Speaking in the Bournemouth Evening Echo, Lovell is quoted as saying: "It's hugely disappointing. It was so close, yet so far. It was always 'find out tomorrow what's going to happen'. It just kept going on and on, then it came to a head and I've been told I can't stay. I had my hopes and heart set on coming here, so now I've got to go and try to find somewhere else".
Brother, and manager, Eddie Howe, is quoted as saying: "Steve was prepared to sign for us for nothing. He would have received no money at all, purely for the fact he wanted to play and understood the situation regarding all the behind the scenes stuff. We went to the Football League and put that to them, that Steve would play for nothing to make up our 20th member of our squad, but they still declined that. The Football League had a meeting on Thursday and made it clear that there would be no way that we could sign Steve Lovell. Due to the embargo, they won't let us make up our 20-man squad, so we have unfortunately had to admit defeat in our quest to sign him. I think it's best for Steve now that he goes and finds himself a club. It's a massive shame because he's worked ever so hard along with all the other lads. He's done all the training, he's turned down seven clubs to wait for us and that was mainly because of my relationship with him. I feel desperately disappointed for him. He won't struggle finding another club - that's not a problem. It's the fact he had his heart set on coming here. It's desperately disappointing to miss out on a player of his calibre".