Favourite/Most disappointing season

London Cherry

London Cherry

First Team
Apologies if this has been done before but I am seriously missing football and was thinking of this last night. My obsession with AFCB started in 94 so some might have varying answers which I’ll be interested to hear! For me

Favourite: 2014/2015

You could chose any Premier League season but nothing beats winning matches. The excitement of the run in was amazing and to win the Championship capped off an outstanding season!

Most disappointing: 2001/2002

We’ve been relegated a few times, but some of these were due to the fact we had points deducted. This was a frustrating season, at least we bounced back the following year!
 
I think this season has to be a contender for most disappointing campaign.

VAR - taking away the emotion and instant drama of the game. Knock on affect to atmosphere in every game.

Refereeing - genuine questions being asked about how AFCB are being treated.

First half the season you’ve got a player who has been with us for 7 years, since he was a teenager, who has played in 3 divisions for us, consciously playing down his contract and then deliberately not trying or caring and most probably being a general negative influence around the side.

A number of players look disinterested, lacking effort and put in some the worst collective performances the side has produced in a decade.

Injuries preventing any kind of change to mix it up leaving the management team with their hands tied behind their backs with no options to mix things up.

Then a global fucking pandemic hits the world with hundreds dying per day and you have the likes of Philip Billing and others moaning about having to take a pay cut when the majority of the country are on their knees struggling to get by.

The whole country in lockdown with no one allowed to be within 2 metres of each other for weeks/months on end, but the Premier League pandering to broadcasting holders to potentially play games without any fans just to tick box the season and chase their millions.
 
Most disappointing: I think most disappointing is the gap between expectation and achievement. Thus some of the late 70s/early 80s were awful but we didn’t expect a lot. I think DJ sums up well this season. I think 73/74 was the worst given it looked as though by Christmas we were back on track only for bond to go and the rest is history. Seemed to let in 3 or 4 goals so many times from January.

Best: 2014/15 was sensational but for me 81/82 was just brilliant after 6 years in Div 4. Quality of football was great with John impey tough as nails in defence, Tommy heffernan charging down the wing and neat passing football with players like sulley, dawtry, Edmonds etc plus that tony funnel
Song.
 
81/82 was great as I went to 35ish games and we went up, the day at Bradford was fab, but as most people have said, you just can't top 14/15. I don't think we'll ever have that feeling again.

Most disappointing.....I was going to say 2001-02 where we went to Wrexham knowing we were down. We had a half-decent squad but a terrible start to the season put us on the back foot. A toothless defeat in the FAC round 2 at Peterborough meant no third round dream too.

However, DJ has a really good shout with this season, I feel really let down by some of the performances from many of the players, and by many of the performances from some of the players.
 
I remember feeling very disappointed by the Bradbury season. A great promotion push where we were pipped at the playoffs and then the following season we finally got some cash, some big signings and weren't even bang average. I'm not sure what the opposite of bang average is. Tap average?

Must agree with DJ that after some promising additions to a side that only really needed a couple of holes plugging, this season has been an unmitigated disaster. No sooner were Brooks and Kelly injured by our own players (Ibe by being **************** at passing and Arter by being an ********************************) and it was all downhill from there, really.

Don't know how this season will finish but the disappointment has faded now. We all know we deserve to go down given our appalling run, even if we hope we somehow don't.
 
This season threatens to be similar to 2001/02 whereby a squad on paper that looked comfortably good enough was hit by injuries, poor decisions from the manager, refs, and just down right poor performances.

We made hard work of coming back up in 2002/03, but eventually got that magical day out to celebrate it. Not sure if we'd be so lucky again.
 
Championship winning season best, when most of the world suddenly knew about AFCB. Quite a few worst seasons but this one just tops it, so far! So much promise with so little to show for it. :utc:
 
Interesting question! I’m with DJ that this season for many Bournemouth and non Bournemouth reasons has struggled to keep a love of football going. Var in particular. I also loved the championship season and it’s the pinnacle of anything I’ve ever seen in terms of smashing teams week after week with pure beauty then the ultimate climax.

For selfish reasons because it connected with the right time in my youth a joint favourite with that though was our Harry’s team that finished 10th in what is now the championship so 88/89. Again a lot of triumphs over much bigger clubs with beautiful football.
 
I think 2014/15 was the best. Great competitive league, not too expensive and as Neil says, lots of winning!

Worst for me was under Benson.

I do remember 71-72 even though I was only able to go to three games a season around that time, and one was the Brighton game redharry mentioned. But it could never be the worst.
 
1990 and Leeds . A team that was desperately unlucky with injuries and just damn bad luck .If we had managed to stay up that season I’m sure we would have kicked on from there , such a disappointing season .
having said that , taking away for a moment we are in the PL Neil and DJ have summed up very well why this season has been a disappointment or should I say just straight up sh*t .
Favorite , obviously the championship season And that gradual realization as we smashed teams week in and week out that we were going to the PL .. and Harry’s promotion winning side for a variety of reasons probably amongst them being a teenager and footy was just different then.
 
1947/48 for the most disappointing. Finishing runners-up in Division Three South but only the Champions were promoted. If we could have got a toe-hold in Division Two - and a third place the following season suggests we could have - it would have utterly transformed the football club. Ditto 61/62 and 71/72, really.
 
DJ said:
I think this season has to be a contender for most disappointing campaign.

VAR - taking away the emotion and instant drama of the game. Knock on affect to atmosphere in every game.

Refereeing - genuine questions being asked about how AFCB are being treated.

