By Eighteen years ago, AFC Bournemouth began a League Two season on -17 points, staring into the abyss of non-league football. On Thursday night, the Cherries celebrated a 3-0 win over Sturm Graz in their first-ever European home game — a night 127 years in the making for a club founded in 1899.
The occasion at the Vitality Stadium was nothing short of magical. As the Andy Williams classic “The Impossible Dream” rang out before kick-off, supporters waved flags and a giant tifo rose from behind one of the stands bearing the words “Minus 17 to European dreams. AFC Bournemouth, established 1899.”
The impossible rise
The message was a reminder of just how far the Cherries have travelled. In 2008, after entering administration, Bournemouth were relegated from League One with a 10-point deduction. To even be allowed to compete in the 2008-09 season under Eddie Howe, the club had to accept a further 17-point penalty in League Two.
They were bottom of the Football League and seemingly doomed. Instead, they produced one of the greatest escapes in English football history, finishing 21st and surviving. That season laid the foundation for a decade of success that culminated in a first promotion to the Premier League in 2015.
A landmark night in Europe
Thursday’s victory made Bournemouth only the second English side to win their first two matches in a major European competition since Bolton achieved the feat in the Uefa Cup 21 years ago.
Adam Smith, the club’s longest-serving player after joining on loan from Tottenham in 2011, earned his own slice of history by assisting Bournemouth’s first European goal on home soil — Evanilson heading his cross home late in the first half. When Smith was replaced by James Hill midway through the second half, the home crowd rose to their feet and chanted his name.
“It’s been a long time coming. The fans were up for it, the players were up for it, so we are very happy,” Smith told TNT Sports. “We had a chat with each other and we got a reaction today. That’s an AFC [Bournemouth] performance right there.”
Former defender Joel Ward told TNT Sports it was “a moment that will live long in their memories,” praising owner Bill Foley for manifesting the European dream he set as a target when he took over the club. Supporters stayed in their seats long after the final whistle, soaking up every second of a landmark night on the south coast.
AFC Bournemouth supporters at the Vitality Stadium (Credits: BBC Sport)
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Source: BBC Sport — read the full story there.
