Bournemouth

If you just started paying attention to the Premier League in the last few years, you might have noticed Bournemouth and thought, Where’s that? and Gosh, that’s a small stadium. What you would be missing is that this little club came from almost out of business to get into the top division in 2015, thus becoming a model for small clubs with big…

Asked about rivalries before a game, a steward told us they used to have rivals in the area, but they’d left them all behind. Then he added, “Honestly, we’re just living the dream, punching way above our weight, and we don’t have a problem with anybody!” You would think that fellow South Coast clubs like Southampton and Brighton would qualify,…

Last season, Bournemouth Women won Division One South West (tier 4) of Women’s National League, so this year they are in the Premier Division at tier 3. Home games are at Ringwood Community

They like to sing “Keep the Red Flag Flying High from Dean Court to Wembley.” They also do a cool old-fashioned tribute to their former selves with a simple “Boscombe—Back of the

The Vitality Stadium, named after a sponsorship deal with an insurance company, was called Dean Court until Bournemouth made the Premier League. It is tiny—like, 11,300 seats tiny. The new stadium was thrown together in 2001 in a matter of months, and when the club made the Championship in 2013, they built a temporary stand in one end. It’s still…

GETTING THERE: The main rail station in town is about a 30-minute walk or about a £10 cab ride. You can also take the P2 or P3 Yellow Bus for six stops to Queens Park Hotel. It’s a five-minute walk from there. Or just get a cab and make sure you have their number for postgame, especially if you’re staying closer to the center of town. PUBS: There…