Bournemouth: The view from the opposition
Ahead of Liverpool's first home game of 2015-16, we speak to Bournemouth ambassador Steve Fletcher on what the Reds can expect from the newly-promoted outfit at Anfield.
The former striker is a Cherries legend having made 728 appearances across two spells, and last year he received the Football League's inaugural Sir Tom Finney Award for his services to the game over a 24-year career.
A boyhood Liverpool fan, Fletcher tells us about Bournemouth’s rise to the top flight and expectations for the campaign ahead.
Steve, Monday night at Anfield for Bournemouth in front of a live TV audience – is this what it’s all about for Bournemouth, testing yourself against one of the world’s most famous clubs?
Absolutely. I was a Liverpool fan as a child growing up and the likes of Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush were my heroes. After retiring two years ago it’s ironic now we have this game at Anfield live on TV because I just wish I could rewind my career a few years and be out there with the lads. When the fixtures came out in June and we knew Liverpool would be our first away game you can imagine the buzz around our place. With no disrespect to the other clubs in the Premier League, you are looking forward to playing at Anfield, going to Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea because we have never been in the Premier League. To play at Anfield and the fact that it’s being televised is almost surreal to a club like Bournemouth.
When you hear the first strains of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ will this be a culmination of a dream for Bournemouth, and does the anthem also inspire the opposition?
I think so. Even if you are not a Liverpool fan you can’t fail to be inspired when the song comes on at Anfield. Our two centre-backs, Steve Cook and our captain Tommy Elphick are both Liverpool fans, so like myself it will make the hairs on the back of our neck stand up. The atmosphere does spur you on and I’m sure it will bring the best out of our players. It’s such an iconic anthem and when it comes on and the Kop is singing it, it will hit home to our boys that we have arrived in the Premier League. If you can’t get inspired by that then you never will be as a footballer.
Bournemouth have had a remarkable rise – League Two to the Premier League – what do you put that down to?
Predominantly our manager Eddie Howe along with the backing of our owner Maxim Demin. We have got big ambitions but we are a small club. When you have a great manager like we have you need somebody who can back him and we have that. The manager set his stall out and had a vision. We have probably reached our goal quicker than anybody anticipated, I wouldn’t try to deny that. I just think that the way everybody pulls together at our football club is a key to success because we are very tight-knit, off the field as well, every department tries to do well for each other. Our motto is ‘together, anything is possible,’ and we have proved that. We try to improve every year and that’s what we’ve done. With Eddie’s philosophy and vision for this football club, I definitely think we are in good hands for the future.
What are realistic expectations for Bournemouth this season?
Survival I suppose. It would be fantastic if we could reach the dizzy heights of the middle of the league but first and foremost our objective is survival. It has to be because for us to be in the Premier League is surreal, but now we are here the reality has got to kick in. We’ve got to maintain our position and I think we have to try to replicate what Swansea have done. They are the blueprint for a club like us. Yes, they are a bigger city than Bournemouth, but they came up through the leagues and went from the Vetch Field to a fantastic new stadium, they play good football and have never changed their philosophy. They are almost now an established Premier League club and that is the blueprint we have got to look at. Swansea are a great blueprint for us.
Who, for you, are the key men Bournemouth have to contend with on Monday?
Every player that takes to the field against us! Liverpool are a fantastic club, my childhood team and I was devastated the other year when they narrowly missed out on the title, because it took me back to the 1980s when we won everything. We have just got to be wary of every player because every player that puts on a red shirt is where all of our players want to be. We can only dream of getting anywhere near Liverpool and every player is a danger. We will have to be at our best, we know that, to even compete on the same level but we are capable of that. I’m never going to say we are going to Anfield and will produce miracles, but if we play our football the way we can, we can surprise a few people. Listen, if we come away from Liverpool with anything it will have been an amazing day. Funny things have happened but I do expect Liverpool at Anfield will be one of the hardest games we will have to play this season. We need Liverpool not to play well and at the same time we have to be at our best, it’s as simple as that for us to get something, but it can happen.
Just tell us what your role is at Bournemouth these days?
My role is head of UK recruitment and club ambassador. I played for the club for over 20 years and then when I retired in 2013 I took up the recruitment role. Being club ambassador takes me all over the town in different walks of life, from charities to businesses and visiting schools. I really enjoy my role and it’s a bit different to when I was a player of spending three hours on a training field and then going home. I do 12-hour days now but I’m still at the football club and I get to go all over the place scouting and also Europe as well. It’s not a bad life to be about to visit Anfield on a Monday night and cheer on my beloved AFC Bournemouth.