|
£276,711 loss for Magpies
by
Ky Capel
Departing Dorchester Town chairman Eddie Mitchell insists he will
never “call back” repayment on a six-figure sum that
appears as a loan in the club’s latest accounts.
For the year ending May 31, 2008, the Magpies made a loss of £276,711
while a total of £203,130 is displayed, under related party
transactions, as money owed to Mitchell’s property company
Seven Developments.
However, the Poole-based property developer, who is set to complete
a takeover of AFC Bournemouth in due course, is not expecting to
see that amount paid back.
He said: “It’s the loan that we’ve leant the
club. From memory it’s the money that I’ve put in to
support the club.
“If the club can never pay it back then they can’t
pay it back, Seven Developments won’t be calling it back.
“I feel there’s redevelopment opportunities at the
club, and I’ve never hidden that fact, and that’s where
hopefully the club will be able to generate money. The market’s
not brilliant at the moment so I’m waiting for the next boom
so to speak.
“If I don’t get the money back then eventually it
will go down as a donation because I’ve never envisaged getting
it back.”
Of the financial loss made in Mitchell’s first year as majority
shareholder, he added: “There was a loss made but it’s
not a problem. Chelsea made a loss of some £100 million or
so, so I don’t see our loss as being a problem. The situation
at the club is okay.
“The previous year’s accounts only showed a profit
because some of the money put in was never called back, instead
it went down as a donation.”
Mitchell will step down from his post as chairman of the county
town outfit at the end of this week with club director Dave Roberts
taking over the reins.
Meanwhile, Blue Square South clubs are now permitted to bring
in 12 loan players over the course of a season after the number
was increased from eight at last weekend’s Conference AGM.
The meeting also saw Dorchester secretary David Martin narrowly
lose out to Worcester’s Dave Boddy in a vote to become the
division’s Conference Board representative.
|