Source: Bournemouth_Echo
Cherries: Club not for sale as chairman rebuffs Russians
CHAIRMAN Eddie Mitchell today issued a defiant message to would-be buyers of AFC Bournemouth: We're not selling.[LNB] Mitchell's comments come just hours after a deadline set by Russian bidders Vladimir Antonov and Roman Dubov passed at midnight.[LNB] Three separate offers, which had been brokered through an agent acting on behalf of their company Convers Group Holdings, had been tabled over the past few weeks. Each had been based on an initial payment of around £1.2m with the promise of further investment to include buying back Dean Court and providing a transfer kitty for boss Eddie Howe.[LNB] However, majority shareholder Mitchell was adamant none of the proposals would be in the best interests of the Dorset club and subsequently rejected them.[LNB] Until today, Mitchell had steadfastly declined a succession of invitations to discuss the bid with the Daily Echo. But in the following interview, he has outlined his reasons for the rebuff.[LNB] While confirming the offers had been made, Mitchell said he had had no dialogue with the Russians and that all negotiations had been conducted, by email and telephone and not in person, with an agent by the name of Steve Henstridge.[LNB] Mitchell, who gained control at Dean Court just over 12 months ago, told the Daily Echo: I didn't come into the club to make a quick buck and sell it. I came in to stabilise it and believe we have done that.[LNB] I don't think it would be right to open dialogue with foreign investors whose intentions, I believe, would be to control the club. I don't want to lose control while I'm doing a good job and, if asked, I think most people would say that we are doing a good job.[LNB] I don't think that this club, or any other club, really needs vast investment from people who are treating it as a business, only to then find that, when they are not so enthused, they take away the assets and leave the club back where it started.[LNB] I am trying to build the club with the supporters. Everybody is working hard to raise money for the club to grow it in a very modest way to the maximum it can with the budget it has got. We still have quite a long way to go with that.[LNB] But I think we can attract bigger crowds and have got in place the right people to keep us in this league and, one day, take us further. I think we have got bigger achievements to come at this club.[LNB] Asked how far talks with the agent had progressed, Mitchell replied: I didn't speak to the people that came in with the interest. I had communication with their agent and he put forward figures which I totally rejected.[LNB] It was interesting to see what somebody would have paid for the club but it was of no interest to me to carry out any sort of sale. We had a board meeting and were in full agreement.[LNB] While I believe I am in the best position to run the club and am doing a good job, then I would not consider selling.[LNB]
