A Weekend on the South Coast

Bournemouth away; a lovely location coupled with an absolute nonsense of a football ground. This isn't to say that it's a bad stadium, it actually has quite an endearing quality to it. The nonsensical part is simply the ridiculous capacity that the ground has and subsequently the miniscule away allocation that visiting sides receive.

The allocation, just over 1300 tickets, makes a mockery of Premier League football. On the one hand, it tells the story of a relatively small club that have defied the odds to work their way up the footballing pyramid; a fairytale some might say. However, given the amount of money that has been invested into the playing squad over the two separate stints that The Cherries have spent in the top flight, partnered with the riches that come with this status, it's surely not beyond the realms of expectation that investment could have been made into increasing the capacity of the ground. 

Admittedly, I'm not an expert on AFC Bournemouth and I'm sure there are factors that contribute to the above. Infrastructure, building restrictions and of course the lack of certainty of being a stable Premier League football club, could all impact the possibility of increasing stadium capacity. This however, does nothing for visiting supporters. I genuinely believe that there is a case to be made that Premier League clubs should have to provide a minimum amount of tickets for visiting clubs, regardless of their capacity. Brentford is another ground which offers a similar dilemma, and it is this reason solely that has made the two clubs in question my preferences for relegation. Harsh? Absolutely. Rational? Nope. Selfish? Yep. I'm never going to get my way though, so that makes this whole piece somewhat redundant!

Nevertheless, we head into this weekends fixture hoping to extend our 100% record. I have been overjoyed with the start we've made and it has become increasingly difficult to maintain calm and keep our feet on the ground. We have a squad that is inherently likeable. We have a squad that is starting to show the depth and quality of a proper football club, something that has been impossible to boast about as Arsenal fan for sometime. Decisions now seem logical throughout the club; there is a clear plan in place and supporters are believing and trusting the process. 

When attending the Leicester game last weekend, I said to my Dad in the pub prior to the game that although there have been tough times supporting the club in recent years, there is simply nothing better than being an Arsenal fan and following this club around the country. Long may it continue.