Their names will forever be indelibly etched in the AFC Bournemouth hall of fame.
Simon Francis and Andrew Surman will be afforded hero status by the club’s appreciative supporters and rightly so.
Their efforts and endeavours have played a key role in successes and achievements during what has been a momentous period in the club’s recent history.
When I first started covering the club for the local newspaper in the early 1990s, I could only dream of one day watching the Cherries in the Premier League.
So when Eddie Howe was preparing his army for an assault on the top flight, he knew he wanted these two generals with him in the trenches.
Francis had already franked his credentials by starring under Howe as he led the Cherries to promotion from League One in 2012/13.
And he was joined by Surman, initially a loan recruit from Norwich, for the club’s first season back in the second flight, the duo instrumental as Howe’s improving team secured a top-ten finish.
As the Premier League dream became a reality in 2014/15, Francis and Surman’s contributions proved invaluable, the pair both making more than 40 appearances as the Cherries clinched the Championship title.
While former boss Howe would always point to having 11 leaders on the pitch, he had no hesitation in handing the captain’s armband to Francis after Tommy Elphick had joined Aston Villa in the summer of 2016.
A bargain buy from Charlton in January 2012 following a brief loan spell with the Cherries, Francis’s career was at something of a crossroads when he first arrived.
He quickly established himself as one of the first names on the team-sheet, missing just 15 league games between Howe returning in October 2012 and a fateful Boxing Day in 2018.
At 33, the anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered by Francis during the Cherries’ festive defeat at Tottenham may have done for a lesser man.
But the determination and dedication he showed during a nine-month spell on the sidelines was indicative of his strong character and leadership qualities.
Francis’s measured and insightful answers to questions has made him a go-to man for journalists, his honest summations of games making him a highly-respected interviewee by members of the press.
While Francis cemented the right-back position during the Cherries’ rise, Surman did likewise in central midfield in the Championship and the early days of the Premier League.
His association with AFC Bournemouth started in 2005/06 when he joined the Cherries on loan from Southampton before he returned in 2013 to play a leading role in the club’s recent journey.
A model of consistency, his wealth of experience helped the club consolidate in its first season back in the Championship, Surman forging an excellent relationship with midfield partner Harry Arter.
Perceived by some as the unsung hero of the promotion-winning squad, Surman’s efforts were recognised by his peers when he collected the prestigious players’ Player-of-the-Year award.
His influence and calmness were especially vital as the pressure began to mount towards the end of a frantic and highly-charged Championship campaign.
A diligent operator who goes about his business without any fuss, Surman is another excellent and courteous interviewee who always has time for journalists.
Both engaging personalities and fine ambassadors off the pitch, Francis and Surman were also hugely-popular characters in the dressing room.
And with 550 games for the club between them, they have given supporters some unforgettable memories, memories which will last a lifetime.
