CHERRIES fans were queuing up outside the Goldsands Stadium at 6.30am yesterday to secure the best seats for next season.

With the promise of a better standard of football on offer thanks to the team’s promotion to the championship, many of those queuing were signing up for season tickets for the first time.

Thousands of fans had crammed into the centre of Bournemouth on Sunday to cheer on the squad during their open top bus parade.

AFC Bournemouth ticketing manager Richard Poole said they hoped to sell an extra 1,500 season tickets for next season.

“It has been extremely busy. There are a lot of fans looking to get the best seats they can and we have sold 400 tickets,” he said.

“And it is mostly new customers, as our existing season ticket holders have first refusal until the end of May.

“The team’s successes this year have attracted a lot of people who come along each week, so it is great to see them going on to buy season tickets.”

Ronnie Cannings, 67, from Throop, was the first in the queue buying tickets for his family.

He said: “I wouldn’t normally come down this early but I wanted to make sure I got one now we are in a big posh league. Everyone was talking about it at the parade yesterday.

“Now Eddie has taken us straight up to a higher league we need to give them all the support we can.”

27-year-old Ollie Joy, from Wimborne, said: “After last season’s performance I wanted to be here to show my support for the club.

“There has been a small increase in the price but for the level of football we will be enjoying in the championship I don’t think it is much of an increase at all.”