Image: courtesy of the Bournemouth Daily Echo

Adam Murry, Operations Director of AFC Bournemouth is proud to announce that on Sat 15th August at home with Rotherham, our second chosen charity initiative will be supporting the Youth Cancer Trust.

The Youth Cancer Trust provides free activity based holidays for young people between the ages of 14 and 30 who are living in the United Kingdom and Irish Republic, or are patients of hospitals in the UK and are suffering with cancer. Youngsters’ can come on a holiday if they have been in remission for up to 5 years.

About the Youth Cancer Trust:

The charity was first established in 1997 by Brenda Clark, who had recently lost her only child Tracy Ann, aged 21, from cancer. It was very quickly realised that young cancer patients were obtaining great benefit from a short holiday: The youngsters provide comfort and encouragement for each other and Bournemouth has all the facilities needed for an enjoyable holiday for young people.

“Since forming the charity we have grown slowly but steadily. At every stage of our development we have taken great care to understand the youngster’s needs and to learn from them and their parents about the service we provide. It has become more and more apparent that we boost confidence, provide invaluable ‘fun’ and ’stress-free’ periods and more than anything else bring normality and hope back into the young peoples lives.
Being supported by AFC Bournemouth is fantastic for YCT. On behalf of the charity, I want to thank AFCB, the supporters and local community. YCT is about sharing the experience and we really are ‘better together’ in partnership with AFCB!”
Brenda Clark – Founder

“The thing that sets The Youth Cancer Trust apart from other charities is that it doesn’t just provide a place for ‘ill people’ to go, it provides a refuge from real life, a break from the hardship of treatment and recovery that people who have cancer have to face, but more than that it enables people to achieve experiences that they thought they would never have again. I have seen people’s confidence increase in the space of 4 days of arriving at Tracy Ann house. What the Youth Cancer Trust achieves is incredible and I can’t thank them enough.” Richard (cancer patient) age 22

How we can help young cancer patients:

The Youth Cancer Trust currently welcomes over 200 teenagers and young people with cancer each year. This year occupancy is at 230. The youngsters come from all over the UK and Ireland to stay at Tracy Ann House in Bournemouth. The holidays take place all year round.

The YCT pays for all the holiday costs, which include:

• Transport to and from Tracy Ann House
• Activities – horse riding, water sports, dry slope skiing, go-karting…
• Food
• Accommodation and fun!

AFB Bournemouth proposes the funding of the summer holiday groups:
7 weeks of 8 young cancer patients
Each holiday costs £400
Total cost of 56 holidays x £400 = £22,400

That’s 56 holidays which AFCB, the supporters and the local community can provide for these brave young people.

Outside support of the Youth Cancer Trust is crucial to its survival. The charity receives no government funding. Therefore we at AFC Bournemouth are very proud to support this amazing charity and hope that together we can reach our goal.

Conclusion:

When young people are diagnosed with cancer, the effects upon them, their families, their friends, arguably their school and local community are profound. Testimonial evidence confirms that these young people desperately need to meet with peers who are undergoing similar trauma in their lives, relieving the sense of isolation they feel during illness and at such a critical age. The emphasis at The Youth Cancer Trust is upon fun, relaxation and communication. There is no other organisation, charitable or otherwise, which specifically targets this need as its core function. YCT constantly reviews The Youth Cancer Trust holiday scheme. The most direct evaluation is by encouraging instant feedback from the youngsters themselves who after a holiday In Bournemouth report that they feel a renewed strength and confidence to continue their battle with cancer.

Adam Murry quotes ‘having lost my own father to a long suffering cancer when I was 16yrs old, I am able to relate to what effects cancer has in peoples lives, and I am proud to be able to support through AFC Bournemouth, and AFC Bournemouth youth, this amazing charity. Our youth team will now act as ambassadors to the Youth Cancer Trust and together we can make a big difference in these young adults lives. I would personally like to thank the board, the staff and players at AFCB, The Daily Echo, Astute, Fleet Personnel, Dave Jennings from Vital Football, Apple Cars and all the supporters who have contributed so far.‘

Please send any donations or cheques no matter how small, made payable to ‘Youth Cancer Trust’ to Adam Murry, AFCB, Dean Court, Bournemouth, BH7 7AF T: 01202 768950. Please include your name, address & postcode, in order for us to receipt your donation.

