Jack Tanner: My Cherries history

It was through Poole Town that I got the chance to see Cherries in person for the first time. I was still a student at what was then Oakdale South Road Middle School, when the Dolphins came in with free ticket vouchers for their marquee pre-season friendly in 2009.

This was back when Tatnam was only cut off from the rest of the school field by a metal railing around the pitch. Younger fans took advantage of this by sitting underneath the railing to get as close to the action as possible.

With the dugouts full, Eddie Howe took a laid-back approach - sat on the floor, leaning back as his side opened pre-season with a 2-1 loss. Not that it mattered - Cherries would go on to win promotion from League Two in Eddie’s first full season as Bournemouth manager.

At 16 I started submitting copy to the Bournemouth Echo from local non-league games, and my connection for the paper led to work experience on the sportsdesk during my time at Bournemouth University.

Shadowing my future colleagues Dan Rose and Tom Crocker, I attended a few press conferences and even asked Eddie Howe some questions. Shortly after I graduated from my Multimedia and Journalism course at BU, I was asked if I would like to join the Echo’s sportsdesk on a full-time basis. It was a no-brainer.

My first Cherries game for the Echo was in the lead-up to Christmas in 2021, with Scott Parker’s side firmly in the battle for automatic promotion to the Premier League.

We all know how that campaign ended, Cherries riding the pressure before sealing a return to the Prem with a game spare, but at the time Bournemouth were suffering from a bit of a blip.

After a flying start to the 2021-22 season - 15 league games unbeaten - Cherries were spluttering slightly, winning just once in the next eight.

They rocked up to Loftus Road winless in six, and all the talk in the press suite pre-game centred on whether Cherries’ early form was a false dawn. Bournemouth’s newly appointed (and since departed) head of media worried that he was a bad luck charm, and I feared that I would share the same fate.

But thankfully, that proved not to be the case. A cagey and fiery encounter was won by a Junior Stanislas free-kick turned home by Dominic Solanke shortly before the break.

The handbags at the end of the game produced a red card for Andre Dozzell - and firmly hooked me into life following Cherries.

Less than six months later, and Bournemouth were back in the big time. The back end of the 2021-22 season was filled with big moments from a variety of sources. Siriki Dembele at Blackpool, Jamal Lowe versus Bristol City, and of course, Kieffer Moore against Nottingham Forest - although his goals against Swansea the week prior deserve a mention.

Fast forward a bit longer, and I had my first day-off interrupted by breaking news - the sacking of Parker and appointment of Gary O’Neil as interim. Coincidentally, I would have holiday postponed when Cherries swapped O’Neil for Andoni Iraola a year later.

Parker had to go - more for his less-than-subtle comments calling out the board over a lack of transfers rather than results. Sitting in the press box at Anfield as Liverpool smacked nine past Cherries was surreal and deflating - the fact that Ryan Christie and Owen Bevan stopped to speak in a solemn mixed zone was a huge credit to each’s character.

The day Parker was sacked I was asked to go on LBC to discuss the news. I’m very rarely left speechless, but when I was introduced as having lost my job by the presenter, the best I could mutter was "no".

Life with Cherries quickly moved on. Transfer deadline days during the first windows I covered were hectic to say the least.

I remember camping out in the car park in King's Park to spot Kieffer Moore’s arrival in January 2022, before waiting around in Cherries’ media suite as club officials in London tried to convince Jaidon Anthony to join Leeds on loan in order for Luis Sinisterra to come the over way later that same year.

Cherries were in for a slog of a season, but the arrival of Bill Foley before the end of 2022 gave a boost of excitement - and to the coffers.

Confirming the rumours behind Foley purchasing Cherries turned out to be rather easy. All it took was dropping the American billionaire an email. Cherries have very much media-trained their owner since.

The arrival of Iraola was bold and exciting. I didn’t completely disagree with wider media that the decision was harsh on O’Neil, but I understood the logic behind it. Cherries certainly couldn’t be slated for being ambitious.

I hardly call it the highlight of my career but it made me laugh when on BBC Radio 5 live’s Monday Night Club ex-Celtic and Blackburn striker Chris Sutton accused me of "football snobbery" for backing Iraola.

There was never any internal pressure on Iraola during Cherries’ winless start to the 2023-24 season, despite the baying voices from pundits and social media.

The relief of Philipp Billing’s long-range strike to beat Burnley felt like vindication - what came after made the decision look like a masterstroke. Watching Iraola’s Cherries was entertaining, enthralling, and energising.

Moving to the new performance centre and finally breaking ground of redeveloping Dean Court has kept the feel-good factor high.

As the records tumbled, I was never truly surprised. Capping off his reign with European qualification was fitting, even if Cherries - club and fanbase - wanted Iraola to stay longer.

Still, the excitement that Europe brings has remained under new management. Marco Rose - who has previously earnt praise from Iraola - looks set to continue the high-octane football with his own twist.

After a year or so watching from a far, it’s so exciting to be turning my focus back on Cherries ahead of a historical season. I can’t wait to write all about it.

You can follow Jack on social media via his Twitter account - @jack_t_99.