AFC BOURNEMOUTH
Premier League, Vitality Stadium, Monday 16 December 2024, 8pm GMT
West Ham United’s final away game before Christmas sees the Irons travel down the M3 to the Dorset coast to take on AFC Bournemouth.
After finishing 12th in the Premier League last season in Spanish manager Andoni Iraola’s first campaign in charge, the Cherries lost leading scorer Dominic Solanke to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer.
So far, though, Bournemouth have coped fairly well without their England international centre-forward, with home wins over both Arsenal and Manchester City the highlights of their 2024/25 season to date.
Iraola’s side have been entertaining to watch, with 43 goals scored in their opening 15 Premier League matches, including 23 by his own team, but consistency has proved hard to come by.
West Ham will hope to catch the Cherries on an off-night at the Vitality Stadium next Monday evening.
How to get there...
With this being a Monday Night Football fixture, West Ham United supporters will likely opt to drive to the game, as public transport links back to London after the final whistle are virtually non-existent.
Supporters wishing to drive are best served by either exiting the M25 at junction 10 and utilising the A3 and M27, or leaving at junction 12 and travelling down the M3. The M27 and A338 will take travelling fans into Bournemouth, with parking available at the stadium.
The South Stand car park, behind the ground, operates charges on a 24/7 basis. Fans are advised the car park regularly fills up around 90 minutes before kick-off and can take up to an hour to empty after matches.
If you do want to take the train and stay overnight on the south coast, direct services leave London Waterloo fairly regularly, taking just under two hours to get to Bournemouth station.
Some trains are also available from London Paddington, but these are less frequent and supporters are advised to check their journey before travelling.
Vitality Stadium is a short walk from Bournemouth station and the route is also regularly serviced by buses. The P2 and P3 Yellow Bus services are both easily accessible from the train station and runs up to every 20 minutes. Fans should disembark the bus at Queens Park Hotel stop, which will be a total of six stops.
After the game, the last London-bound train leaves Bournemouth at 22.12, arriving at Waterloo at 01.08 after making a total of 22 stops!
Where to stay...
Bournemouth is blessed with over 100 hotels, plus many more guest houses, B&Bs and other accommodation options.
Many of these are situated near the town centre, beach and pier, meaning you can stay close to the action.
Vitality Stadium is situated about a mile north east of the town centre in Boscombe – hence the club’s former name Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic – and is easily reachable by taxi, bus or even a brisk walk.
What to do...
As a seaside town, there is plenty to keep visiting supporters occupied in Bournemouth and its neighbouring resorts.
Bournemouth Pier is home to Rock Reef, an award-winning family attraction with activities galore, including a zipline.
There is the sandy beach, of course, and various other family attractions including Mr Mulligans Pirate Golf, Go Ape, Smugglers Cove Adventure Golf, Oceanarium and Centre VR virtual reality arena.
For more information please visit www.bournemouth.co.uk
Nearby, the Jurassic Coast offers some of England’s most beautiful coastline, including the iconic Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door, while the New Forest National Park is 219 square miles of pasture land, heathland and forest.
What's happened there before...
West Ham United’s first visit to Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic was for an FA Cup fifth-round tie in February 1929, when Tommy Yews found the net in a 1-1 draw. The Hammers won the replay 3-1 at the Boleyn Ground.
The Irons did not visit again until 1989, by which time the hosts had been renamed AFC Bournemouth. Once again, that match finished 1-1.
West Ham’s first win at the Vitality Stadium came on 12 January 2016, when goals from Enner Valencia (two) and Dimitri Payet warmed up the visiting fans on a freezing night and secured a 3-1 Premier League victory.
West Ham have visited the Vitality seven times in total, winning 4-0 in April 2023 (watch the highlights again here!) before drawing 1-1 on the opening day of last season.