Youth Cancer Trust, Tracy Ann House, 5 Studland Road, Alum Chine, Bournemouth, BH4 8HZ

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Last season and the close season provided an all too familiar experience for AFC Bournemouth. Financial problems, broken promises, the threat of relegation, accusations of business mismanagement – and of course yet more takeover shenanigans.

Many people in football were expecting AFCB to fail – and possibly fail permanently.

They didn’t. A mix of gritty determination, some outstanding results at the end of the season and a slide in the fortune of other clubs mean that the Cherries are still members of the Football League. What’s more, there seems to be almost universal relief that the tenure of Sport 6 has ended, and in particular that former Chief Executive and co-owner Alastair Saverimutto finally stopped making promises of ‘delivery’ and took his last substantial pay packet and headed away from Dean Court.

Of course, this being football and in particular AFCB, the takeover was not without accusations and criticisms. The return of Jeff Mostyn and Steve Sly, this time partnering well known local figures Adam Murry and Eddie Mitchell (together with Mitchell’s son-in-law, Neil Blake), resulted in some strong reactions from some quarters. The flames were fanned further by a statement from David Musker and Derek Timoney, both of whom have held senior positions as official supporter representatives, and who had been tasked by the then owner Paul Baker with assisting the takeover process.

Their publicly stated view that Baker had not done the right thing by the club was seized on by some fans as further evidence of ‘dodgy dealing’ at the club. Perhaps his decision was influenced by something far simpler – that the other potential new owner was not willing to commit fast enough to alleviate the pressure Baker was under, both on a day to day trading basis and also with the Football League. You can’t blame them for not dipping heavily into their pockets immediately or for wishing to move at a slower, more diligent pace. Derek Timoney said that “these discussions were still at a relatively early stage” and on the other side, Baker had a group that was prepared to seal the deal then and there. Having admitted that he was desperate to sell as quickly as possible, had no more money to put in and was about to step on a plane to meet with the FL, it can easily be imagined why he would grab the immediate solution.

I have personally spoken with Derek Timoney at some length since the joint statement was released. I know that he and David worked extensively on attempting to ensure that this other offer came to a successful conclusion and I also know that Derek and David acknowledge that in matters of offers for football clubs there is no guarantee that a deal will be concluded. Having expressed their disappointment, they are looking to do everything they can to support the club – and are also very much of the same mind as many fans – that we have to move on and do everything possible now to ensure that the club has a solid future.

So we have what we have – an ongoing challenge on several fronts including dealing with creditors, a current transfer embargo, the continuing ownership of the stadium by Structadene etc. These issues have not gone away – but there is evidence of progress and a much more realistic approach to them. When we asked for an update recently, we were informed that a very significant percentage (possibly around half) had been paid to HMRC regarding the legacy debt left by Sport 6 and that they had met their further obligations since taking over..Whilst we cannot absolutely confirm this, the fact that HMRC agreed to a 12 week adjournment seems to suggest that progress has indeed been made in the eyes of the tax man.

We do also have it on very good authority from more than one source that wages are up to date and that agreements have been made in principle as regards other football related debts, including payments to the two ex-managers owed money from the previous regime. And we have confirmed with other notable creditors that agreements have been entered into and payments made

The Fan’s Forum Update
We have been informed that the directors have today decided not to have any board members present at the BBC Solent Fan’s Forum.

Following that information, we asked the board for further clarity in terms of the current situation.

What we have been told is that costs have been slashed in a number of areas that do not impact upon the on the pitch activities – elements such as transport and printing costs. They also strongly believe that taking the catering back in-house will add to the profitability of the club.

In making the announcement about the Fan’s Forum, they wanted to stress their acknowledgment that they are not in a position to claim that they have materially resolved the issues they faced on takeover. They were honest about this, stating that they did not want to raise expectations unnecessarily high at this stage. They felt it would be premature to discuss matters in an open debate and possibly unhelpful given the stage they have reached with all the important parties involved, but said that they will continue to improve the position of the club on all fronts and that they will happily meet fans as soon as they are in a position to ensure that the exercise is a truly beneficial one.

