Latest news with #RadioSolent
BBC News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Top five Cherries of season
One Cherries fan has joined BBC Radio Solent to give his top five Bournemouth players of the 2024-25 season - and he thinks his number one choice may be "controversial".Do you agree with his picks?Listen to his selections here on BBC Sounds
BBC News
06-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Bournemouth football pundit John 'Willo' Williams to retire
Cherries football pundit to retire from radio 6 minutes ago Share Save Share Save BBC The former Cherries player said he wanted to end on a "strong season" BBC Radio Solent's Bournemouth football pundit has announced he will retire from broadcasting at the end of the season. John "Willo" Williams has been part of the station's sports coverage of AFC Bournemouth for more than two decades. The former Cherries player-turned-commentator said he wanted "to go out on a really strong season". Colleagues praised his "infectious love of football" and said broadcasts "won't be quite the same" without him. Willo enjoyed a 15-year professional career, including five years at Bournemouth, where he later returned as a coach, before joining Radio Solent as a summariser. Announcing his retirement on Saturday, following Bournemouth's victory over Arsenal, he said: "This is going to be my last season. I've enjoyed it so much. "I want to go out on a really strong season and this one is turning out to be the season of all seasons." Willo enjoyed a 15-year professional career before turning to broadcasting Radio Solent sports editor Adam Blackmore, who has worked with Willo for 21 years, said: "Things won't be quite the same again. "His infectious love of football and his beloved Cherries has shone through the airwaves for more than two decades and has been an absolute asset for us." Radio Solent commentator and journalist Jordan Clark described Willo as an "AFC Bournemouth legend". He said: "Player, coach, scout, and then commentator - he's done it all for the Cherries over the past 40 years. "He cares deeply about the club and you hear that every time he picks up the microphone. "He'll leave a huge hole in our Cherries coverage but it will be a privilege to sit next to him for these final three games of the season and hopefully witness the Cherries qualifying for Europe for the first time." You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
BBC News
03-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
🎧 Misery in the Midlands
The latest episode of the Goin' Home With Adam And Jo podcast has Radio Solent's Adam Blackmore and former Saints player Jo Tessem discuss Saturday's defeat against to the full episode on BBC Sounds
BBC News
11-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Gorge Cafe: Dorchester's South Street reopens months after fire
A shopping street that has been closed since fire tore through a cafe four months ago has partially Gorge Cafe was completely destroyed and neighbouring buildings were damaged in the blaze on 9 and engineers have been working to stabilise the remaining structures but the closure has left nearby businesses counting the Friday afternoon, a path was re-opened through the affected part of South Street, allowing shoppers to walk through and for stores to reopen. Speaking to Radio Solent's Dorset Breakfast show, Neil Strudwick, owner of Goldcrest Jewellers, said: "The footfall is going to go up. We can't wait to get back open again and get back to normality."A lot of South Street is niche, independent businesses."We're really looking forward to getting this street open as soon as possible."Michael Quinn of Quinn's Butchers in the Hardye Arcade said a significant proportion of his business came from passing trade."We've dropped at least 25% of our customers and we are looking to get them back now," he Kareem of Mina's Deli said: "It did have a big impact because it happened in December, the busiest month of the year, and it took a while for people to realise we were still open." The Grade II-listed, terraced building, where novelist Thomas Hardy trained as an architect, was destroyed in the fire and collapsed further several weeks Faber, of Jordan and Faber contractors, said his company had been working to make the area safe, erecting complex scaffolding to support the damaged said: "We've had nine weeks to get to where we've got to. "I appreciate the public wanted it open as soon as possible but safety was the number one priority, for the guys doing the work and for the public."Mr Strudwick said: "There will, from Friday be a clear access path past the fire site from one end to the other of South Street, and the blockage at the end of Hardye Arcade will go, allowing full access once again from both ends of the arcade." You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
08-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Lurching, lack of belief, bad management' - what's gone wrong?
BBC Radio Solent reacted to Southampton's relegation from the Premier League with a one-hour special looking at where it all went wrong."There is sadness really for the fans and the people at the club who have worked there for many years," said sports editor Adam Blackmore. "Shambolic and embarrassing are two good adjectives."I don't think anybody who loves the club deserves what they have witnessed in the last three years really - since Sport Republic took over, if I'm honest."With regards to Ivan Juric's exit, it's slightly embarrassing to have gone through another two managers in less than a season. It was three a couple of years ago."It smacks of lurching, lack of belief in what you're doing and bad management."I'm not surprised that Juric has gone. There is a part of me that feels sorry for him. I think he's been made to look bad by three things - the squad he inherited, the situation he inherited and the Premier League which catches out a lot of managers who come over here."I think he's an honourable bloke who came over here and took on a challenge that many managers wouldn't. He's the fall guy."If you analyse bringing in someone like that on a short-term contract it tells everybody this isn't your guy, he's just here. That doesn't inspire the players, staff, or anyone."It also doesn't give him any licence to be the strongest manager he can be. We've had the fall-outs with the players - I don't blame him for that. He should be able to make the players accountable for what they need to do and push them on the training ground." He added: "I also think he fell into the same trap as Russell Martin did. He also failed to adapt their game quick enough to get the most out of these players and get points in the Premier League."For me, that's the biggest disconnect from what the managers have done and who they are as people. I don't understand why their first thought hasn't been 'what is the best way to get something out of this game?' with the group of players they have."If they both managed like that, I don't think Saints would be worrying about beating Derby's dreadful record."Listen to the special Radio Solent programme on BBC Sounds
