Source: Bournemouth_Echo
Cherries: Embargo bid backed by council
Cherries' bid to overcome their long-running transfer embargo has received support from Town Hall chiefs. The full council voted unanimously to support a motion put forward by Boscombe West Conservative Phil Stanley-Watts last month, which called on the Football League to lift the ban on new signings. It was the first sign of active support from the council since Cherries' embargo was tightened more than a year ago, a measure which has left manager Eddie Howe with an often threadbare squad to select from this season. At the time of revealing the motion, long-time Cherries fan Stanley-Watts said: There is no finance in the move or anything like that. It is just a simple move to support the club. It is not political or controversial, I just feel the club needs all the help it can get. After the motion was backed on March 2, the council sent a letter to the league's chief operating officer Andy Williamson to discuss the embargo. And with today's news that the club has made a payment to clear its outstanding tax bill, there could be light at the end of the tunnel. As a condition of exiting administration in August 2008, Cherries had to accept that all transfer activity would be monitored for three seasons. And while the club was subject to a rolling embargo to begin with, the ban was tightened 14 months ago following a hectic January transfer window. Howe has been restricted to emergency loan signings this season, with just Anthony Edgar, Marek Stech and Rhoys Wiggins allowed to come in to bolster Cherries' resources.