Cherries: Club needs to take one step at a time says Howe

7:00am Saturday 5th January 2013 in Sport Photograph of the Author By Neil Perrett

EDDIE Howe insists Cherries must focus their full attention on completing the first stage of their grand plan before they can even consider trying to emulate the likes of Wigan.

Boss Howe and assistant Jason Tindall, whose team faces the Latics in the FA Cup today, were both involved when Cherries last locked horns with Wigan in the league in 2001-02.

Bankrolled by businessman Dave Whelan, who bought the club when it was in the bottom flight in 1995, Wigan won the old Division Two in 2003 before gaining promotion to the Premier League two years later, where they have remained ever since.

In a bid to propel Cherries to the Championship, co-owner Maxim Demin provided former bosses Lee Bradbury and Paul Groves with significant funds to bolster the playing resources, although both failed to get the squad firing on all cylinders.

And while Howe has been left to pick up the pieces and has masterminded a 16-match unbeaten run since his return in October, he is mindful the club needs to take one step at a time before thoughts can turn to trying to match Wigan’s achievements.

Asked by the Daily Echo whether Cherries could follow the Latics’ example and reach the Premier League, Howe said: “Wigan were always the big spenders of the division when we used to play them regularly but it took them a while to get up.

“Probably the hardest thing for them was getting from League One to the Championship. They completed the job and have become an established club in the Premier League.

“Looking at what we would have to do, we can’t look too far ahead. We have got a job to do this season to try to get in the mix for promotion. It has been a long road so far and we are still not there.

“As a club, we are certainly going in the right direction off the pitch. We are trying to get the infrastructure right so the club could maintain and sustain football at a higher level.

“We need the supporters to come out in their numbers because that will play a huge part as well. And, of course, we would have to invest in the squad going forward if that is the aim but I think it is a long way off. Let’s try to get the first part done.”

Cherries old boy Kevin Reeves, who is chief scout at Wigan, also played a part in laying the foundations for Swansea’s elevation to the Premier League when he worked under Roberto Martinez at the Liberty Stadium.

Reeves told the Daily Echo: “Wigan did it so there is no reason why any club can’t do it. The owner here had an affinity with the football club and put in a lot of money to enable it to achieve what is has.

“The television revenue is colossal and enables us to compete at this level. If we do it right, we can hopefully stay in the Premier League and keep receiving the vast sums of money that Sky pumps in. To reach the Premier League isn’t easy but, if you do, there is no reason why you can’t sustain it.”

Comments(16)

afcbtintin says...
7:09am Sat 5 Jan 13

Good luck to the boys today.

And I'd like to wish all travelling fans a safe journey and have fun !

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Fanfor45 says...
7:33am Sat 5 Jan 13

A prediction across all three possible results. Wigan to win 3-0; draw 1-1 (Cherries to win the replay) Cherries to edge it 1-0. Get it right and I'll stick a fiver in the local pub charity box. Up the Cherries and good luck to all who are going.

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cheeriedriteup says...
8:36am Sat 5 Jan 13

Fanfor45 wrote:
A prediction across all three possible results. Wigan to win 3-0; draw 1-1 (Cherries to win the replay) Cherries to edge it 1-0. Get it right and I'll stick a fiver in the local pub charity box. Up the Cherries and good luck to all who are going.
I'm would go for a scrappy 0-1 with the Cherries getting the winner in the final 10 minutes

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cheeriedriteup says...
9:37am Sat 5 Jan 13

My bets have been placed ( through rosé tinted glasses of course)
Bournemouth win 0-1 Fletcher!
AFCB WIN 1-3 Grabban any time
AFCB win 1-2 Tubbs winning goal
Waiting for live in play for Arter to collect first booking.

