Bleazard’s winning Cherries ‘building’ after summer overhaul
01.09.26, 23:08 Updated 01.09.26, 23:20 7 Minute Read
Tom Crocker
Momentum has only been going one way for AFC Bournemouth’s women’s side in recent years.
Boosted by the interest and backing of Bill Foley after his takeover of the club in December 2022, Cherries went two full league campaigns without losing, culminating in promotion to the third tier under Steve Cuss in 2025.
But Cherries were not looking to stop there, with changes off the pitch to try and get the team best placed to continue their climb up the pyramid.
Cuss left his role ahead of the 2025-26 campaign and was replaced, initially on an interim basis, by Helen Bleazard – former Chelsea and Wales midfielder, who ended her playing career as part of Cuss’s Bournemouth squad.
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Tom Crocker Tom began his sports journalism career as a teenager, volunteering on matchdays to write for AFC Bournemouth’s official club website during their time in the third and fourth tiers. After a spell working freelance, Tom then took a role at the Bournemouth Daily Echo, covering the club full-time for five years, from 2019 until 2024.