JEFF Mostyn and Steve Sly will hand over the reins to Marc Jackson's consortium and have wished the new owners well in trying to bring "stability" and "success" to the club.

In an emotional statement issued to the Echo late last night, Mostyn and Sly spoke of the "huge void" left in their lives after being beaten in the race to buy the cash-strapped club.

The statement read: "It is with much sadness that our offer to take AFC Bournemouth forward failed at the final hurdle.

"However, the most important thing is that the football club has survived to fight another day. I (Mostyn) am proud that having provided the substantial amount of funding required by the administrator to keep the club alive, it has resulted in today's sale and a future for this great football club.

"Despite suffering huge disappointment, we sincerely wish the Jackson consortium all the best in their attempt to bring stability and, ultimately, success to the club.

"For the past 18 months, we have ploughed hundreds of thousands of pounds and countless weeks into trying to stabilise a club that was being brought to its knees by the huge burden of debt built up over many years. We have both put our hearts and souls into the near impossible task presented to us in March 2007.

"With all the club's assets having been previously sold off, we were always staring the inevitable in the face, and unless investors came in to assist, administration was just a matter of time.

"Despite months and months of effort to attract investors, the reality was, why would any businessman invest in a club with close to £5m worth of debt with no possibility of getting it back'? Eventually the only sensible business decision left was to put the club into administration - with a hope of attracting partners to take the club forward.

"To this extent, we thought we had secured the right partner, but sometimes life throws up a few surprises. The only surprise was, after 18 months' involvement in football, we should not have been surprised that things were not all they appeared to be.

"Now, for the first time, the new owners can start with a blank piece of paper - no legacy debts, all the onerous contracts gone and, hopefully, the funding to move the club on to a brighter future. This is the legacy that we have left, after 18 months of toil, and is something we can both be very proud of. We have given the club every opportunity to succeed and, indeed, it will never have a better chance to succeed than it has today.

"Steve and I would like to thank our fellow directors, all the staff, players and supporters for all the help and support they have given during our tenure.

"We know this club means so much to so many and the only way you can demonstrate this to the new owners in the short term is to fill the stadium on Saturday and help the lads to a vital three points. They have clearly demonstrated that they have the desire, now it's time for you to show that commitment.

"We will now have a huge void in our lives, after putting in so much enthusiasm, effort and commitment, often in the face of adversity. Please try and reward the club with as much help and support as you can to make all our efforts worthwhile.

"Whatever the future holds, you will never get two people who have felt more proud and privileged to have held the titles of chairman and vice-chairman than Steve and I.

"I believe we have always conducted ourselves with dignity and have brought great credibility to the club, especially when hosting guests, visiting directors and dignitaries at Dean Court.

"Our final wish is that we sincerely hope we will always be treated with respect at Dean Court. It means so much to us both."