AFC BOURNEMOUTH
Premier League, Vitality Stadium, Saturday 12 August 2023, 3pm BST
The 2023/24 season kicks off on Saturday with West Ham United opening the new Premier League campaign with a trip down the M3 to face AFC Bournemouth.
David Moyes’ Irons head into the new campaign competing on four fronts once again, with this campaign one that will see the Hammers challenge in the Premier League, play domestically for the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, and also travel across the continent in the UEFA Europa League.
West Ham come into their first competitive fixture on the back of a pre-season that saw the side claim three wins in six matches, beating National League side Boreham Wood, A-league team Perth Glory and fellow Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.
This weekend’s opponents are getting set for a second year back in the Premier League and the first in a new era, under the guidance of newly appointed manager Andoni Iraola. The Cherries finished 15th in the English top flight last season and will be looking to show improvement in the coming campaign.
How to get there…
West Ham United fans with tickets for Saturday's fixture can catch a train from London Waterloo down to Bournemouth on the morning of the fixture. Trains run every 30 minutes and take approximately an hour and 45 minutes. 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.
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.
Supporters both home and away will also be able to use the nearby Avonborne College for Boys for parking Saturday home games. This is free and is open from 12.30pm.
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.
The two teams have met 12 times in the Premier League, with the Hammers winning five of those matches, of which two have been at Bournemouth’s home ground. Our most recent came on our last visit, back in April, when the Irons secured a brilliant 4-0 win.
That afternoon saw the visitors storm into a three goal lead at half-time, thanks to finishes from Michail Antonio, Lucas Paquetá and Declan Rice, before Pablo Fornals capped a brilliant afternoon on the south coast with a phenomenal, acrobatic scorpion kick.
