 Welcome to ASCB TV. I'm joined by club historian Neil Vacher, and we're going to go through our respective teams of the decade. Welcome Neil, let's start with the all-important goalkeeper position. Just tell me who you've chosen as your goalkeeper and why. Well there's three names in the frame for me. Going back to the beginning of the decade. I thought he did extremely well for us in those first few seasons. Arta Borets has been really very consistent for us during his time here. And more recently, of course this season, Aaron Ramsdale has made such a magnificent start to his Premier League career. So who are you going with? Arta Borets. And I'm going to join you there. I think what you've got to remember is in the season that we won promotion to the Premier League, we were 15th when he came in when he signed on loan from Southampton. And he went on to keep, I think it was about 16 clean sheets in that season, playing a pivotal part in the club's promotion. He was a tremendous presence in goal certainly. Yeah, so one out of one so far Neil. We're agreed on that one anyway. Okay, moving on to defenders. Neil, let's start with a right-sided defender shall we? Well at full back I would have Simon Francis. I think Simon is a tremendous presence both going forward and defensively. And in his prime he was a tremendous outlet also for the goalkeepers when we were trying to get the ball upfield. He linked extremely well with whoever was playing on the wing and became a very dangerous overlapping full back. And also a very good leader. Let's swiftly move on to your left back because I think they could be similar to me. Well yes, Charlie Daniels would be my choice there. He's been extremely consistent over the, virtually the entire decade and been with us for so many seasons. I just think he's a tremendous professional and somebody who is utterly dependable. He has limitations, he knows what his limitations are but he's never let that trouble him and he's always given 100% for the club. So that's three out of three Neil because I'm with you on both Simon Francis, Charlie Daniels. Can't be forgotten that when they came in, they came in on loan initially in late 2011. It wasn't a fantastic time for the club, it was quite a tough start for both of them. Then they signed permanently in the 2012 and like you said, League One, Championship and Premier League, that really does show how good a player both men are that they've been able to adapt and adjust and take it in their stride almost. It's been absolutely brilliant. I don't imagine that either of them could have foreseen what level that they were perhaps capable of playing at and I think they probably exceeded their own expectations and absolute credit to their profession. Central defences have been a few candidates here I believe. Well there are a few, yes. Going back to the beginning of the decade again there's Jason Pearce who again was a wholehearted defender who gave everything on the pitch and was also a good leader. We had Tommy Elfwick who, well, talking of leaders, I don't think they were any better than Tommy during the decade. Steve Cook is another who could fall into the leader category whenever he stood in. He's shown a tremendous presence on the field and led the team with energy and enthusiasm, a real warrior and probably the most skillful of all of them, Nathan Ackie. He's a lovely lad who's really grown into the culture of the football club having come here from Chelsea and a tremendous asset both on and off the pitch, very skillful player, capable of far more I think in the future and without any doubt a Dutch international of the future. Are you going for a Mike Bassett 4-4-2 here because if you are I need to know you central defenders. Yes, I'm from that sort of age Neil, 4-4-2, straight 4-4-2, that suits me fine. So who are the 2, your choices? My 2 choices would be Steve Cook and Nathan Ackie. OK, well we've got 4 out of 4 there Neil, but I'm going to just throw a little spanner in the works because I'm going with 3 central defenders. And you touched on Tommy Elfwick what an inspirational captain, an inspirational leader, an inspirational man on and off the pitch and he makes my team of the decade and he's the captain of my team of the decade. I remember him and Steve Cook ever present in the promotion season to the Premier League. An absolute colossus on the pitch and a colossus off the pitch. I remember when we used to deal, we used to deal with him in that season when I was working at the Echo. He was a gentleman to deal with. He was a go-to man when things hadn't gone well, never wanted to turn a blind eye or not want to be interviewed. And for that he will always remain uppermost in my thoughts and that's why he makes my team of the decade. Perfectly understandable if we're having a substitutes bench, the first name on it for me would be Tommy Elfwick for those reasons as well. I think what it's fair to say Neil is one of the difficulties in picking a team of the decade when the team has played in 4 different divisions, you've got to remember that players, you've got to pick comparable players to who is playing it in those divisions. But we'll discover more of those later on. So moving on to midfield, lots and lots of options here again. Neil, start on the right hand side of midfield for us. Well on the right hand side my three considerations really for a wide right position. I feel I shouldn't forget Adam Smith because he could easily have got into the team at right back. He was also so good going forward he could have got into it on the right side of midfield. Unfortunately he hasn't. I also considered Ryan Fraser who's done extremely well for us over recent seasons. But overall I think Matt Ritchie would be my choice in that position. I think Matt is such a player that our team always looked better whenever he was in it. Capable of anything really with regard to shooting ability. It's called some magnificent goals. Pacey linked in well with the rest of his teammates and just a great asset to the team. So swiftly moving on to the left midfield. Well on the wide position on the left I've chosen Charlie Daniels at fullback. Therefore we must have marked Pugh in midfield because the two of them together well they were a double act weren't they for so many seasons here. They linked up together incredibly well. Pughy was also good at getting back and helping Charlie out with the defensive duties and we all know what