CHAIRMAN Jeff Mostyn has expressed his disappointment at Cherries’ latest fixture switch and revealed the decision had been taken “out of our hands”.

Cherries’ final home game of the season against Bolton – originally scheduled for Saturday, April 25 – has been moved to Monday, April 27 (7.45pm kick-off).

The Championship clash has been selected for live broadcast by Sky Sports, leaving supporters of both clubs annoyed and frustrated at the late change in date.

Eddie Howe’s team host Wanderers as the curtain comes down on the regulation season at Dean Court with some fans miffed it has been switched from Saturday to Monday.

Mostyn told the Daily Echo: “I am as disappointed as any of our supporters that the last home game of the season against Bolton will no longer feature as a traditional Saturday afternoon fixture.

“I have particular sympathy with followers of both clubs who had already planned their weekends around the match taking place on the Saturday.

“In the past, both clubs involved would be part of the decision-making process in the event that a game had to be rearranged. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case.

“As a consequence of the huge investment by Sky – the new Premier League deal alone is worth £5.2billion from 2016-17 – they now have total autonomy in deciding when both the Premier League and Football League fixtures will take place.

“The irony of this is, having fought hard over the past few seasons to get more television coverage for the club, as a result of our league position in the Sky Bet Championship and the outstanding quality of entertainment provided by the team, we are now a regular feature on Sky.

“As a matter of courtesy and respect to supporters of both teams, I want to make them aware that the decision to move the date of the game was completely out of the clubs’ hands.”

Three of Cherries’ remaining seven games will now be shown live on Sky with the cameras also in attendance at Ipswich on Good Friday and at Brighton the following Friday.

Home clubs bank a broadcast fee of £80,000 for having their fixtures televised, while the away team receives nothing. The Bolton game will be Cherries’ fourth Championship home game to be shown live, while the club also received £125,000 for the League Cup quarter-final against Liverpool.

It will also be the first time in 20 years that Cherries’ final home game of the season will not have been played on a Saturday. In 1995, the culmination of the Great Escape campaign, Mel Machin’s heroes registered a 3-0 win over Shrewsbury on Tuesday, May 2.