BULLISH chairman Denis Eveleigh backed Bournemouth’s grass roots structure to provide the platform for long-term success in National Two South.

The Chapel Gate chief moved to reiterate his belief in the club’s amateur status and defended the decision not to pay players despite a demoralising run of seven straight league defeats.

In the build-up to tomorrow’s crunch home clash with Southend (2.30pm), Eveleigh said: “We have got a reasonably robust five-year plan in wanting to sustain rugby at this level.

“With our very strong minis and youth set-up, there are a lot of positive things at the club in being able to grow our own and getting players coming through.

“Because we are still an amateur club, we can’t buy in someone to paper over the cracks. The replacements do their best but in a lot of cases they are relatively inexperienced at this level.”

On Lions’ latest opponents, Eveleigh added: “Southend have had a reasonably good season. They were struggling a bit like us last season but brought in (former England coach) Dick Best to help with their coaching and finished quite comfortably in the table.

“They have improved from there and I think it will be another tough game but we’ll do what we can to get back to winning ways.”

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