HARRY Arter believes his former club Charlton could be a good yardstick for Cherries as they prepare to cut their teeth in the Championship.

Arter spent 11 years with the south London outfit before dropping into the non-league ranks with Woking where he was unearthed by Eddie Howe.

The classy midfielder, signed for a bargain £4,000, was one of Cherries’ star performers as they celebrated a memorable promotion last season.

Arter was on the receiving end as Charlton recorded a double over Cherries on their way to romping to the League One title in 2012.

And in their first season back in the Championship under manager Chris Powell, the Addicks finished a creditable ninth, just three points shy of the play-offs.

Arter, preparing to start his fourth season with Cherries, told the Daily Echo: “I remember looking at their results halfway through last season and they were struggling a bit.

"I think everyone expected them to bounce straight back after they had been relegated from the Premier League but they went down again.

“To finish where they did last season was a great achievement and we have got to try to match that. If we could have as good a season as they had last season, it would definitely be a successful one.”

Cherries chairman Eddie Mitchell has already publicly expressed a desire to see the club compete at the top end of the Championship this season, while boss Howe has been keen to keep expectations in check since promotion.

Asked what the hopes of the players were, Arter replied: “It is a difficult one because we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves and start saying we are going to win promotion or reach the play-offs.

“Quite a lot of the lads here, including myself, have not played in the Championship so it is going to be a new experience. If the question was asked around Christmas, I am sure people would get a much fairer assessment.

"A few of us are heading into the unknown so finding our feet will be the first job. I think every team coming up would target staying in the division as the first priority.

"I don’t want to sound negative and say I think we will be fighting relegation because that is definitely not what we want but we need to be realistic.

“We need to take it one step at a time. If we are not successful this season and stay in the Championship, the experience gained will stand us in good stead next season and we will put a lot more pressure on ourselves to challenge.”