First half the season you’ve got a player who has been with us for 7 years, since he was a teenager, who has played in 3 divisions for us, consciously playing down his contract and then deliberately not trying or caring and most probably being a general negative influence around the side.

A number of players look disinterested, lacking effort and put in some the worst collective performances the side has produced in a decade.

Injuries preventing any kind of change to mix it up leaving the management team with their hands tied behind their backs with no options to mix things up.

Then a global fucking pandemic hits the world with hundreds dying per day and you have the likes of Philip Billing and others moaning about having to take a pay cut when the majority of the country are on their knees struggling to get by.

The whole country in lockdown with no one allowed to be within 2 metres of each other for weeks/months on end, but the Premier League pandering to broadcasting holders to potentially play games without any fans just to tick box the season and chase their millions.
Click to expand...
When you put it like that, its the inly contender
 
Seasons that stick out in my mind more fondly:
The Great Escape under Mel Machin (94/95?) was the first season I was able to attend nearly every game and even better without parent supervision! Things were desperate to start (team virtually picked itself) and the transformation under Mel picking up Neil Young, Steve Robinson, Jason Brissett, Steve Jones, Ian Andrews was remarkable. Some classic memories, Neil moss starting the season like a rabbit in headlights kicking the ball directly to a York City player in a 3or4-1 home drubbing being taken out of the firing line and re-emerging later in the season when Andrews was injured to play a star role in a 1-0 home win over Birmingham who were top at that point - always aspired to be like Mossy after that game! Michael Mcelhatton getting crucial goals at Plymouth in an awful 1-0 win and a last minute winner at Cambridge (poss 2-3 or 3-4?) both clubs who were down the bottom with us. Away win at Brentford towards the end in a game we had to win but again they were flying and we were given little hope, listened to that on solent when they used to play the sound of a crowd cheering when there was a goal in one of the local games before announcing “there’s been a goal at Griffin Park” the tension was unbearable! Worshipped Neil Moss, Scott Mean and Jonesey after that season even though they all left not Long after.

Promotion from league 1 - should have won the championship except for a February wobble, still nearly won it except for some crazy scenes on inflatable day at Tranmere on the penultimate day of the season where many of us were on the pitch celebrating promotion when news came through that our main rivals (can’t remember who this was!) had saved a penalty and then gone down the other end and scored to seal the title. Battered Carlisle at home in what seemed a celebratory friendly the following week and I left the UK that summer happy to have seen my team achieve what I assumed to be their realistic peak.....how wrong I was to be proved!

Worst Seasons
Two Seasons under Pulis and one under Bond, drab Football, discontented crowds, financial difficulties kicking in.
 
Let's face it- nothing will ever beat 14/15. We could go down this season and come straight back up with 46 wins and it simply wouldn't be the same.

Most disappointing- 99/00. 98/99 was one of my favourite ever seasons. On paper it was one of the strongest 3rd tiers of all time, yet we spent the majority of the season in the play offs, and towards the end of the season we were regularly pulling in crowds of 7-8,000. But ultimately we fell short and missed out on the play offs on goals scored.

To go from that to having a wildly inconsistent season, where we failed to win back-to-back, which ultimately led to crowds falling. At the time it felt hugely deflating.
 
AFCBfan said:
1947/48 for the most disappointing. Finishing runners-up in Division Three South but only the Champions were promoted. If we could have got a toe-hold in Division Two - and a third place the following season suggests we could have - it would have utterly transformed the football club. Ditto 61/62 and 71/72, really.
Click to expand...

Wow, 1947/48, you were watching The Cherries back then ? Respect !
 
Red_Dez said:
Seasons that stick out in my mind more fondly:
The Great Escape under Mel Machin (94/95?) was the first season I was able to attend nearly every game and even better without parent supervision! Things were desperate to start (team virtually picked itself) and the transformation under Mel picking up Neil Young, Steve Robinson, Jason Brissett, Steve Jones, Ian Andrews was remarkable. Some classic memories, Neil moss starting the season like a rabbit in headlights kicking the ball directly to a York City player in a 3or4-1 home drubbing being taken out of the firing line and re-emerging later in the season when Andrews was injured to play a star role in a 1-0 home win over Birmingham who were top at that point - always aspired to be like Mossy after that game! Michael Mcelhatton getting crucial goals at Plymouth in an awful 1-0 win and a last minute winner at Cambridge (poss 2-3 or 3-4?) both clubs who were down the bottom with us. Away win at Brentford towards the end in a game we had to win but again they were flying and we were given little hope, listened to that on solent when they used to play the sound of a crowd cheering when there was a goal in one of the local games before announcing “there’s been a goal at Griffin Park” the tension was unbearable! Worshipped Neil Moss, Scott Mean and Jonesey after that season even though they all left not Long after.

Promotion from league 1 - should have won the championship except for a February wobble, still nearly won it except for some crazy scenes on inflatable day at Tranmere on the penultimate day of the season where many of us were on the pitch celebrating promotion when news came through that our main rivals (can’t remember who this was!) had saved a penalty and then gone down the other end and scored to seal the title. Battered Carlisle at home in what seemed a celebratory friendly the following week and I left the UK that summer happy to have seen my team achieve what I assumed to be their realistic peak.....how wrong I was to be proved!

Worst Seasons
Two Seasons under Pulis and one under Bond, drab Football, discontented crowds, financial difficulties kicking in.
Click to expand...

The Brentford game is when I got the Cherries bug and was hooked!! How many corners did they have in the last 10 minutes?!
It was Brentford v Doncaster in our League 1 promotion season! Amazing to go up but couldn’t believe Donny scored 20 seconds after the Bees missed a pen!!
 
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