Cherries On Top · https://cherriesontop.news/features/past-present-and-future-inside-cherries-historic-academy-win-over-chelsea-112129
Past, present and future: Inside Cherries’ historic academy win over Chelsea
25.08.26, 23:27 6 Minute Read
It felt fitting that the crowd for AFC Bournemouth’s first match at the highest level of academy football was littered with iconic faces from the club’s past.
More than 1,300 turned out at Wimborne Town’s New Cuthbury on Friday night, as Alan Connell’s Cherries welcomed perennial Premier League 2 title challengers Chelsea.
Among them were former first-team bosses Sean O’Driscoll and Jason Tindall, fans’ favourite players in the likes of Brett Pitman, Junior Stanislas and Matt Ritchie, and even current Cherries head coach Marco Rose.
Some academy players of recent years also came along to support, such as Kian Tydeman and Ollie Morgan, who are now plying their trade in non-league.
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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.