A busy week for the [Cherries](http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/sport/cherries/clubnews/) on and off the pitch. Off the pitch, we have had to say goodbye to a few players, a couple of whom deserve a special mention. Chris Mepham didn’t make a huge number of appearances for the club, but he showed some solid mental resilience. After making a mistake in the play-off semi-finals, he came back into the squad for the season we got promoted back into the Premier League, putting the slip-up behind him and giving some superb performances.
Philip Billing. (To the tune of December, 1963 \[Oh, What a Night\]). “May 3rd, 2022, I was there and Tweety-Pie was too, what a moment, what a night.”
_(Image: Richard Crease)_ We will all remember the side-eye look Phil gave as he covered his mouth with his hand before coolly side-footing the free kick to his left, where Kieffer stood waiting, and then slotted the ball into the bottom right-hand corner, giving us a 1-0 lead against Forest. The stadium erupted, apart from the couple of friends I was with, who are Forest fans. They were very good sports though, and even managed to enjoy the incredible atmosphere.
The first time we got promoted, I ran on the pitch with a friend while dressed as Tweety-Pie. I thought I’d keep the tradition, so I left the outfit in an office with my friend Fraser, who worked at the club. Before the final whistle I sent him a text: “Let’s go get the outfit!” The pitch got invaded by everyone, including Tweety-Pie.
_(Image: Chris Billam-Smith)_ I had the pleasure of meeting both Meps and Phil, and they were great people. Thank you, gents, for your time at the club. I wish you both the best for the future.
On the pitch, we got the vital first league points with a good 1-0 win over Wolves. A solid performance from the lads, even though there was a worrying spell when we lacked possession and they had a few half-chances. Most importantly, we got the win and we move on to Tottenham away today.
It’ll be a tough test, with Tottenham in good form, but we have managed to get some great results at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in recent times, including myself back in April. Let’s hope they are good omens for today.
_(Image: Bradley Collyer/PA Wire)_ The less said the better about Tuesday’s game against Brentford. Not the best watch, but lots of new players were finding their feet in what is a new system for them. There is still the FA Cup to look forward to, for our hope of a lengthy cup run that culminates in a trip to Wembley.
No further update on the boxing front, but the team are close to getting a deal done. Hopefully next time I write, I’ll have some boxing news and some new family news.
Have a great weekend!