Bournemouth promoted: Only fixture list will make me believe we are up, says Eddie Howe

'To see the club on Match of the Day is something I'd never have imagined possible,' reveals delighted manager

Bournemouth captain Tommy Elphick celebrates with the fans on Monday night (Getty Images)

The Bournemouth manager, Eddie Howe, has admitted that he will not truly believe his club have been promoted to the Premier League until next season’s fixture list is published, confirming that Arsenal, Chelsea and the other giants of English football will be visiting the trim but modest Goldsands Stadium.

“We had it the same when we went from League One to the Championship [in 2013],” he said. “It felt real with the fixtures, and then it was down to work.

“So it won’t feel real until we see who we have. And then it will be a case of, not swearing, but concentrating on getting some points. When you’ve had the journey we’ve had you can’t fear it. There’ll be some hard times, no doubt. It’ll be very difficult. But we’ll try and make the most of every opportunity we have.”

The first fixture he will look out for is Bournemouth’s visit to Goodison Park. “I was a big Everton fan in my early years, born and raised in Watford so Watford were my local team until 10 or 11 when I moved down [here].

“But Everton were the successful team. I remember watching the 1984 Cup final, the team in blue. Coming from the era where Match of the Day was the only football programme, the thing everyone stayed up to watch, to see Bournemouth on Match of the Day is something I’d never have imagined possible.”

Manager Eddie Howe enjoys the moment Bournemouth clinched promotion (PA)

Howe also confessed that he had not believed that promotion to the top flight for the first time in Bournemouth’s 116-year history, all but confirmed by Monday evening’s 3-0 victory over Bolton Wanderers, was feasible. “Honestly, I didn’t,” he said. “I hadn’t thought too far ahead, that’s my honest answer. It’s been so intense. The Championship is such a tough league, and people were waiting for us to slip away, our squad wasn’t deep enough, etc. But we just tried to win games.”

That will be harder in the Premier League, but Howe promised that he would not abandon his belief in the passing football that has paid off so handsomely. “I don’t think we’d forsake our principles,” he said.

“If you could guarantee me success playing a different way, being more direct, crossing the balls earlier, etc, we’d look at it.

“But it doesn’t guarantee you success. In the Premier League, the best way to win is to dominate the ball. It’ll be more difficult, but why not? We’ve proved this season we’re a good team and deserve to be here on merit. We’ll carry on like that.

The scenes of jubilation continued even as the fans began to leave the ground (Getty) (Getty Images)

“We felt, by bringing in a footballing philosophy that we felt was transferable from the Championship to the Premier League, we felt it gave us more chance. If you rip it up and start again in the Premier League, it’s too difficult. We believe it can work. That will be decided on the pitch.”

Only seven of his squad have played in the Premier League before – Adam Smith only once, as a substitute for Tottenham Hotspur – so Howe knows that he will have to show more of the transfer nous that brought in this season’s top scorer, Callum Wilson from Coventry City, last summer.

“That’s just a natural progression,” the manager said. “We would have done that in the Championship next year, keeping things fresh.

“We’ll try and do what we do and improve things. It took us time to adjust in the Championship and, when we did, confidence grew. This will be tougher. Some of the players are ready, no doubt. Sometimes players surprise you, step up to the plate, others will struggle. We’ll see how they adapt.”