Affinity...

Neil Dawson

Neil Dawson

UTC Legend
I was wondering. Has their ever been a side this successful in our history that we have had less affinity with as a fan base?

Bearing in mind in the last 40 years we have had 6 promotions and 1 failed play off bid, and it’s our 7th highest league finish in over 100 years this should be a memorable team we all tell our kids about.

Remarkable therefore how little we seem to feel. Is it just because we aren’t in the stands?
 
No doubt not being able to go has a big effect on how connected we're likely to feel but I think it's a case of once bitten twice shy with this group of players. Sure there's a case that they've been badly managed but two years of performances where they are phoning it in half the time doesn't half impact how you feel about them.
 
I don’t think it’s solely down to not being there as they felt like a bit of an unlikable bunch last season. But not being there does play a hugely unmeasurable part.

Only side that came close was when we had a huge turnover of players under Kevin Bond.
 
Very difficult to get an affinity if you can't go to games.
How would we have taken to Danjuma if allowed to actually see him score those goals, I think Pearson would have been a hit with the fans too. Certainly some of them are not a very likeable bunch on the surface. I wonder if the players are missing that bond with the supporters ?
 
Neil Dawson said:
I was wondering. Has their ever been a side this successful in our history that we have had less affinity with as a fan base?

Bearing in mind in the last 40 years we have had 6 promotions and 1 failed play off bid, and it’s our 7th highest league finish in over 100 years this should be a memorable team we all tell our kids about.

Remarkable therefore how little we seem to feel. Is it just because we aren’t in the stands?
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Not being in the ground has certainly contributed but I think it runs a lot deeper than that.
I think that we have lost what makes us ‘Bournemouth.’ We have always been the ‘underdogs,’ a team who relied on work ethic and partnerships over individual quality. A team with likeable characters who will fight for the cause regardless of ability. This season is the first year I can remember there actually being a huge expectation on us to achieve, it is something that as a fan base and a club that we are not used to. At the end of the day, the way I see it, any club can have good players if you pay the money, we have lost our USP and what makes us Bournemouth. It is hard to warm to a group of players who seem to think they are God’s gift to earth and who you know will be off like a shot at the first opportunity if given the chance. Before it felt like we were building something, now it feels like we are desperately trying to hang on to/salvage something. Without realising it, our years in the top flight slowly diminished the enjoyment of the football.
 
Definitely, Neil...I have gone to affinity and beyond over the last year or so.

For me it's a mixture of things. When the team used to play crap, at least I had the comfort of meeting up in a pub beforehand and afterwards, and making the game part of the day, home and away. I always laugh at the "matchday experience" nonsense at the club - I'll make my own matchday experience thank you very much, and you lot can just put on a decent game of footie...
When it's just 90 minutes of (mainly) turgid football, there seems so much less entertainment, little to get excited or emotional about.
It's not just with AFCB, it's so rare to see a good quality game of football these days. When players don't appear to care or be trying too hard, it's difficult to feel affinity with them.
Hopefully when the crowds get back in things will feel better, but I do recall having this sense even before the pandemic.
I'd rather watch honest triers making mistakes and trying to get better than "stars" who think they are too good for AFCB. If this group of players is as good as they think they are, then let them prove it this month.
Win, lose or draw, in whatever division, just give me hope...
 
boscombe botn said:
Maybe it's because we have spent over £100 million in transfer fees on this bunch of underachievers - most of whom are paid (I was going to say earn lol!) more in a week than I am guessing most of us posters on here earn in a year!
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When you are in the premier league , you pay over inflated prices .
Have to remember we came into this league mainly with solanke and surridge as our main strikers .
 
The shared experience is a huge part of it. The lack of interaction is a killer. Be interesting to see what it's like when crowds are back, if they ever are, full crowds I mean.
 
If you are on the up, everything looks great! Even if you've 'only' just won the league 2 play offs.

If you've been relegated from the premier league and 'only' finished sixth, everything looks bad.
 
My anger is the inability to show some fight and match weaker opponents. The players go into games thinking they can just turn up. Thus 3 wins out of 4 against top two but 2 wins out of 8 against bottom 4. Same in the prem - some decent games against top 6 but no goals in 4 against bottom two. That’s the difference between automatic promotion this year or staying up last season.

Eddie’s 14/15 vintage loved goals but worked so hard for each other. I remember someone (maybe Keith curle) in 12/13 season saying afcb played great football but were one of the most physical sides he had seen.

Get back to that combination. Defeats at derby and Sheffield weds away were just embarrassing and erode any affection for the side.
 
I remember the Sky commentator saying that Eddie’s side had a special bond with the fans. That’s right - we felt could we could work with the team to suck a goal in at the NS. You remember ... those partnerships on the wings and crosses converted time and again. That’s long gone - including last season, when Fraser gave up and gave us two fingers. So it’s not just watching online - too many incoming players have been casual and uncommitted ... not the way to win our backing.

The earlier relationship could return - but it’s unlikely with the present squad. Let’s see some of the youngsters - reports from the “reserve” matches suggest they have a much more committed approach.
 
I totally agree Neil, normally with a player like Danjuma I would be thinking how lucky we are that he is a Bournemouth player but actually I’m just waiting for him to leave the first chance he gets. These are just players who currently play for us as opposed to being Bournemouth players in my opinion.
 
afcblady said:
I totally agree Neil, normally with a player like Danjuma I would be thinking how lucky we are that he is a Bournemouth player but actually I’m just waiting for him to leave the first chance he gets. These are just players who currently play for us as opposed to being Bournemouth players in my opinion.
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Great post. I'm a little envious of Forest Green Rovers, a small club but one with a real 'identity'. I'm not suggesting AFCB go vegan, but we seem to have lost something in recent years. Hate to say it, and 'careful what you wish for' applies, but kind of missing 'little old Bournemouth'.
 
Neil Dawson said:
I was wondering. Has their ever been a side this successful in our history that we have had less affinity with as a fan base?

Bearing in mind in the last 40 years we have had 6 promotions and 1 failed play off bid, and it’s our 7th highest league finish in over 100 years this should be a memorable team we all tell our kids about.

Remarkable therefore how little we seem to feel. Is it just because we aren’t in the stands?
Click to expand...
This has gone through my mind several times during this season. I accept that not being in the stands makes a difference, but not enough for me to counter the wholesale lack of engagement I feel for the team, save perhaps for Steve Cook, Smithy and perhaps Jeff who do still seem committed. The remainder are merely transients in my mind and I have little or no affinity with any of these.
 
Good question Neilers.
I think the fact we haven’t been there has been a huge factor.
The -17 team and being there for that last game against Grimsby was truly memorable .
The games at Reading and Charlton with the 2014-15 team will never be matched by the sheer emotion. The bond between us, Eddie and the players was utterly unique.

This team can’t really compare because you have to be at the games to truly emotionally invest in a team.
They have also been unfortunate because of our perceptions about them being vastly over paid.
It’s been tough on them and us.
Not easy really.
 
the thing about the team now and previous teams as the players were literally playing to feed their families (well maybe not quite that bad but they were not rolling in it) to get a new contract or a big move to the league above, and to a extent playing to keep the club going, now the players are safe with the millions in the bank if they have a off run they know someone will still pay them decent money and that shows on the field. the league 1 and 2 teams we had got their heads down tried hard and just hoped they would be paid that month
 
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