Bill Foley: A letter to supporters

To All Supporters of The Cherries, in the UK and around the world,

It is with a deep sense of gratitude and excitement that I share with you the news that my partners and I have completed the acquisition of AFC Bournemouth. I have been looking forward to this chance to connect with you since we began exploring this opportunity, and even more since my family and I visited Vitality Stadium to experience an AFCB match for the first time last month.

Although the paperwork shows a transfer of ownership to our group, I know that any successful sports organization is held in trust for its community. We have accomplished that in Las Vegas, where the National Hockey League’s Golden Knights, in just six years, have developed a rich and unbreakable connection with our fans.

Our role, then, is to provide the support and investment needed to make our club – yours and mine – the best it can be on and off the pitch. We are committed to doing that with an eye toward sustained, long-term success.

Already, we identified several areas we will be focusing on: facilities, player development, player recruitment, supporter experience and grow the game initiatives. These investments will stretch years into the future, aimed at maintaining and improving our position in the Premier League, as well as expanding participation at all levels of the game in our local region. Some initiatives will be immediately evident, most notably the construction of a new state-of-the-art training facility to help our players reach their maximum potential and to show prospective players our commitment to success. We will continue to build programming and make investments intended to support the growth of the game in our community across all ages, genders and experience levels.

Another effect that will be felt around the grounds will be the presence of my family and myself. I am excited to be returning to England for our next home match, on New Year’s Eve, as my wife Carol and I get comfortable in our home in Bournemouth. We plan to visit regularly to support the Cherries in person. And wherever I am, our staff and I want to hear your thoughts on how we can improve.

I think you will find that our philosophy and vision fits well with your goals for the team: progress, sustainable success, and a positive impact in the community. We know better than to expect instant gratification, but we will help AFC Bournemouth make steady progress toward our goals.

Always Advance, Never Retreat.