Source: Bournemouth_Echo
Cherries chairman applauds fans' generosity
AN initiative aimed at toppling the Dean Court debt mountain has prompted almost £7,000 to be raised in less than a fortnight. The AFC Bournemouth Dedication Scheme which calls on supporters to donate money towards clearing the club's outstanding liabilities was officially launched earlier this month. Chairman Eddie Mitchell, who reported on March 5 that Cherries' debts stood at £846,924, revealed last month that the club faced a date in the High Court on March 31 for a winding-up petition issued by HM Revenue and Customs over arrears of £314,000. In a bid to counteract the financial problems, the club unveiled details of the dedication scheme, which offers donors a possible cash return when Cherries sell assets, should the debts be cleared. The new idea was given a mixed response by supporters, but 12 donors have come forward, seven via the scheme, to raise a total of £6,895. Two of them, Dean Tever-sham and Gary Bartlett, gave £500 apiece, and one un-named benefactor handed over £4,000. Mitchell told the Echo: It's absolutely fantastic, especially those individuals that have made the journey to the club to actually pay money into the club. We were sat here last week and somebody came in and put in £1,000. They didn't want to be mentioned they just love the club. I think there's an awful lot of people out there who feel that way. The scheme is something that's going to go on for a considerable amount of time and it's not something that has got a closing date. It's just there if people want to join in. For further information on the scheme, visit the Dean Court club shop or contact 01202 726325.