No one can underestimate what Bournemouth have achieved in winning promotion to the Premier League. They can only be denied by a 19-0 defeat at Charlton on Saturday and in truth that is going to be a promotion party for their fans with the Addicks making the Upper West stand available to them in addition to the away end.
No one can underestimate what Bournemouth have achieved in winning promotion to the Premier League. They can only be denied by a 19-0 defeat at Charlton on Saturday and in truth that is going to be a promotion party for their fans with the Addicks making the Upper West stand available to them in addition to the away end.
In 2008 Bournemouth were five minutes away from liquidation. Only a £100,000 cheque written by now chairman Jeff Mostyn saved them from the brink. Their ground capacity is only 12,000 and their average attendance has been 10,500. Manager Eddie Howe has, of course, made a major contribution to their success, a classic case of the manager making a difference.
But are Bournemouth the true underdogs they are portrayed to be? They are bankrolled by secretive Russian Maxim Demim who built a £5m house on the nearby Sandbanks peninsula, having knocked down one that was already there. They made a £15.3m loss in their last accounts and Demim had to step in with a £8.7m loan.
What remains unclear are his long-term intentions. Does he plan to expand the ground or would he relocate the club? That might depend on how well they do in the Premiership.
In one sense the Cherries have not splashed the cash. Their biggest signing was for £2.5m. They have spotted hidden talents like Harry Arter, a mainstay of the midfield, who was languishing at non-league Woking having left the Charlton academy. Another shrewd buy was Charlton striker Yann Kermorgant whose worth was not appreciated by the new Belgian owners at The Valley.
However, excluding the clubs receiving parachute payments, only Notts Forest, Middlesbrough and Leeds United have spent more on transfers in the Championship. Two of those clubs have faltered and Middlesbrough are going to have to battle through the play offs.
You can have a lot of money and use it badly, but the Cherries have used a moderate amount of money by the standards of contemporary football and see it pay dividends. Whether that formula will work in the Premier League remains to be seen, but it will certainly add interest to next season.