These are still early days, but evidence of inroads made and what appears to be a healthy dose of austerity and realism seem to be a welcome improvement on the pie in the sky claims and big executive packages that were present last season.

The Transfer Embargo
They were also keen to give their own position regarding the speculation about the transfer embargo, stating that they had responded to all demands for information from the Football League regarding actions the new board have taken, sending all the relevant documents by recorded delivery. They are expecting further requests for clarification when the FL hold their next meeting, just prior to the start of the season. No further progress can take place until after the meeting is held. We have confirmed that this is the situation

For the record, the Forum is going ahead, with Eddie Howe, Jason Tindall, Steve Fletcher and Danny Hollands representing the club’s coaching and playing staff. It is due to be held at Dean Court on Tuesday 4th August.

Determination and Common Goals
There does seem to be a strong, palpable feeling of determination coming from the club – a much greater will to win and to overcome the odds stacked against the club for so long.. It emanates from the management team and the players. It is certainly being vaunted by the directors – and fans that have been contacting Buzz are also expressing their relief that some of the most critical threats have been relieved (not resolved) approaching the new season and saying how much they want to get behind the club.

If the fans and the players contribute in the way they did at the end of last season, and the board work hard and stick to their declaration that they will be careful not to incur needless losses and will not be taking large sums out of the club, then the common goal of stabilising the club and pushing for promotion is beginning to look achievable. It’s still a big challenge, a fact conceded by everyone involved and luck inevitably plays a big part in how things pan out but a solid injection of unity, honesty, passion and commitment will make a huge difference.

Let’s do every thing we can to ensure that 2009 / 2010 is a season to remember for all the right reasons.

Up the Cherries!

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For the second season running, the team and the coaching staff are striving heroically to undo circumstances caused by the failures of those that controlled the club.

The victory on Saturday against Chester was nothing short of magnificent. The pressure on the team was vast, but they brushed aside all the off the pitch problems to record a vital victory. In doing so, they have provided an extraordinarily important lifeline.

They are within touching distance of securing Football League safety. This time they have had to overcome the Football League’s arbitrary deduction of a massive 17 points, ongoing financial worries and uncertainty over ownership. Such pressure is grossly unfair, which makes their successes under Eddie Howe all the more inspiring.

A contribution far beyond just points

Their efforts to overcome all the negativity thrust upon them and the club may well turn out to be the most critical contribution ever made to the club. League survival means the tangible value of professional football and higher revenues are retained. That massively increases the chance of investment and helps reassure those owed money, sponsors etc.

Off the pitch, there may well still be a mountain to climb, but that mountain is becoming easier to conquer thanks to the valiant efforts on the pitch.

And as always…

UP THE CHERRIES!

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Late yesterday afternoon, (17th April) Paul Baker, the owner of AFC Bournemouth issued a statement concerning the takeover negotiations for the club.

He expressed his disappointment that no agreement had been reached with what is described as ‘The Murry Group’ – principally an alliance of local businessman Adam Murry, and former owners Jeff Mostyn and Steve Sly.

He said: “I have stated, on many occasions, to people I have grown to know around the club that I would not harm this club, but the one thing I could not do was walk away with nothing. That said, I was prepared to risk just that in order to conclude a deal. My thoughts were that if the club stayed up then it was my money that paid the wages and brought in the players to overcome the points deficit.”

And continued:

“If the club failed and was relegated then I was prepared to walk with nothing despite having a young family to support and this whole involvement costing me personally and financially more than you will ever know. But I was confident and still am that AFC Bournemouth will survive.”

A duty of care

But Paul Baker had a duty of care to the club that has not been fulfilled. As a director, co-owner and the person that was portrayed as having the principal finance responsibilities, his duty was absolute. It was he that had to sanction the ‘business plan’ provided by Alastair Saverimutto, who was his partner and the Chief Executive until he resigned recently. It was he that held sway over the salaries paid and appointments made, including a near £100,000 per annum, plus expenses and benefits for Saverimutto and a £60,000 package for Ted Sutton, the ‘Football Operations Director.’

And it was Paul Baker that was responsible for turning down a £1.5 million offer for the club, which included a further £2 million of funds to support the club itself – an offer from high calibre international businessmen, who brought in a team of six for negotiations and offered proof of funding to Baker and to the then administrator, Gerald Krasner.

