A monumental 2012/13 season for A.F.C. Bournemouth ended in promotion to The Championship from League One after Eddie Howe returned to the club for his second stint in the hot seat after twenty-one months away in charge of Burnley.
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‘’We play from the back, with pace in attack, he went to Burnley and then he came back.’’ Bournemouth fans could often be heard chanting.
Howe led The Cherries to a second place finish to earn automatic promotion by playing an attractive and exciting brand of football. The club finished the season as the division’s top scorers with 76 goals and a total points tally of 83, just a point less than title winners Doncaster Rovers.
Brett Pitman finished as the club’s top scorer with 19 league goals, followed by strike partner Lewis Grabban who hit 13. Harry Arter scored 8 and Marc Pugh chipped in with 6.
The Cherries began the season with Paul Groves in charge, and with the club languishing in the relegation zone, Groves was sacked and replaced by Eddie Howe in October 2012. A remarkable run of form saw them climb out of the relegation zone and finish as eventual runners-up to Doncaster Rovers who finished as Champions. A run of eight consecutive wins set the wheels in motion and Bournemouth were beginning to look formidable.
Howes preferred system was a 4-4-2. His side were organised, dominated possession and were frightening in transition. The full backs would overlap, the wide players would cut in and the movement of the front two was excellent.
The was a real feeling of togetherness and Howe created a culture where the players become solely focused on success. The words ‘’Together Anything Is Possible.’’ could be seen in The Tunnel at Dean Court and remains a club slogan today.
The 20th of April 2013 will always be a day remembered fondly by Bournemouth fans. Promotion was sealed with a game to spare in the final home game of the season with a 3-1 win against Carlisle United. Goals from Steve Cook, Harry Arter and Brett Pitman saw The Cherries promoted on a sunny afternoon on The South Coast.
Eight of the Cherries team that started that day would incredibly go on to feature for Bournemouth in The Premier League which further emphasised Eddie Howes ability to develop and improve players. Charlie Daniels, Steve Cook, Tommy Elphick, Simon Francis, Marc Pugh, Harry Arter, Matt Ritchie and Lewis Grabban became the nucleus of the team, and all featured for The Cherries in 3 of the top 4 divisions in English football. Something unlikely to be seen again. Howe always remained loyal to his players and gave them the opportunity to step up a level and make an impact whilst he would strive to keep on improving them.
Who could have anticipated a decade ago that Howe would go on to have such success. He is currently spearheading Newcastle United’s push for a top four finish in The Premier League and has been touted by many as a potential future England manager. At just 45, Eddie has gained some invaluable experience and has managed in all 4 divisions. He has worked against the odds on a shoestring budget in his early Bournemouth days and he now works for one of the richest clubs in the world, but the DNA largely remains the same. Eddies teams have an identity and his attention to detail is second to none.
On Saturday he returned to Dean Court with his new club for the first time since his departure and received a warm welcome from the Cherries faithful as Bournemouth and Newcastle shared the points in a 1-1 draw. Eddie will always remain a Bournemouth legend and if the next ten years can be as successful as the last ten, Newcastle could be in for some ride.
What are your memories of this promotion winning season Cherries fans?
