Winding Up Petition Supported By A Fan

A long standing supporter is reported to have jumped on the band waggon in support of a Winding Up Petition against the cash strapped Club, claiming an amount said to be in the region of £30,000, loaned to the Club when Paul Baker was still in charge. Speaking in the Bournemouth Evening Echo, current Cherries Chairman, Eddie Mitchell is quoted as saying: "I have made a number of statements recently in respect of the great progress the board has made within its off-field activities, in particular the financial welfare of the club. With this in mind, to keep all of our supporters in the loop and to prevent unnecessary speculation, I would like to focus on two issues that have had a major impact on our ability to move forward. Firstly the outstanding debt to HMRC and secondly the football creditors and the impact this has had on the transfer embargo. When we took over the club we inherited an outstanding debt of £388,000 to HMRC. To date we have paid £200,000 and have adhered to the payment plan accepted in principle by HMRC. Indeed, they have complimented us not only on making the regular payments on time, but also for keeping in regular dialogue with them. You will recall that HMRC issued a winding-up petition on the club in July and as a result of our payments, the case was adjourned until the October 5. At the same time a long standing supporter of AFC Bournemouth, who I feel should not be named at this time, supported the winding-up petition in respect of a £30,000 loan he made to the football club under the chairmanship of Paul Baker. This support was withdrawn once the case was adjourned pending negotiations with us to repay his loan. We have already made a significant payment to said supporter in respect of the loan he made to the previous owners. However, he is unwilling to give us the necessary time to make future payments within our budget, and has now contacted HMRC to advise them he will once again be attaching his claim to the winding-up hearing on October 5. Having had positive dialogue again with HMRC, I am assured the printing of the claim in the London Gazette is purely a procedural practice to protect HMRC from any other creditors, including said supporter, and to ring-fence their claim. We have spoken to our major suppliers including our landlord and bankers to assure them that it is business as usual at Dean Court. I trust this statement will also reassure both our supporters and creditors alike".