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While we play the likes of the mighty Salisbury Town and Hereford FC, Bournemouth have an extremely drab match against no other than Real Madrid. :}
http://www.afcb.co.uk/news/article/2013 ... 90863.aspx

OllieGull wrote:While we play the likes of the mighty Salisbury Town and Hereford FC, Bournemouth have an extremely drab match against no other than Real Madrid. :}
http://www.afcb.co.uk/news/article/2013 ... 90863.aspx

I guess it'll be good for the coffers but I can't see the manager learning much about his players is such a match - I think I prefers AK's thoughts on PSFs.

A match which no one should attend because tickets are £55/60 each.

Matt.

Good on 'em I say. If they have someone at the club who is able to arrange such a game or even someone at the club just saying, "f*ck it, i'll ring Real Madrid and see if we can get them over. What's the worst that could happen?!" then all the better for them.

If we played Real Madrid in a friendly at Plainmoor and Real had one or two first teamers out on the pitch then I reckon i'd pay through the nose for it AND the club makes a shedload of cash. Beats playing the same old sh*t every pre-season I reckon. I mean Hereford away, why? Don't get me wrong, i'm sure it will be a test for the players and a good exercise for Knill but we may as well play Truro or somebody and get the same effect.

I would love to have a massive foreign club playing at Plainmoor. If you want any opportunity to grab floating fans and Premiership fans, this is a perfect chance. I would put good money that by the end of the season, Bournemouth's average attendance will grow this year.

cambgull wrote:I would love to have a massive foreign club playing at Plainmoor. If you want any opportunity to grab floating fans and Premiership fans, this is a perfect chance. I would put good money that by the end of the season, Bournemouth's average attendance will grow this year.

Pretty safe bet as they've just been promoted to the Championship.

I'd imagine that, much the same as our friendly against Chelsea in 2008, that Real will just bring a load of kids.

As for massive foreign clubs at Plainmoor, we played Red Star Belgrade the season they won the European Cup.

They'r all excited about it up here on BBC South. £50/£60 a ticket and they think all the stars will play as well. Wonder if Real want to drive e few miles further west and play us as well???

this is actually the exact sort of game I'd boycott. pre-season friendlies are supposed to be about getting the team into the sort of shape (physically and tactically) to tackle the season ahead. You really can't do any of that playing Real Madrid...it's a blatant cash grab, plain and simple. While that is ok, and it probably makes sense for the Bournemouth board, I'd exercise my right as a paying customer to not go.

I'd much rather see us go and play a team from League 1, as that's likely to be a constructive use of a PSF.

happytorq wrote:I'd much rather see us go and play a team from League 1, as that's likely to be a constructive use of a PSF.

I think at our level though, seeing a big team is rare; especially as we never draw anyone in the cup(!), so I think as a one off its a big money making game- which fans would want to see. I would love this to happen at Plainmoor.

...When I go and see Madrid play one day, it certainly won't ever be against Torquay!

We played Leeds and Stoke the other year so we are as guilty as Bournemouth of playing pointless games against teams far better than us just to get some money in.

Make no mistake, the only reason Torquay don't do pre-season tours against teams from Ireland, Holland, USA or wherever is because we don't have the money to do this. If we had the money then we'd do it. They all do.

Get as bigger team as possible at Plainmoor for a PSF like Real Madrid and then charge through the nose. Most people will go and the club will make a packet. If we get a clueless manager like Ling who gets us knocked out of the FA Cup by non league minnows then maybe it's then not so bad on the finances.

When I was younger, having big clubs come down to Plainmoor for Pre-Season was like an event for me. Like going to see a derby or a big cup match. It's a chance to see your team compared to some of the big names. When Stoke came down they brought along a mix of first team players and youth players, and that is fine. Bringing the youth players on will make the game more competitive and seeing the big names is for the fun.

For the team, pre-season is about getting the match fitness back and getting the tactics right, and that can be done in the 3 or 4 games against the likes of Hereford or Tiverton.

For the fans, pre-season is about watching any new players the team have signed, seeing the tactics which they will see throughout the season and seeing how the players will play when there is no pressure on them. For me personally, it's about the fun of it too, and that can quite easily be from watching a big club with players who are household names coming down to do the same thing as our team are planning to do. Get their players fit for the new season.