Pretty much covered all angles and wishing Wigan loose,

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Square Old Codger says...
9:47am Sat 5 Jan 13

A cautionary note, from Eddie. just reminding us that we are in the early stages of a revolution and there's a long way to go before we can emulate Clubs like Wigan. The Club must be losing a great deal of money at the moment even though gates are improving and as some of the thousands that walked away , trickle back. With a limit of some 8000 on Home support , we could never finance Champoshop football. Yes, the Board have agreed to fill the void at the South End with a new stand should we go up, but that will only increase capacity to some 12,000 - less than the average gate when we were last in Div 2. Progresive Clubs like Cardiff and MKD are asking for permission to install terracing , as are some Premier League sides ( asking to convert some seating areas to standing as an experiement) all using the "Rail" system so commonly used in the Bundersleague. It would increase the stands capacity by some 50/70% and with the enquiry re the Hysel Stadium disaster absolving terraces as the cause, cater for the very many supportes who dislike sitting and attract some of them back to Dean Court as well as adding to the atmosphere and simplify attending games with mates at short notice. It would add choice too. I am fairly confident that under Eddie and Jason that we will make the play offs, but these are a lottery and not always does the best side win and injuries and sheer bad luck play their part. Then too the competing Clubs at the top are consistant and improving their squads..Meanwhile, onwards and upwards and a good showing today.

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Square Old Codger says...
9:47am Sat 5 Jan 13

A cautionary note, from Eddie. just reminding us that we are in the early stages of a revolution and there's a long way to go before we can emulate Clubs like Wigan. The Club must be losing a great deal of money at the moment even though gates are improving and as some of the thousands that walked away , trickle back. With a limit of some 8000 on Home support , we could never finance Champoshop football. Yes, the Board have agreed to fill the void at the South End with a new stand should we go up, but that will only increase capacity to some 12,000 - less than the average gate when we were last in Div 2. Progresive Clubs like Cardiff and MKD are asking for permission to install terracing , as are some Premier League sides ( asking to convert some seating areas to standing as an experiement) all using the "Rail" system so commonly used in the Bundersleague. It would increase the stands capacity by some 50/70% and with the enquiry re the Hysel Stadium disaster absolving terraces as the cause, cater for the very many supportes who dislike sitting and attract some of them back to Dean Court as well as adding to the atmosphere and simplify attending games with mates at short notice. It would add choice too. I am fairly confident that under Eddie and Jason that we will make the play offs, but these are a lottery and not always does the best side win and injuries and sheer bad luck play their part. Then too the competing Clubs at the top are consistant and improving their squads..Meanwhile, onwards and upwards and a good showing today.

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rogthedodge123 says...
10:07am Sat 5 Jan 13

I am looking forward to a convincing win today and believe Eddies team has nothing to fear from a poor premiership side so for me it will not be a shock,Wigan will be the standard we will have to face week in and week out in the championship and I believe we will hold our own when we automatically go up so on that basis I predict a 3-1 win and watch out for a goal for Matty Tubbs sorry we cant be there but will be cheering every kick on the radio.

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AFCB_Lanky says...
10:27am Sat 5 Jan 13

Square Old Codger wrote:
A cautionary note, from Eddie. just reminding us that we are in the early stages of a revolution and there's a long way to go before we can emulate Clubs like Wigan. The Club must be losing a great deal of money at the moment even though gates are improving and as some of the thousands that walked away , trickle back. With a limit of some 8000 on Home support , we could never finance Champoshop football. Yes, the Board have agreed to fill the void at the South End with a new stand should we go up, but that will only increase capacity to some 12,000 - less than the average gate when we were last in Div 2. Progresive Clubs like Cardiff and MKD are asking for permission to install terracing , as are some Premier League sides ( asking to convert some seating areas to standing as an experiement) all using the "Rail" system so commonly used in the Bundersleague. It would increase the stands capacity by some 50/70% and with the enquiry re the Hysel Stadium disaster absolving terraces as the cause, cater for the very many supportes who dislike sitting and attract some of them back to Dean Court as well as adding to the atmosphere and simplify attending games with mates at short notice. It would add choice too. I am fairly confident that under Eddie and Jason that we will make the play offs, but these are a lottery and not always does the best side win and injuries and sheer bad luck play their part. Then too the competing Clubs at the top are consistant and improving their squads..Meanwhile, onwards and upwards and a good showing today.
QPR are in the prem with a capacity of only 18k, I know Tony Fernandes is probably loosing a lot money thorugh this as the players are on ridiculous wages ( Bosingwa on 65k a week) but if we can expand little by little and keep the wage budget to a minimum but with a decent team i reckon we could survive.

