Source: Bournemouth_Echo
Cherries: Chairman remains upbeat despite winding-up petition
DEFIANT chairman Eddie Mitchell insisted he had no regrets about taking on his Cherries challenge and remained upbeat despite the club's latest battle with the tax man.[LNB] The majority shareholder confirmed on Thursday that HM Revenue and Customs had served the Dean Court outfit with another winding-up petition, this time over an outstanding debt of £314,000, as revealed exclusively on the Daily Echo's live blog.[LNB] With Cherries set to make a payment of £100,000 towards that, the total unpaid tax being petitioned for would stand at £214,000, with a court hearing set for March 31.[LNB] Mitchell, who said he was confident the club could find the necessary money to stave off the winding-up petition, stressed his desire to tackle to club's problems.[LNB] When asked yesterday whether he had regrets about getting involved with Cherries, he said: Not one at all.[LNB] I plough my way through things and nine times out of 10 they get sorted out.[LNB] I can't wait to get up in the morning to face those challenges.[LNB] Mitchell revealed the club's early season ticket sales drive had raised more than £280,000, most of which had already been distributed to various creditors, with HMRC set to receive the remaining amount of around £100,000.[LNB] After praising the fans for backing that scheme, he underlined the important role the long-suffering Dean Court faithful could play in helping the club rid itself of its debts.[LNB] Mitchell said: My message is for them to continue supporting in the way they have and we will then get through it.[LNB] The club has got fantastic fans. It is their club as much as mine and, between us, we'll keep it going.[LNB] Discussing Cherries' total debts, which he claimed stood at £1.8million when he took charge, Mitchell added: We have reduced the debt by approximately £800,000, rapidly approaching a million.[LNB] The fans have done that. The board and businesses have helped my business has helped and it is the achievement of the football club.[LNB] I think the football club has got as much support as it needs to finally wipe out that debt, go forward and make a profit.[LNB] We have six months of accounts which show that in four of those months we were making profit and, in the accumulation of those months, we made a £52,000 profit.[LNB] Providing we are successful, sensible and shed that debt, we should be home and dry, and the football club will find the level it can afford to be at. Then everyone can enjoy the challenges on the pitch, without worrying about off the pitch.[LNB] Mitchell told Thursday's forum that he hoped repaying the tax debt would give the club a good chance of getting its strict Football League transfer embargo relaxed, which has restricted manager Howe to just three emergency short-term loan deals this season.[LNB] To watch a replay of our in-depth blog coverage of Thursday's night's forum, visit bournemouthecho.co.uk/sport[LNB]