Charlie was capable of going forward. They complemented each other so wonderfully well that they've got to be there for me together. So we know Neil's gone with a 4-4-2 formation so I'm intrigued to know who your two central midfielders are here. Well the first one is Harry Arter who once again is a guy who's shown so much spirit and character and ability in his years with us. He's somebody who's come from non-league football with us and progressed to the Premier League and his never say die attitude has been an inspiration in times of crisis. So I couldn't imagine us really leaving Harry out of any team of the decade and alongside him I've gone for somebody who's not been with us all that long but is just pure class and I think that's being shown increasingly so this season. That's Jefferson Lermer. He looks head and shoulders a Premier League player and he manages to get himself out of situations with his ability that I can't imagine that too many would be able to. I will admit he has me at times thinking oh no no no that way Jefferson but he always seems to find a way out and he's just quality. So we've got a rare difference of opinion here in the midfield options simply because I've gone for a 5-3-2, a very attacking 5-3-2 formation. So Tommy Elfwick was the first change which we didn't agree on. I'm definitely going with Harry Arthur in central midfield. I thought Harry was so good I thought he could do it all on his own and he didn't need a partner in there. And while I agree that Jefferson Lermer has been outstanding in his year and a half here I think he's going to be a man for the next decade. He will be in the team of the next decade. Looking back for my team of the decade I've got the three midfielders. I've got Matt Ritchie with you. I've got Mark Pugh with you and Harry Arthur. I cast my mind back to when Harry came in like you said a nominal fee that the club paid from Woking took a little bit of time to settle. Farmed out on loan to Carl Isle. Let's not forget where he scored his first goal. Looked like his days might have been numbered here but he certainly proved everybody wrong and he was an absolute stalwart of league one of the championship and in the early days in the Premier League. So I think we've both got some good midfield there. Strikers Neil, been a lot of goals scored in this decade and a few candidates here. So what's your shortlist shall we say? My shortlist contains five names. Lewis Graben, Yang Kermigant, Brett Pittman, Joshua King and Callum Wilson. All five of those have done a tremendous job at different stages during the decade. I think you've got three exceptional cases there in Callum Wilson, Joshua King and Brett Pittman. And it's very difficult to decide on a two really but in the end I would go for Callum Wilson and Brett Pittman. I agree wholeheartedly with you. Callum Wilson, the leading goal scorer for the club in the decade with 58 goals, hit the ground running as soon as he's signed from Coventry, gone on and bearing in mind he's had those two awful injuries as well so how many goals would he have had if he hadn't had those two bad injuries. So we've got Callum Wilson at one end of the decade who's knocking in the goals and then let's not forget Brett Pittman the start of the decade. Okay I know that his exploits from 2008-2009 don't count but he continued that into 2010 he was the leading goal scorer and we won promotion from League 2 and then he went off to Bristol City and then he came back and again he was the leading goal scorer when we've got promotion to the championship bearing in mind he didn't play the first two or three months as well which was a remarkable feat and he's got 54 goals in the decade so for me it was those two were an automatic choice. Right Neil I'm going to really put you on the spot now you've given us your team of the decade I want you to now pick your player of the decade. That's a difficult one I've been thinking about this a little bit you know and I think it must go to the one person who's scored our first Premier League hat-trick and he became the first AFC Bournemouth player to score a goal in a full international for England so that means it's Callum Wilson. Fair enough I'm going to have to disagree with you and I'm going with Brett Pittman simply because I wonder whether we would have made the Premier League without the exploits of Brett in those early days 2009 I know 2009 wasn't in the decade but you know that was the platform for what the club's gone on to achieve 2010 you know in the school of hard knocks the League 2 and the League 1 you know some fantastic goals some fantastic performances you know you and I can remember that scene in the Blyde Spartans dressing room where he'd been sent off and you know he looked like a broken man that day and that could have been the end of his career almost the manager came back Eddie Howe came back put his arm round him and for me he's my player of the decade so in summary my AFC Bournemouth team of the decade sees Arthur Borich in goal Simon Francis at right back Charlie Daniels at left back Tommy Elfwick Steve Cook Nathan Ackie as a three man central defence I've got Harry Arter as central midfield I've got Matt Ritchie on the right I've got Mark Hew on the left Callum Wilson and Brett Pittman up front So the Neil Vader AFC Bournemouth 11 of the decade let's start then with Arthur Borich in goal and then the back four right to left Simon Francis Steve Cook Nathan Ackie and Charlie Daniels in midfield it's Matt Ritchie Harry Arter Jefferson Lerma and Mark Pugh and then up front Callum Wilson and Brett Pittman Neil it's been fantastic sitting here reminiscing with you about our respective teams of the decade lots to talk about lots of players lots of fantastic performances and coming through four divisions it's been a memorable decade I know that when I spoke to you and I said that I was going to do this I said has there been a more memorable decade in the club's history and I know why you laughed at me when I said that because obviously it's been unsurpassed we would love to hear from the supporters your team of the decade do you agree with me do you agree with Neil do you disagree with both of us we would love to hear it all across our social media channels so please get in touch with us Neil thank you Neil it's been an absolute pleasure to select my eleven thank you for having me and a happy new year to you and a happy new year to you and all our supporters