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Piston_Broke says...
10:38am Sat 5 Jan 13

rogthedodge123 wrote:
I am looking forward to a convincing win today and believe Eddies team has nothing to fear from a poor premiership side so for me it will not be a shock,Wigan will be the standard we will have to face week in and week out in the championship and I believe we will hold our own when we automatically go up so on that basis I predict a 3-1 win and watch out for a goal for Matty Tubbs sorry we cant be there but will be cheering every kick on the radio.
I don't think Wigan are that poor a Premier League side. They've managed to retain their place on football's top table for 7 years, and deserve respect for that, as they've never been the best supported, and in comparison to many others who've got there (and dropped back out), not the best funded either.
Towards the end of last season, they were a match for just about everyone in the PL, and have always had that knack of discovering new talent from foreign shores, much like Swansea. Considering where we were just a few years ago, we should be flattered to even be considered as "the next Wigan" or "the next Swansea", but these kind of strange things happen in football - Reading is another great example. I remember many trips to Elm Park, and The Royals were certainly no bigger than us then, and along came John Madjeski. Of course I hope we get a result today, and I'm sure Roberto Martinez' priority is not the FA Cup, with his team currently in the bottom 3, but to say it wouldn't be a shock if we win is a bit disrespectful to them, in my opinion!

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RED LETTER DAY says...
10:42am Sat 5 Jan 13

As stated, the home supporter seating capacity is only about 8000. . . . . Most of the time the away supporters area is only half full. Is it not possible to reduce the seating for away fans so as to give us more seats............. Good luck to the Cherries today.

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Afcbpete says...
10:44am Sat 5 Jan 13

MANY many clubs throw money at trying to get into the Premier League, and fail. It's a dream, and would I be happy if we made it, but for only ONE season??? You bet yeh!! But that's way off, we can only dream of the Championship right now, and their is no divine right to achieving it. Whether it's this season or in the next couple of seasons, I have every faith in Eddie/Jason. Good Luck for today to the team and the many supporters travelling. A very difficult game, but nothing would surprise me with our team... UTCIAD

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atha says...
11:06am Sat 5 Jan 13

We did not average 12000 when we were in what is now the championship.
Because of stupid memberhip rules it was less than 10000.
I do believe with the new southstand built we would sell out 90% of games in the championship.

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Wilkie says...
11:28am Sat 5 Jan 13

Shame we shot oursles in the foot by serlling the land behind the East stand and allowing houses to be built there, as this would be the natural stand to extend to increase capacity significantly (double from 3600 to 7200). If Maxim is going to stay the course, we may well establish ourselves in the Championship and a 20K capacity would be about right.

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abc100 says...
12:00pm Sat 5 Jan 13

Lets get promoted first

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scottie190 says...
12:56pm Sat 5 Jan 13

Well on our way nice to see services full of afcb come on you reds

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cheeriedriteup says...
5:55pm Sat 5 Jan 13

cheeriedriteup wrote:
My bets have been placed ( through rosé tinted glasses of course)
Bournemouth win 0-1 Fletcher!
AFCB WIN 1-3 Grabban any time
AFCB win 1-2 Tubbs winning goal
Waiting for live in play for Arter to collect first booking.

Pretty much covered all angles and wishing Wigan loose,
I forgot the Ref factor !!!!!!

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