaway.
AFC B has a relatively big fanbase given the stadium’s size of 11,000. The supporters were voted the best-behaved fanbase in the PL and seem to go by several nicknames: Red & Black Army, Cherries Red Army, the Cherries.
While the club has been around for a long time, it feels like the fast rise to the PL may be changing the culture, along with the new ownership. Three years ago, the Cherries did not sell a player from the previous season and added over $100M in acquisitions is quite a statement. Also, one look at the AFCB website and you can see the new owners focus - We Keep Moving.
Word Association
South Coast, Small Club, Ambitious Underdogs, US Ownership, Vegas Knights, Cherries, 11,000 seat Vitality Stadium, Eddie Howe, Bill Foley, Promotion specialists.
Boscombe
The Club originally started as Boscombe FC, then in 1923 Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic Football Club. In 1971 they adopted the name AFC Bournemouth with the intention that the club would appear first in alphabetical lists of English clubs.
Boscombe is a suburb of Bournemouth, home to over 7 miles of sandy beaches.
Supporters You May Recognize
Seth Rogan - As the story goes, Seth appeared on an episode of Soccer AM and said he didn't have a team he supported so the show put names in a hat and Rogan picked The Cherries.
Michael B Jordan
Alex James
Several UK actors support AFC B.
Song
“Flying high, up in the sky, We'll keep the red flag flying high, From Dean Court to Wembley, We'll keep the red flag flying high.”
Red & Black Army
Game Day Pub Guide
The Queens Park
Fan Sites
Official Twitter
@afcbournemouth
High Follows on Twitter
@RBA_app (30k)
@AFCBPodcast (5k)
@CherriesChat (4k)
The Team
The Gaffer
Marco Rose (German), 49yo.
Hired this offseason.
Success at Red Bull Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund previously.
Played and managed most of career in Germany, with 150 appearances for Mainz.
ODDS
To Win League +20,000
Top 4 +2200
To Be Relegated +900
Roster Notes
Full Roster click link
Americans on the Roster
Tyler Adams
Julian Araujo
Matai Akinmboni
Roster
Junior Kroupi
Rayan
Alex Scott
Evanilson
Adrien Truffert
Antoine Semenyo
Marcus Tavernier
Bafode Diakite
James Hill
Goalkeeper
Dorde Petrovic
Dean Court - Vitality Stadium
Wish your car insurance was pricier? Didn’t think so.
Find out if another carrier could offer you a better rate. Compare your offers all in one place and get your best rate on LendingTree. Just answer a few questions and get your quotes in a matter of minutes.
