Bournemouth has been criticised after telling a member of its matchday staff that his contract would not be renewed for the 2026-27 season in an email sent only two weeks before the new campaign began.
The worker had been involved in matchday operations for almost 60 years, carrying out a range of duties for the club. His responsibilities included selling programmes, working on the car park and helping with other organisational tasks.
The decision has caused anger among Bournemouth supporters after details of the email were shared on social media. The message was not addressed to the staff member personally and was signed simply by the “Security Team”.
Bournemouth Echo reported the incident, which has placed the club at the centre of a controversy over the way it communicated the decision to someone with such a long association with its matchdays.
The email said Bournemouth had reviewed its operational requirements and had decided not to extend the worker’s contract for the 2026-27 season. It did not indicate that the worker had been contacted personally before the message was sent.
Supporters reacted strongly when the contents of the communication became public. Their criticism focused not only on the decision itself, but also on the timing and impersonal nature of the notification.
Bournemouth subsequently issued an official statement acknowledging that its method of communicating with staff had fallen short of the club’s standards. The club said it would contact the affected worker personally and discuss what had happened.
The statement followed the reaction on social media and represented Bournemouth’s response to the concerns raised by supporters. The club did not alter the information contained in the original email: after reviewing its operational needs, it had decided not to renew the contract for the coming season.
The worker’s long service had covered almost six decades of Bournemouth matchdays, during which he had performed several practical roles rather than holding a single fixed responsibility. Selling programmes, managing parking duties and assisting with other organisational work were among the tasks he carried out.
The episode has therefore drawn attention to both the end of that association and the manner in which the club delivered the news. A message sent electronically, without being addressed to the individual and with only “Security Team” listed as the sign-off, prompted the public criticism that led to Bournemouth’s statement.
The club has promised to speak to the former matchday employee directly and discuss the circumstances surrounding the decision. No further details about that conversation were included in the information reported by Bournemouth Echo.