Baker says he turned it down because he was confident at that time that the club would be successful under the management of Saverimutto.

But the indications were already there – and this was before the start of the season and before the Football League had agreed to grant membership to the club under the new owners.

On the very same day – the 30th July 2008, that the meeting took place between the new bidders and Saverimutto (Baker did not show up and was ‘replaced’ by Sutton), a transaction was taking place, with monies going into Baker’s company, UK Sameday and then out again to pay the AFCB administrator. The sum in question was the loan that Saverimutto arranged with Magic Solutions, a marketing company he had engaged on behalf of the club. The non payment of that loan resulted in an expensive winding up action against the club. In other words, monies that were purported as being for the club this season were in fact being diverted to pay for the administration.

Paul Baker’s explanation

When tackled on the subject of the circumstances of the Magic Solution winding up petition, on February 9th, Baker responded with a detailed email, including copies of UK Sameday bank statements – which in turn raised many more questions and revealed how he felt about Saverimutto by this time – a month before Saverimutto resigned..

Below is a copy of Baker’s email:

Savi was acting CEO of AFC Bournemouth (Old Co) during the period that this transaction took place. Savi had engaged with a Company called Magic Solutions to bring in extra commercial revenues prior to the club coming out of Administration. Savi informed me that Magic Solutions had brokered a deal with Scottish and Newcastle Breweries to become a Commercial Partner of AFC Bournemouth (New Co). He informed me that the deal was done and that Magic Solutions would be forwarding £25,000 as part payment on the deal. As the monies would be for the club when it came out of Administration and at that point in time Sport 6 did not own the New Co (AFC Bournemouth Ltd) the monies were paid into UK Sameday’s bank account. This was done as a matter of convenience because the monies paid into that account had to be forwarded onto Gerald Krasner as part of the Administration funding the same day. As far as I was concerned this money was raised as part of the brokered Scottish and Newcastle deal and at no time did Savi tell me it was in fact a loan from this company or that he had told them it was money to pay for Scott Guyett’s Transfer Fee ( who was in fact a free transfer) It was only later when the Scottish and Newcastle deal fell through did he tell me he had brokered a loan with the company.

When I asked Savi about repayment of the loan he told me he had sorted it, it was not until I was informed by Sport 6’s lawyer that I was made aware of a Winding Up order,

I have attached a Bank Statement from UK Sameday showing three payments into our account on 30th July 2008 £25,000 is from Magic Solutions and the other £20,000 is from Sport 6’s lawyers, which has come from other commercial revenue. You will see from the bank statement that although the monies came into UK Sameday they were forwarded onto Gerald Krasner to fund the Administration process, these monies were paid directly into the AFCB in Admin No 2 account the same day. UK Sameday’s only part in this was to receive the funds and pass them on because AFC Bournemouth (New Co) did not have a bank account.

You can see from this paper trail that UK Sameday did not benefit from receiving this money and only acted as an agent in the transaction. You must also understand that I am less than happy with Savi and the latest statement from the ST which infers that UK Sameday should have a winding up order on it instead of AFC Bournemouth is nothing more than another fabricated story to cover his tracks.

I have given Savi far too much rope in the past and I won’t let him get away with any more lies and half truths. I wanted nothing more than this football club to be a success, I have already said that due to the financial climate I am no longer able to fund it but I determined to play a part in the club’s future being secured.

Readers can analyse this for themselves.

Not an innocent party

Paul Baker says he wished the club no harm. But harm has been done under his tenure. He blames Saverimutto, but Saverimutto was his partner and Baker entrusted the care of the club to him. By his own admission, he was at the very least aware that funds that were supposedly to help the club trade through difficult circumstances this season were diverted via his own company to pay for the administration of the old company.

He knows that two winding up petitions have been issued against the club this season, both of which were the direct result of actions by Saverimutto. Others settled the first, which effectively saved the club. The current one, due to heard in May, is a result of the flop of the cricket match organised by Saverimutto at AFC Bournemouth. Baker previously stated that the directors would settle any debts related to the event. They have failed to do so. He knows too that HMRC are owed a huge debt, because the business that he formed to take control of the club failed to pay. In other words, even if he feels he was misled and is another victim of the recession, he is responsible.

