Source: Bournemouth_Echo
Cherries: Rumour after rumour and the viral blog
AFTER one of the most memorable managerial spells in AFC Bournemouth's chequered history, it was never going to be straightforward.[LNB] No club can do a saga quite like the one that resides at Dean Court.[LNB] From protracted takeovers to the world's longest-running transfer embargo and winding-up petitions to bailiffs, Cherries fans have seen the lot in recent years.[LNB] The long-suffering supporters have come to expect the unexpected, so there was no reason to think the tug-of-war over Eddie Howe's services was going to prove predictable.[LNB] But even the most imaginative among them would have struggled to dream up this latest intriguing plot.[LNB] On Saturday morning, things looked relatively clear stay in Bournemouth or take up the offer tabled by Championship strugglers Crystal Palace.[LNB] But with rumour and counter rumour spreading like wildfire and yesterday's Daily Echo live blog going viral with a peak of 1,200 participants, it soon became clear that the tug-of-war had escalated into a potential four-way tussle, with Charlton in the thick of the race and Burnley understood to be interested.[LNB] As fans anxiously tried to separate fact from fiction, Howe went from being summoned to the Bexleyheath Marriott to meet Charlton chiefs to encountering dozens of Cherries supporters on one of the longest Dorset dog walks in living memory.[LNB] In reality, he took training with the players at Canford School, lunched on scrambled eggs and bacon on toast and held last-ditch talks with Cherries chairman Eddie Mitchell, where he is believed to have been offered a new contract.[LNB] With a cold yet determined media gathering outside the Dean Court reception, it was hoped that an answer could be forthcoming by late afternoon.[LNB] But wily Howe, aided by getaway driver and assistant boss Jason Tindall, gave the press and camera crews the slip and sped away from the ground.[LNB] With reporters and fans alike waiting patiently for an announcement, some long into the night, Howe clearly needed more thinking time.[LNB] But after two years, 99 games and a fairytale success story, the next chapter in the lives of Howe and Cherries is likely to be written this morning.[LNB]
