Just 11 years ago, AFC Bournemouth recorded victory over Grimsby Town to confirm their Football League status. Five years ago they were crowned champions of the Championship, gaining promotion to England’s top flight.
From almost dropping out of the Football League completely to reaching the highs of the Premier League, AFC Bournemouth’s story over the past decade has been truly remarkable.
Under a fresh, young manager in Eddie Howe, the Cherries rose up the divisions playing an exciting brand of football and continued to impress throughout his time at the club.
Despite a brief spell at Burnley, Howe decided that his heart lay in the south and returned to the Vitality Stadium to pick up where he left off.
Shortly before leading his side to promotion to the Premier League in 2015 - for the first time in the CLub’s history - Howe was named as the EFL’s Manager of the Decade, which further underlined his credentials as one of the best managers within the Football League.
But all good things must come to an end with Howe deciding that the club could benefit from a new man in charge, the decision coming after relegation from England’s top tier was confirmed. Although relegation may be a setback, Howe leaves the club a fan favourite having provided the town with moments many could never have even imagined ten years ago.
So this upcoming 2020/21 Sky Bet Championship campaign will be a new test for everyone - a new division, a new manager and of course the possibility of new faces through the door.
Manager: Jason Tindall
When a club changes manager, the new man sometimes needs a bit of time to get his feet under the table, and to a certain degree Jason Tindall will still have to do that.
But it will be a lot easier for him than it would be for other manager’s walking into a new job.
Having spent majority of his coaching career as former manager Eddie Howe’s number two, Tindall has decided that he wants a turn in the Bournemouth hot seat.
The 42-year-old knows the club inside out, having been there as assistant manager for both of Howe’s spells in the dugout. And he will undoubtably know how to get the best out of the players within the squad, having worked with them regularly during his time at the club.
There will no doubt be a sense of optimism at the Vitality Stadium, as Bournemouth look to bounce back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, but it will be interesting to see what has been changed from Howe’s previous regime.
Players to watch
Should Bournemouth keep their players for the upcoming season and stave off interest from Premier League clubs, the Cherries have a fantastic squad that will undoubtably be challenging for promotion next season.
There will be no Nathan Ake in the Bournemouth ranks, as he departed for the Etihad Stadium to join up with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
However all is not lost for them at the back, the experienced Steve Cook still remains - a player with more than 300 appearances to his name for the Cherries.
Norwegian international Joshua King has attracted a lot of interest from teams in the top half of the Premier League table, and will no doubt be one to watch this coming season.
King - alongside strike partner and England international Callum Wilson - could cause Championship defences all sorts of trouble next season, if Bournemouth keep hold of the pair.
Youngsters David Brooks and Philip Billing could also provide the spark that is needed in the race for promotion. Combined with the experienced heads of Asmir Begović and Harry Arter, Bournemouth have a handful of valuable assets within the team.
Having been through a magnitude of different divisions and competitions throughout Europe and internationally, the trio certainly know how to perform in big games.