Bournemouth apologise after long-serving matchday staff dismissed by email
Bournemouth have admitted they "should have handled this better" after telling long-serving matchday staff their services were no longer required — by email, two weeks before the new season begins.
The club reviewed its matchday staffing arrangements for the 2026-27 campaign and made changes to a number of roles, citing the need to strengthen safety and security around the stadium and its surrounding areas. But the way those changes were communicated to affected employees prompted a swift backlash. BBC Sport
A post on X brought the matter to public attention. It described a man who had served as a Bournemouth matchday staff member for nearly 60 years receiving a four-paragraph email calling it a "disgusting approach." The email, sent from "the safety team," informed the individual that his contract would not be renewed and thanked him for his commitment, professionalism and contribution to the club. BBC Sport
Bournemouth responded with a public statement acknowledging the situation. The club said changes to matchday staffing were communicated in a way that "did not reflect the standards" Bournemouth expects of itself, and pledged to "do better." AFC Bournemouth
The club is now contacting those affected directly to listen to their concerns and review individual circumstances. BBC Sport was told Bournemouth reached out to the individual involved before releasing its statement. The staff member at the centre of the social media post had been working in the car park but has been offered employment for next season in a different area. BBC Sport
The timing is uncomfortable. Bournemouth open their 2026-27 season just weeks from now, and the campaign will carry the club into uncharted territory. For the first time in their history, they will compete in European football — a milestone for a club that was in the fourth tier as recently as 2009. Bournemouth rose from League Two to the Premier League in five years, reaching the top flight in 2015. Relegation followed in 2020, but they returned two years later and have not looked back since.
For a club about to step onto a bigger stage than any in its history, the optics of dismissing loyal matchday workers by impersonal email cut against the family-club image Bournemouth have cultivated through that remarkable climb. The club's apology may take some of the heat out of the story. Whether it repairs the relationship with the people who have staffed the turnstiles and car parks through the lean years and the golden ones is another matter entirely.