An unwelcome conflict of interests

Paul Baker is a self-proclaimed, passionate Chester City supporter – a previous director and sponsor who attempted to buy the club. Given the circumstances at AFC Bournemouth and the conflict caused by the relegation fight between the two clubs and their match tomorrow. It has to be considered unwelcome that he retains control. If ever there was a time for the Football League to intervene to protect the integrity of their organisation, it is now.

What next?

Baker is right about the ‘Murry Group’ reducing their offer to zero. They cite the discovery of new problems since they made the original offer. In the circumstances, that seems irrelevant.

In these circumstances, surely the right thing to do first is for Paul Baker to state that he will relinquish control for no recompense? With that accomplished, the first hurdle is cleared and the relegation conflict ended.

The ‘Murry Group’ have not yet raised the funds to guarantee survival after the end of the season. There are some definite possibilities – but it would be wildly optimistic to think that these could be implemented before the fight against relegation is decided.

What is clear though is that Paul Baker is badly compromised in terms of his failure to control aspects of the running of the club and his knowledge of questionable events, his admitted inability to settle debts incurred under his stewardship and the minefield of the relegation battle between the club he loves and the club he currently owns.

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Last night’s loss against Blyth inflicted a deep wound.

In the first instance, there will be no argument from anyone that the club really needed the money that would have been provided from winning the tie and a televised third round game against Premiership opposition.

Losing the match and the cash was bad enough on its own, but the manner in which it was lost will deeply upset all fans, and if you believe the various forum postings, then many fans will not be going to the home match against Bury this Saturday, which puts even greater pressure on the club’s finances.

Financial stability and vulnerability

With the club’s expenditure exceeding its income, financial stability can only be achieved by Paul Baker subsidising it personally. As things stand, the moment he does not or cannot continue to dig into his personal wealth is the moment the club slips back into crisis. Of course, subsidisation is not remotely unusual in football – it occurs at every level of the game. The problem for AFCB is that Paul Baker is not an Abramovich, it does not have any meaningful assets and it sits on what is almost (save Luton), the very bottom rung of the Football League, so there is more vulnerability than stability.

What needs to change?

Ask that question in the wake of the FA Cup exit and the likely response from most will probably be ‘everything – new players, new manager, new owners.’ But we all know that it is not that simple. The idea of forming a broad based and substantial collective made up of people with skills, resources and experience has gathered momentum over the last few days and a club statement indicated that the current owners would welcome assistance. The make up of such a collective and the immediate objectives are still being formed, but local businessmen, previous sponsors, representatives of supporters groups and previous executives have all stated that they would like to get involved. There has also been contact from people that have previously declared an interest in investing in the club.

It has to be said that not all of them have seen eye to eye in the past, but have said that they are prepared to set aside differences to focus on the fortunes of the club. In terms of objectives, it will have to be one step at a time, but doing everything possible to remove the key vulnerability of the current exposure to ongoing losses and personal subsidisation is obviously a priority. Some of this may be achieved via gathering greater support and by helping to change aspects of the underlying business.

Crucial details

It is also possible, even likely that cash investment will be needed. That too is achievable, but there is no doubt that for that to happen, the investors will require a legal and substantial say in the running of the club – that much is clear from even the very first conversations that have taken place. If dialogue takes place between the collective and the current owners, then the possibility of Paul Baker not having to continue to subsidise the club exists – as does the removal of the vulnerability.

Next steps – openness required

Prior to the Bury game on Saturday, people interested in participating in the collective are invited to declare their interest by giving their comments and their contact details on forms that will be provided in the Inn Off The Bar. This has been suggested as an alternative to ‘closed meetings’ – an opportunity to see who is getting involved and to discuss how it is progressed from there, including the infrastructure and gaining a genuine remit from stakeholders to move forward. One suggestion that has been made already is to create an initial set up similar to the Wolves Fans Parliament, so that is as good a place as any to start. If the collective formed then becomes an investment vehicle then it will become a new legal entity, with the current desire that it retains its broad cross section and an elective process included.

If you can’t make it to the club on Saturday, then email your interest in participating to afcbbuzz@googlemail.com

Buzz involvement

For personal reasons, Buzz will shortly withdraw for the foreseeable future from involvement with AFCB. We hope that we will have been able to play a small part in securing a better future for the club. In the relatively short time we have been involved, it has been a privilege to correspond with so many dedicated fans. We hope that their dedication will not falter in these very challenging times and that it is aptly rewarded in the not too distant future.

