BBC Radio Solent’s John ‘Willo’ Williams will bring down the curtain on his 23-year career as the Cherries summariser – after a near-40-year association with the club.
The Cherries legend has seen the highest highs and the lowest lows at the club over that time, but told the Daily Echo that the phrase ‘time flies when you’re having fun’ rings true across those years.
First joining the club as a player at Christmas in 1986, Williams joined the promotion-chasing side managed by Harry Redknapp from Port Vale.
And he said he and the Bournemouth fans hit it off immediately.
(Image: Bournemouth Echo) “Instantly when I first came at Christmas in 1986, we were going well in the league but we still had to win it, of course, but we just sort of hit it off,” he told the Daily Echo.
“We seemed to be on the same wavelength, the supporters and how I wanted to be with them. It's quite amazing over the years, the amount of people who I stop and speak to and they bring back so many memories of starting off with Harry and me and Richard [Cook] coming about the same time.
“It goes all the way back to then and it's continued for my broadcasting career as well.”
Redknapp’s side went on to clinch the Third Division title, with Williams saying he knew when he arrived they’d be in with a shot of promotion.
(Image: Bournemouth Echo) After hanging up his boots, Williams moved into coaching at the club, going through the rocky period where the club nearly went out of business in 1997.
Willo was there at the Winter Gardens when the supporters rallied to help save the club, despite being made redundant, and he said: “We've also gone through the times with Mel Machin of the club almost just going, finished, no more.
“Apparently we were hours away from the administrators closing in on us and fortunately a deal was struck and helped by again the supporters of course, at the Winter Gardens that made enough money for us to at least keep our heads slightly above water until eventually we did get out of the mess.
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“But it was a horrific time and a real worrying time for the club, the fans and also for the players.
“It was tough times, but we soon moved on, a couple of seasons later and things turned and we ended up with a Wembley appearance which was just breath-taking to see all our fans at Wembley.
(Image: Michelle Luther) “I know we've been there since then because of the Tottenham situation, but to actually see Bournemouth on the Wembley turf was just mind blowing.”
The move into his role on the radio came in 2002.
“I'd always done quite a lot of radio work as a player and even then I quite enjoyed it because I just felt comfortable with it,” Williams explained.
“I felt like it wasn't being interviewed to me, and this has continued on throughout. It almost felt like just you talking to a mate about football.
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“It wasn't being pinned down or anything or if anyone wants to go down that avenue, I was quite willing to stand up and say what I thought.
“And that stuck with me for all of the time over the 23 years that I've just told you as it was all or as I see it, the way that I perceived the game I was watching or the interview I was doing and that I felt comfortable with that and fortunate I think the fans were on a similar wavelength to me again.
(Image: Bournemouth Daily Echo/Corin Mes) “That's why we got 23 years out of it, I think.”
Williams said he and commentator Kris Temple, with whom he spent much of his 23 years alongside, struck it off really well from the beginning.
He remembers parts of his first commentary – away at Leyton Orient – and thinks fondly of the Cherries’ first promotion to the Premier League in 2015.
“I remember that day because Kris had to go down to try and get interviews,” Williams said.
“So it was just me for quite a long time and people were phoning in in them days and you could actually answer their questions when they came on the line.
“That was great because we could share on air with the fans the fact that we got promotion.
*(Image: NQ)*“Well, that was an amazing day for me. Of course with Ted [Eddie Howe] in charge, my relationship with him goes back to what he was age 12 when he started out at the School of Excellence which I was running at the time at Bournemouth.
“So an awful lot of years of football with Ted as well. So that’s been a lovely spin off to see people that you know we worked with and coached and tried to help to become into proper professional footballers.
“I really enjoy that that side of it seeing youngsters come through as we are now with the two centre halves, it happened to be my position, so it's something that I look at really closely.
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“Huijsen and Zaba, dear me, for two young men of that age to be playing at the standard they are, is absolutely off the chart.
“They're really so far ahead of the game. It's quite amazing.
“That side of it as well with the youngsters coming through and that's always been a big part of playing, the broadcasting, seeing youngsters come through is always really attracted me and it's fantastic to see when youth gets into the first team how they cope and those two especially are off the chart.”
Howe has been a big part of the Cherries for much of Williams’ association with the club.
Williams said the now-Newcastle boss is as he is in interviews in person – straight down the line.
BBC Radio Solent produced a special programme to celebrate Williams’ time, and Howe contributed, revealing that his impact is still felt, even at the Magpies.
“I've always loved set plays,” Williams explained.
“That's been a massive part, especially when I was coaching, for and against, trying to stop goals as well as trying to score goals from free kicks, corners, long throws which are coming back in fashion for some reason.
“And he mentioned that Newcastle still do one or two of the corners that were mine. So that was quite a nice thing to hear.
“Obviously tweaked a little bit over the years, a little bit doing things their own way, put their own stamp on it.
Williams' 'overhead kick' goal at Leicester was also discussed as he and Radio Solent looked back at his time with the Cherries (Image: Bournemouth Echo) “But it was great speaking to Ted.
“And so proud of him. As I think most Bournemouth fans will tell you, he's the one who got us into the Premiership, which was at the time quite unthinkable.
“But football miracles do come true, and one has certainly happened at Bournemouth.”
On to this campaign, where the Cherries have soared to a record points haul in the Premier League and were knocking on the door of potential European football, until a poor run of form.
Reflecting on the season, Williams said: “Do you know what, all the records that have gone this season in terms of points, goals, defensively, set plays, the way the substitutes are used, since Andoni came in, he showed us things we didn't know or I certainly didn't know.
“And to say that we're in the Premiership, surreal doesn't cover it. It's much bigger than that, even.
“It's a situation which not many years ago, we were fighting for our lives, but now the whole thing has changed and we're talking about trying to get into Europe.
“It's really absolutely amazing. And the fact that we nearly succeeded and it just makes it even better for next season because we want to keep going. We want to keep making records every season.
“And it just feels like to me that this group, Andoni as the leader, and his staff, they seem to have found a way.
“Us beating Arsenal, us beating Man United and these things are just breath-taking.
(Image: Richard Crease) “I think it's a good one for me to finish on and go back to being a fan, as I've always been, with a chance of just watching without talking, which I've never found a problem, by the way, I'll probably still do it to a certain degree, but it just felt like the right time.”
He continued: “I never planned for this 23-year stint. One of the most surprising things about it is how quick it's all come and gone.
“It seems like yesterday when we were going to Chapel Gate training, then all of a sudden, I'm youth team coach, then I'm assistant manager, then the broadcasting starts and it’s all gone by so, so quickly. Really time has flown.
“I was having a good time though.
“That's the thing, that saying is probably right, the one that time flies when you're having a good time.
“That is actually very true for me.”