Bournemouth make European competitive debut against Real Sociedad in San Sebastián as Steve Fletcher reflects on club’s rise
Bournemouth will make their first competitive appearance in European club football when they face Real Sociedad in San Sebastián on Thursday in the Europa League. Club ambassador Steve Fletcher reflected on the journey from near-collapse to continental competition and on memories of hosting Real Madrid 13 years earlier.
Thirteen years ago Bournemouth hosted Real Madrid in a friendly that was Carlo Ancelotti’s first match in charge, a balmy summer fixture that ended 6-0 to Madrid after an early, wayward Cristiano Ronaldo free-kick broke the wrist of an 11-year-old spectator. Fletcher, who scored 121 goals across 728 appearances for the club and is now a Bournemouth legend and ambassador, recalled that he had retired a month earlier and thought: "Yeah, that's typical, isn't it?" and joked he wanted five minutes on the pitch.
On the final day of last season the club’s staff and players celebrated qualifying for the Europa League gathered around a "Rayanair" flag depicting their Brazil forward piloting a plane, and supporters have booked trips to Prague, Oslo and Vigo. Andoni Iraola, who grew up in the Basque Country, will guide Bournemouth to San Sebastián; Fletcher said he has exchanged messages with Iraola, who sent best wishes including for a win, and called the occasion "going to be a momentous occasion, an I-was-there moment."
Iraola’s backroom team includes Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper, both of whom also played for Bournemouth in the third tier, and Fletcher described Iraola as the "mastermind" behind the achievement. La Real are playing in Europe for the sixth time in seven seasons but, Fletcher said, for Bournemouth under Marco Rose this represents "new ground"; he added: "I always say to people around Bournemouth: 'Don't ever take this for granted.' "It is for every supporter who has ever followed Bournemouth: past, present, for the people who passed away, grandparents, great-grandparents. I think everyone will feel very emotional on Thursday."
Fletcher referenced the club’s owner Bill Foley, noting that at the end of 2023, when Bournemouth were 14th in the Premier League, Foley predicted they would play in Europe within five years and that Foley’s motto "Always Advance, Never Retreat" adorns a boardroom wall. "He created the Golden Knights, the ice hockey team in Las Vegas, and they won the Stanley Cup within six seasons," Fletcher said, and added: "I always think there should be a movie made about this time at AFC Bournemouth."
Fletcher also outlined his long involvement with the club: his winning goal against Grimsby on the penultimate day of the 2008-09 season prevented relegation to non-league after Bournemouth began that campaign on -17 points following a failure to exit administration. He later worked in recruitment, served as first-team coach under Eddie Howe, Gary O'Neil and Scott Parker, and moved into a player liaison role; he quipped, "I've still got kit man and groundsman to go," laughing.
Captain Adam Smith, 35 and into his 15th season at Bournemouth including a loan in League One in 2010-11, recalled training at Canford school before the club moved into the current facility 18 months ago and said: "I would never have believed you; I'd just think it's bonkers." Several players watched the August Europa League draw in the canteen, and David Brooks said he had previously watched team-mates lift European trophies: he "watched his Wales teammate Brennan Johnson lift the Europa League and Conference League in successive seasons with Tottenham and Crystal Palace respectively, and another, Neco Williams, excel in the Europa League for Nottingham Forest." Brooks added: "I was delighted for them, but for selfish reasons you want to be involved in teams like that, competing in Europe. Everyone’s raring to go and wanting to showcase their talents, and hopefully we can go far. We always cause the big teams in the Premier League problems and I don’t think it should be any different in Europe. The club’s journey has been well documented and to finish it off with a European trophy would be really nice."
The club had to upgrade its stadium over the summer to meet Uefa regulations ahead of hosting European fixtures, and Bournemouth have named stands after club figures: a stand was opened at the Real Madrid game and the opposite end has borne Fletcher’s name since 2010. Visiting European opponents scheduled later in the season include Viktoria Plzen and Hapoel Be'er Sheva in December and January; Fletcher noted that some visitors might ask, "Who is Steve Fletcher?" and recalled Premier League managers complimenting the stand and his calling his parents after hearing the praise.
Bournemouth’s Europa League run begins in San Sebastián against Real Sociedad on Thursday; their first home European match is scheduled against Sturm Graz next month, with AC Milan due to visit the following week.