AFC Bournemouth

AFC Bournemouth is the proud south-coast club known as the Cherries, playing out of the compact Vitality Stadium in the heart of the town. Long a lower-league fixture, the club has become one of English football's great modern rise stories, climbing from the bottom tier to the Premier League in the space of a decade. Under manager Andoni Iraola the Cherries have built a reputation for slick, front-footed football that regularly punches above the club's resources. Bournemouth's tight, sold-out home ground gives visiting sides one of the most atmospheric away days in the league.

Founded in 1899 as Boscombe St. John's Institute, the club took its modern name, AFC Bournemouth, in 1972. For most of the 20th century the Cherries shuttled around the lower divisions of English football with little fanfare. Everything changed under Eddie Howe, who guided the club through three promotions in six years, capped by the 2014-15 Championship title that sent Bournemouth into the Premier League for the first time in its history. The club has since established itself as a top-flight fixture, reaching a club-best 6th-place finish and first-ever European qualification in 2025-26.