Up the Cherries!

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Firstly we get an Echo story about Alan Pither and his associates making a bid to buy the club from Sport 6, which is categorically denied by the AFCB board, who stated that a meeting alleged to have taken place at the Royal Bath hotel never happened.

Now we have something that is factual – a winding up petition issued against AFC Bournemouth Limited that was originally broken on a fans forum and has now been picked up by the Echo.

Combine this with a visit by bailiffs representing HMR&C, some lacklustre performances and mediocre results and a few other issues and what you have is a crisis situation – but what exactly is the nature of the crisis?

The tone of the Echo and the comments that are flying around forums and message boards would suggest that it is a financial crisis – and that is definitely something that the club could not afford.

Not so, according to Chief Executive Alastair Saverimutto. When we talked with him today, he was absolutely insistent that the club is financially stable. He told us; “I can categorically state that this club is trading within its means, there is no looming disaster.”

We put it to him that if that is true, then he must admit that he has a public relations crisis on his hands.He responded by saying; “Yes I can’t deny that – the stories that have been breaking have created a terrible impression, but they are either completely untrue or are being misrepresented.”

The latest story

He has already gone on record to give his side of the bailiff story, (an administrative error involving a bank account connected with the old company and the administrator, Begbies Traynor) and the Alan Pither takeover story, (absolute denial – no meeting, no offer). He has also told the Vital Football Up the Cherries fans site that this latest story of the winding up petition has little substance and is being contested. But then the Echo ran a new angle, stating that the major part of the debt due, some £30,000 of a total £37,990 was a loan that financed the transfer of Scott Guyett. Now that’s pretty strange, given that Guyett was said to be a free transfer.How do you explain that Savi? He told us;”It shows how crazy it is. It had nothing to do with Guyett and nothing to do with AFC Bournemouth. Sport 6 accepted £25,000 from this company, Magic Solutions in relation to a licence to market a new 3D advertising technology. If we don’t assign the rights to them by the end of February 2009, we have to repay them, that’s the agreement we have made with them. I cannot understand why they are making the statement about Guyett or why they have attached this matter to the club and also acted so prematurely”. The two versions are so much at odds that we had to press further -how could this have been so misinterpreted? He said; “The only thing we can think of is that whilst we were concluding the technology deal, we also had the news come through on the phone that Scott Guyett had changed his mind about signing for Cambridge and was going to sign for us. We remarked that the money from the technology deal would help to pay his wages, but that was meant to be humour, not some sort of complex transfer deal. It is completely bizarre.”

We agreed that it was indeed bizarre – maybe even so much that as the old saying goes, ‘you couldn’t make it up.’ Savi simply responded by telling us to await the outcome of the case.

Trying to put things right

So back to the fact that fans have lost confidence. We told him a few of the things that were being said about Sport 6, most of which we can’t repeat here – and then we put a proposal to him.

We told him that we had been contacted by many people that have been supporters for decades and that many of them had been heavily involved with the club. We said that others have a strong position in the community and have in depth knowledge, expertise and contacts that could assist the club. We suggested that if they were to join forces under a single collective umbrella, they could unquestionably assist the club. Perhaps for a moment, there was resistance. He told us that he had talked to supporters groups and to former executives and stressed once again that the club does not need more ‘experts’ and does not have to go around with a bucket collecting rescue money. More than that, he told us that it was Sport 6 that had saved the club and that there didn’t seem to be anyone else around when the club was in danger of going out of existence. We countered this, telling him that many of the people that were keen to get involved and the fans that would rally behind them had also been responsible for saving and funding the club in the past and that together,they had put in more and had more knowledge than Sport 6 would have even if they were around for the next 10 years.

He acknowledged this – and he acknowledged the need to correct the poor perceptions that have been created by what he is insistent has become an apparent decision by the Echo to take the side of people that wish Sport 6 and thus the club ill.

He has agreed to meet with the proposed collective with the objective of alleviating some of the problems that the club is facing and went further, saying that whilst the board had brought stability to the club at a time of dire circumstances, there was no doubt that the challenges they were facing were very tough and he would appreciate the assistance that the group may provide to overcome those challenges.

