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The Definitive AFC Bournemouth

Last updated : 08 November 2003 By Andy Burton
The hard back book is a great read for all Bournemouth fans everywhere regardless of age as the authors, Leigh Edwards, and Exiles member John Treleven provide a potted guide to the Clubs History since it was created in 1899 through to the excitement of the Play-Off Final in May 2003.

The treat for me, was the full listing of every Football League match, squads, scores, attendances since the Club joined the League to the present day, as well the few years we spent in the Southern League, just prior to 1923. Included in the stats is a complete home/away League table for each season.

Included in the fixtures, is a complete set of FA Cup, League Cup (under various sponsorship guises), the Associate Members Cup (currently the LDV Trophy), and the short-lived Full Members Cup.

Ever wondered who played for Bournemouth over the years? Well wonder no more. There is a full set of players (733 of them) who ever donned a Bournemouth shirt since that very first League match away to Swindon Town, in which we lost 1-3. The stats include last club, next club, appearances and goals scored for the Club. In the list are some famous players: Jermaine Defoe, Ted MacDougall, Harry Redknapp, Charlie George and George Best, as well as the less well known ones like Neil Prosser (1980), Eddie Prudham (1980), Gary Pugh (1980) and Adrian Randall (1985-1987) who made a handful of appearances between them.

The statistical round up is completed with a list of managers and a complete set of Player Of The Season – including the Exiles Player Of The Season.

If you have a copy of the Championship Souvenir of the Club history, this is a must to bring the collection up to date, and if you don’t, this too is a must for the collection, which is well priced at £20 for 192 pages of information.

As I was reading through many memories came to the fore whether it was of particularly good games, like beating Portsmouth away in October 1982, getting soaked at the Goldstone Ground during a 3-3 draw against Brighton, or dismal day out at Springfield Park when Bournemouth won a solitary corner at the end of the game, which we deserved to lose – oh happy times!!

The Definitive AFC Bournemouth can be purchased at Dean Court, or by writing to Tony Brown, enclosing a cheque/postal order for £24 and sending it to 4 Adrian Close, Beeston, Nottingham, NG9 6FL.