7:00am Monday 6th July 2009
By Neil Perrett
NEW Cherries chairman Eddie Mitchell is adamant the club must finally get its financial house in order and insists: “If we can’t pay for it, we won’t buy it.”
Mitchell is preparing to lead the club into a new era after recently completing a takeover alongside Adam Murry, Jeff Mostyn, Steve Sly and Neill Blake.
The club’s majority shareholder has already held three meetings with boss Eddie Howe to discuss the playing side – with finance at the top of the agenda.
And while supporters await news on Howe’s contract, the playing budget and the transfer embargo, Mitchell says steadying the ship must take precedence.
He told the Daily Echo: “My first port of call is to address the club’s finances. We’ve brought the wages up to date and will be making our first payment to HMRC this week.
“The response from season ticket sales has been fantastic so it’s all going very well on that front.
“I’ve had three meetings with Eddie (Howe) and one with Jason (Tindall). I would like to think that by the end of next week, all will be revealed and it will be good news.”
Asked for an update on the embargo, Mitchell replied: “We’re working hard to get it lifted and Eddie has expressed his desire to get in one or two new players.
“We’re limited to what we can do at this stage and are trying to stabilise the club’s finances. It’s no good getting players in if you can’t pay for them.
“It’s beyond me how the club expected to continue not to pay the taxman. It was cheating the supporters. We’ve got mountains to climb from what’s been left by the previous regime but I think we will tackle it and get there.
“We’ve got to run this as a business. It’s not my style to have a jolly-up and then run away.”
Mitchell was also asked whether Howe’s playing budget had been determined. He said: “The budget is what we can afford. With Eddie’s wisdom and determination and our determination, I think we will be able to maintain the level at which we finished last season or do better.
“Ever since I can remember, this club has had a lot of turbulence.
“I couldn’t run my business like that and I’m not going to run Bournemouth like that.
“If we can’t pay for it, we won’t buy it and if we can’t solve the inherited debt then it’s going to be tough.
“I haven’t come in to stop people progressing. But it’s no good being unrealistic. My aim is to work as hard as we can with what we can afford.”
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