EDDIE Mitchell has vowed to help push Poole Town towards the Football League – irrespective of whether he buys a controlling share in the club.

Until May 31, the Sandbanks-based property developer has an option to buy a 51 per cent stake in the Dolphins, who won the Southern League and promotion to the National League 12 days ago.

Mitchell is still weighing up whether or not to exercise that right but insists he plans to keep in place the club’s current structure if he does take over.

But the ex-Cherries and Dorchester chairman added his primary concern remained the club’s search for a suitable stadium and issued a rallying cry to Poole council chiefs to get behind his bid.

Mitchell told the Daily Echo: “I am still considering my options but the likelihood is that in some form, I will stay involved or get more involved.

“I wouldn’t like to say exactly what I am going to do now but it remains my priority to find the club a home.

“The way they have achieved promotion shows their tenacity to move forward, the support is growing constantly and I think the future is very bright so I would be daft not to stay involved.

“In the future, I think my experiences at higher levels could be invaluable and when the time is right, I’d like to share those with the club.

“But before we can build on this promotion, the first priority is the town offering us somewhere permanent to play our football.

“It’s not like Poole is a five-minute wonder. It has represented the town for more than 100 years and deserves somewhere to play in this borough without people having to look over their shoulders.”

Mitchell continued: “The club has the scope to go to the Football League. Why not?

“It is not beyond a club in a conurbation the size of Poole to do that. There are many teams playing under the banner of Poole Town – men, women and children – so it is something the borough has to address properly, dig deep and help the club. That is what I beg the borough to do.

“Whether or not I take up my option, I think the club will allow me to continue to try and persuade the right people to find the finance to secure the club’s future for the next 100 years.

"Why would I not want to stay involved? It is walking distance from my home and my daughter and I enjoy going down. We have been made to feel incredibly welcome.”

Addressing any knock-on effect of a takeover, Mitchell said: “If I take up the option, I would want to keep the same people while they are able to offer the same services they do now.

"The people at Poole are invaluable. There is so much to the nitty gritty of running a club and they do it really well. They are tireless people.

“I would not particularly want to change anything, all I would want to do is be able to offer my advice and help.

“I am watching the wheels starting to turn without having to push. With other clubs in the past, I have had to get those wheels turning so this is quite refreshing but it could go a lot further.”

Mitchell would not rule out the prospect of a second extension to his option but said it “would be for the shareholders to consider”.