Ritchie: Both clubs can go up

7:00am Friday 1st February 2013 in Sport

Matt Ritchie has left the County Ground Matt Ritchie has left the County Ground

MATT Ritchie believes both Swindon and Bournemouth will be firmly in the promotion race come the end of the season, but felt the time was right to swap the County Ground for a new challenge on the south coast.

The 23-year-old winger agreed personal terms on a lucrative three-and-a-half year contract with the Cherries yesterday, moving to Dean Court for a fee believed to be in the region of £500,000 including a sell-on clause.

The former Portsmouth man is targeting the Championship after completing his move, and firmly believes both his new and former club will be in contention when the season reaches the business end.

“I had some great times at Swindon but felt it was time to move on,” Ritchie told the Bournemouth Echo. “I won League Two with Swindon last season and my aim is to add another promotion to my CV this year.

“This is a great opportunity for me to hopefully reach the Championship with Bournemouth and have a successful time here. I really fancy us to do well.

“Both Swindon and Bournemouth are in a great position and I am sure they will be there or thereabouts come the end of the season. I am confident we can go up because we have got good backing, a good manager and a very good set of players. I have trained for the first time and you could see the standard is high and there is a lot of ability in the squad.”

Ritchie netted twice against the Cherries in Town’s 4-0 victory at the County Ground in September, and also lined up in the 1-1 draw between the two sides at Dean Court last month.

In those four months Eddie Howe replaced Paul Groves in the Bournemouth hot seat, allowing Ritchie to witness the transformation of a side struggling in League One into genuine promotion candidates.

“It was like playing two different teams,” he said. “The personnel were similar but the way they played and set-up were different. “The manager has come in and turned things round. In the game in Bournemouth, the organisation throughout the team was spot on.

“When you move, people expect things of you and the manager has signed me expecting me to do well. I need to provide and score goals and, hopefully, I can do that and help Bournemouth.

“I am sure the manager can get the best out of me and am really looking forward to working with him.”

Comments(18)

Rebel_phish says...
7:46am Fri 1 Feb 13

Thanks for your time at the County Ground, and I hope you do well at Bornemouth.

If your sale helps us to lift the title then it was good move on our part.

The cherries have got a bargin, just hope it doesn't come back to haunt us.

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London Red says...
7:50am Fri 1 Feb 13

I'm sure the manager can get the best out of you - so what the heck did PdC do then?
.
That's right only make you player of the division!

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SAPFanSTFC says...
8:12am Fri 1 Feb 13

Anyone know how many away fans there were on Tuesday night?

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Is that you Lovesey says...
8:21am Fri 1 Feb 13

SAPFanSTFC wrote:
Anyone know how many away fans there were on Tuesday night?
think it was 695 mate

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Stickshaker says...
8:37am Fri 1 Feb 13

T I N P O T

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London Red says...
8:45am Fri 1 Feb 13

I thought they said 724 - its on the Official facebook as they thanked us for going

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SAPFanSTFC says...
8:46am Fri 1 Feb 13

Is that you Lovesey wrote:
SAPFanSTFC wrote:
Anyone know how many away fans there were on Tuesday night?
think it was 695 mate
Now would that happen to match your prediction!?...will need this to be ratified and rubber-stamped as well you know!!
:-)

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SAPFanSTFC says...
8:49am Fri 1 Feb 13

Stickshaker wrote:
T I N P O T
errr....could it be a self-reference!?
...
Tw4t
Is
Now
Posting
On
Thread
----
If it is that is remarkably clever of you to describe yourself in such an accurate manner.....now off to school with you and thank you for an insightful contribution.

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SAPFanSTFC says...
8:51am Fri 1 Feb 13

SAPFanSTFC wrote:
Stickshaker wrote:
T I N P O T
errr....could it be a self-reference!?
...
Tw4t
Is
Now
Posting
On
Thread
----
If it is that is remarkably clever of you to describe yourself in such an accurate manner.....now off to school with you and thank you for an insightful contribution.
....or did you mean to describe yourself as a:
T0sser
---
...either way your biographical description works for us.
---
C+ for effort and accuracy but sadly lacking in general content....bit like you brain really! :-)

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Stilloyal says...
9:26am Fri 1 Feb 13

London Red wrote:
I thought they said 724 - its on the Official facebook as they thanked us for going
Correct L/R.

Swindon will win the league and Bournmuff will lose to M.K in the play off final.
Never mind Ritchie you can always try again next season if your new club can hang on to it's owners and manager !

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SAPFanSTFC says...
9:27am Fri 1 Feb 13

London Red wrote:
I thought they said 724 - its on the Official facebook as they thanked us for going
Thanks LR - I'll go with 724 as it is on an official posting.
...
Cheers Lovesey....just realised you hadn't predicted for a while hope all ok?

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EastleazeRed says...
9:35am Fri 1 Feb 13

Cheers for that mat . I'm sure were all gonna feel better now knowing that ! All the best at your new club but not really interested in what you have to say .

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sadgit says...
9:53am Fri 1 Feb 13

Thought Matt was always saying how happy he was here.
Money talks I suppose.

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P*ssed Off says...
10:12am Fri 1 Feb 13

Now the situation has been clarified in that Ritchie wanted to go, can we have apologies to the old and new owners from all of the posters on here who were baying for their blood. As 'sadgit' says above....money talks!!

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RedArmy74 says...
10:14am Fri 1 Feb 13

I feel a bit sorry for him really. Based on the clubs statement he was probably told we've accepted and offer for you and we need to you to go so we can pay this months wages otherwise administration is a possibility. He was thrown under the bus really! Obviously he could have said no but I'm sure he was made very much aware of the consequences for STFC if he did. What would everyone be saying if he had said he didn't want to go and we couldn't pay the wages in January?

There have been other offers in the past for him and he never once indicated he wanted to go, he was also one of the only players man enough to accept his responsibility in the relegation season and stay to put that right the next season. He could have bailed like 90% of the others!

I'm grateful for what he has done in the past and I'm certain if the situation here had been different he would still be playing for us!

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Psychedelic Syd says...
11:21am Fri 1 Feb 13

Ritchie has got to be upbeat and say good things about Bournemouth. Disappointing that he must be of the opinion that they stand a better chance of going up than us but I think Red Army 74 is pretty spot on in his thoughts on his leaving.

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London Red says...
1:03pm Fri 1 Feb 13

Looks like I was too harsh on Ritchie and he was told you HAVE to go
.
This is from the BBC website:
.
I didn't know much about it until the last couple of hours. I was on my way home from training when I got diverted to Bournemouth. I got a call from my agent who said it was part of the deal for the club to be sold
.
I had great times at Swindon. It was brilliant when the gaffer came in. To get promotion was an amazing achievement. This year we've started well and look like strong contenders to get promoted
.
I leave with a heavy heart. I'll miss everyone there, especially the gaffer. I felt like he helped me a lot and made me the player I am today. I've got a lot to thank him for
.
So he was told leave to save the club - with Bournemouth as the destination you can't blame him for not complaining as he does still have a great chance of going up
.
I apologise to Matt if he (or someone who knows him) does read any of these boards - he has just jumped ship as it looked like yesterday and earlier today

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DarrenSTFCRomain says...
6:43pm Fri 1 Feb 13

I dont care if ritchie falls breaks both legs and never plays again.....

He has said that he wonted to go so f8ckhim

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