AFC Bournemouth
Formed 1899
Elected to Division Three (South) 1923
Kit History
Boscombe
1899
1899-1900 a
1900-1915 a
1921-1922 a
Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic
1923
1923-1925 k
1925-1926 k
1926-1927 a
1930-1931 a
1931-1932 a
1932-1934 a e
1936-1949 a k
1949-1950 a
1953-1954 a
1956-1957 a
1961-1962 a
1962-1963 f
1963-1964 f
1964-1966 f
1966-1967 i
1968-1969 a
1969-1970 f
1970-1971 a
1971-1972 a
AFC Bournemouth
1972
1972-1973 a
1973-1974 f
1974-1975 a
1975-1977 j n
1977-1978 n
1978-1979 f
1979-1980 g
1980-1981 f g
1981-1982 f g
1981-1982 f m
1982-1983 b f
1983-1985 f g
1985-1986 f g
1986-1987 a f m
1987-1988 f m
1988-1989 a f
1989-1990 f
1990-1992 a
1992-1993 a f
1993-1994 l
1994-1995 j l
1995-1996 c
1996-1997 c
1997-1998 c
1998-2000 c
2000-2002 c
2002-2003 c
2003-2004 c
2004-2006 a
2006-2008 h
2008-2009 h
Background
Bournemouth trace their roots
back to 1890 and the formation of Boscombe St Johns Institute FC. When
this club was wound up in 1899, several members, meeting under a gas lamp
in Gladstone Road, agreed to form Boscombe FC. The new club played in
the Bournemouth & District Junior League but rose to sufficient prominence
that around the turn of the century they joined the Hampshire League.
In 1910 Mr JE Cooper-Dean granted the club a long lease on some waste
ground which was developed into the club's home, named Dean Court, after
their benefactor. The club nickname of "The Cherries" dates
from this period and is supposed to be a reference to the nearby fruit
orchards on the Cooper-Dean estate. A rather less romantic version links
the name to the cherry-red and white striped shirts the club wore.
The club was ambitious and when the Football League formed a Third Division comprising the Southern League First Division clubs, Boscombe successfully applied to join the rump Southern League. Three years later, Boscombe successfully applied to join the League. To mark the occasion (and to attract wider support locally), the club changed its name to Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic, the longest name in League history.
The Cherries were to remain in the Third Division (South) until 1958 when they became founder members of the new (national) Third Division, where they remained until they were relegated in 1970. This represents the longest continuous membership of a single division in League history. In the mid Thirties the club adopted Arsenal style shirts but the new image failed to create an impact on the pitch.
In 1956-57, the club enjoyed a moment of national prominence by beating First Division Wolves and Spurs in the FA Cup before they were defeated by two controversial goals by Manchester United in the quarter-final.
In 1971, Bournemouth were relegated to the Fourth Division for the first time but bounced back immediately with manager John Bond and sensational striker Ted MacDougall setting the division alight. Bond had earlier introduced a smart new black and red strip and in 1972 the club adopted the rather stylish title of AFC Bournemouth. After narrowly missing out on promotion to the second Division, both Bond and MacDougall left for greater things and in 1975 the club were back in the Fourth Division.
During the 1980s, under manager Harry Redknapp, Bournemouth enjoyed their finest period. In January 1984 Bournemouth beat holders Manchester United in the FA Cup. In 1987 the club won the Third Division championship for the first time and spent a dramatic three years in the Second Division.
By the mid-Nineties, financial problems had reached crisis point and the club went into receivership in 1997. With no rich benefactor on the horizon the future looked bleak and at one stage the club were 15 minutes away from closure. A successful bid from the Supporters Trust meant that AFC Bournemouth survived and became the first community owned professional club in Europe. In April 2001, the Cherries temporarily moved in with Dorchester FC while their Dean Court stadium was rebuilt. Work was completed in November 2001 but the season was to end in relegation to Nationwide Division Three. Happily they were promoted via the play-offs the following season.
Since the 1970s AFC Bournemouth have worn a variety of eye-catching kits based on the combination of red, black and white.
Sources
- (a) www.afcb.premiumtv.co.uk
- (b) Southend United FC (Images of Sport)
- (c) empics
- (d) Football Focus
- (e) The Football Encyclopaedia (Associated Sporting Press 1934) Information provided by Arthur Fergus
- (f) Gavin Meaden
- (g) Dave's Place
- (h) upthecherries - unofficial site well worth a visit.
- (i) The Definitive AFCB (Leigh Edwards & John Treleven Published by Tony Brown, 2003) - information provided by Gavin Meaden
- (j) Dave Jennings
- (k) Association of Football Statisticians - provided by Pete Wyatt
- (l) David King
- (m) www.jumpers4goalposts.com
- (n) Alick Milne