From arriving at a tumultuous club on loan to being credited with an own goal at Wembley, former 'keeper Jimmy Glass remembers his playing career with the club.
Goalkeeper Jimmy Glass kept four successive clean sheets to help AFC Bournemouth reach the final of the Auto Windscreens Shield at the Twin Towers in 1998.
He made 109 appearances for the club and was ever present as Mel Machin’s team went close to securing a place in the Division Two play-offs in 1997/98.
During a loan spell from Swindon Town, Glass famously scored the goal which preserved Carlisle United’s place in the Football League in 1999.
After hanging up his boots when he was 27, Glass became an IT salesman and a taxi driver and is now player liaison officer at Vitality Stadium.
HOW DID YOUR MOVE TO AFC BOURNEMOUTH COME ABOUT?
I left school at 15 and signed for Crystal Palace. I was an apprentice and then had about five years as a pro. Unfortunately, Nigel Martyn was the first-team goalkeeper and he was too good.
I played in the final of the FA Youth Cup and must have played about 200 reserve games. It was all going really well for me apart from the fact I couldn’t see a first-team game coming.
There were a couple of change of managers and then Dave Bassett came in. I went to see him and told him I wanted to play. I loved being at Palace but wanted to play football.
The next day, I had a phone call from Steve Kember telling me Bournemouth were interested. I drove down, had a chat with Mel Machin and signed. He wanted a goalkeeper and I wanted to play so it was an easy fit.
WHAT WERE YOUR FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF BOURNEMOUTH?
One of the first things that struck me about Bournemouth was the area. I come from the suburbs of London, the Surrey side, but it was such a wonderful place. All I had to do was walk along the beachfront!
WHAT ARE YOUR MEMORIES OF YOUR DEBUT – A 1-1 DRAW AT HULL?
My one memory is their goal. A cross came over and although I shouted for it, I decided not to come and John Bailey left it at the far post and their guy got a header in.
I remember John never forgave me for that because Mel came for him in the changing room. I just sat there and didn’t know what to say. I didn’t really know much about Mel at the time.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PLAYING CAREER HERE?
Chequered. After I had signed, I played the rest of the 1995/96 season. It was pretty uneventful and we had a mid-table finish.
The next season, I was excited, fresh and looking forward to being first choice. But after about ten games, it wasn’t going well and the team weren’t playing well.
I remember Mel brought in Andy Marshall on loan from Norwich. The games didn’t improve and neither did results. We didn’t have keepers on the bench then so I was in the reserves.
I remember thinking I could have been an understudy to a Premier League goalkeeper at Palace and now I was second choice at a Division Two club.
After the first month, I went to see Mel and he said Andy was going to go back to Norwich because I had done well in the reserves. But I came in the following Monday and he had re-signed him for another month! I just thought “here we go”.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH MEL MACHIN?
Mel had some great qualities but he had some shortcomings as well. We never really saw eye to eye.
I was a flamboyant character and that wasn’t really what he wanted. I think he wanted his goalkeepers to stand at the back, not say too much and never concede a goal!
I loved playing here. If I’m honest, and apart from the fact me and Mel were at loggerheads, it was probably the most I enjoyed playing because it was probably the most I played.
I didn’t want to leave and it was a regret when I did but I knew my relationship with the manager wasn’t that good.
Before my contract ran out, I went to see him to ask if he wanted to re-sign me. He said he would come back to me but I didn’t hear another thing.
HOW WAS THE CLUB OFF THE PITCH DURING YOUR TIME HERE?
Throughout my stay, the club was in constant financial turmoil. I remember sitting in on the first Trust Fund meeting after the receiver and Trevor Watkins had come in.
The Trust Fund was set up to see if it could save the club. I sat in on all those meetings because I was the PFA rep.
I was only young but I was always interested in the other side of the club, the running of the club and the people behind the scenes.
I got to see first-hand what was going on and I was holding a bucket at the Winter Gardens raising money. I’ve seen every side of this club now.
To really appreciate where it is now, I think you had to be there at the really dark times. I know there have been a few dark times with different heroes stepping in at different times but to really understand where this club is and where it has come from and the journey it’s been on and the achievement, it helped to be around in those early days.
WHAT ARE YOUR MEMORIES OF PLAYING ALONGSIDE A YOUNG EDDIE HOWE?
He was very solid and dependable and incredibly courageous on the pitch. He didn’t falter and showed incredible bravery and ability to play under pressure for someone so young. You always knew what you were going to get from him.
I always found him to be very quiet and a deep-thinking sort of guy. To be honest, I didn’t really speak to him much after I left. Occasionally, I would see him about.
His career carried on, he retired and then he became manager. You knew he was dependable, smart and was obsessed with football but you didn’t know whether he had the desire to become a football manager.
I think he says it himself, it was something that surprised him as well. But if you add up all his other attributes – his work ethic, his love of football, his intellect – all he had to do was adjust a couple of little bits and he was always going to be the manager we see today.
WHAT ARE YOUR MEMORIES OF THE AUTO WINDSCREENS SHIELD RUN?
We didn’t concede a goal in the first four games and I kept four clean sheets. But in the home leg of the area final against Walsall, I had a very poor game.
We won late on with a Franck Rolling goal. Everyone was celebrating in the dressing room but I was devastated because I’d played so poorly so I just got changed and went home.
It was an anxious time for me. I didn’t know whether I was staying at the club and didn’t feel wanted. It all played a part.
There were rumours, and quite solid ones as well, that Mel was trying to get Luděk Mikloško on loan from West Ham for the final.
It was as if I was going to be dropped for the final on the back of one bad performance. I went to see Trevor and he said they weren’t signing him.
AND WHAT ARE YOUR MEMORIES OF THE BIG DAY AT WEMBLEY?
It was a great day and bitter-sweet as well. It was phenomenal because we were the first and only Bournemouth team to play at Wembley.
It was a funny game and we didn’t set the world alight. We didn’t create much and a mix-up led to John Bailey scoring. Grimsby were better than us on the day.
For their equaliser, I was credited with an own goal. A cross was clipped to the far post and Kingsley Black headed it down. It hit me on the inside of my leg and went in.
For the winner, there was a mix-up between me and Ian Cox but Eddie blames me every day for it! If I’m honest, I don’t know what else I could have done.
The ball came through, I shouted for it and then Coxy touched it so I couldn’t put my hands on it. Eventually, Eddie headed it out for a corner. We still hammer him to this day and tell him he should have headed it for a throw!
At the corner, Steve Robinson lost his marker and Wayne Burnett flicked it in for the golden goal. That was our dream of Wembley glory over.
HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT BEING CREDITED WITH AN OWN GOAL AT WEMBLEY?
I didn’t think of it as an own goal and it was only when I read the Rothmans yearbook the following season that I saw they had credited it to me. At the time, I was devastated.
But years later when I was sitting in my taxi, I would tell everyone I had scored an own goal at Wembley!
In 1998, I scored at Wembley and, in 1999, I scored the goal which kept Carlisle in the Football League.
It was a harsh own goal but if it’s a goal at Wembley, I’ll take it!