From our perspective, this is a small step in the right direction. The proposed collective consists of a broad cross-section and will undertake to focus entirely on ways that the club’s latest rescue can become its long term salvation. If the club has a solid foundation as has been insisted by the current owners, then the group and the fans that they can bring on board can build on that foundation. If anything were amiss, or was threatening to go amiss, then they may also be able to provide the solution to that situation too.

About the collective

As we have said, it has begun to emerge purely from the concerns of a strong cross-section of people that care about the club and have the experience and possible resources to make a significant contribution. They include supporters representatives, businessmen and people that have been actively involved with the club in the past. Some may even have had their differences with each other In the past, but any partisanship, politics or egos will be put aside for the benefit of the club. The idea is to determine the actions needed and help implement them – and to cascade the unified approach all through the supporters base.

Buzz is a coordinator and a facilitator in this regard, The leadership and the effects will come from people with far more knowledge than us, with far greater resources and who have been supporters for far longer. If you are one of those and want to actively participate, then please get in touch by emailing afcbbuzz@googlemail.com

Up the Cherries!

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AFC Bournemouth Directors awarded Lewis Hope with the Best Supporters cup 2008 last Saturday.

7 year old Lewis, recently went to his 250th Bournemouth game, seeing his first live game at only 2 weeks old.

Lewis enjoys Karate and plays for the AFCB Ability counts teams. His favourite player is Danny Hollands.

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Two footballing greats were at Dean Court last night – the Spurs and Argentina legend and the man thought of by many as England’s greatest ever goalkeeper – the World Cup winning hero, Gordon Banks.

They were there to officially open the new AFCB Community Sports Trust offices at the stadium; part of the ongoing community based initiatives being implemented by new director, Adam Murry.

Today, of course the ‘grand plan’ for an academy has been revealed, which features a new South Stand and incorporates an extensive range of sporting, leisure and community facilities, mostly aimed at improving the lives of local 13 – 21 year olds, but also with the intention of raising the profile of the club and the town – more on this from Buzz soon.

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Today we sent out one of our regular AFCB bulletins to supporters registered on the Buzz site.

It once again focused on the activities of new director Adam Murry at the club – in particular it lets fans know of the official launch of the development plans for the stadium and Kings Park which is taking place this Saturday at Dean Court.

Whilst we were putting it together, we were receiving emails and phone calls about the current perspectives of Cherries fans and there was also a great deal of activity on the football forums. Needless to say, the message from supporters was, once again; ‘we are very worried’.

On reflection, the bulletin may have almost seemed ’soft’. It wasn’t addressing the specific issues that fans were relaying to us. In many ways, this was strangely intentional. Within the email, we stated that we regarded the plans for the stadium as ‘ a chink of light in what appears to be a very dark world’. We have expressed our belief and hope that they attract positive attention to the club and attract the sort of big, corporate money that the club has been lacking.

We stand by that – but the truth is that whilst it is a truly grand and worthy scheme, something for the club, fans and the town to be proud of, it also almost feels like the ‘last chance saloon’

We have been left in no doubt that many fans believe that the club is once again in crisis. We have received requests to help put pressure on the owners for absolute transparency about the club’s position. We have also had suggestions of a ‘rescue plan’ based on bringing together the wealthiest of the club’s supporters to create a consortium of around 50 people.

So where are we?

Paul Baker has never claimed to be a billionaire. His resources enabled him to buy out the club from administration and from previous owner Jeff Mostyn. His Chief Executive, Alastair Saverimutto had a business plan and had a great deal of confidence in his own abilities. At the time of coming out of administration, they were confident enough to reject a serious offer for the club – one with proven funds and a capability to move very quickly – and yes, we were able to verify the availability of the funds. That of course was their right – they had worked hard to get to that point, put money in and believed they could do the job.

In a very short time, a lot has changed. The world’s banks went into meltdown, the economy has plunged and of course, even with a replacement manager, the results on the pitch have not been enough so far to shake off the threat of relegation.

Whilst we do not know the answers to the exact liquidity of the club or the resources available to Paul Baker, or if there are any imminent deals for investments in the club, we do know that virtually all businesses have been affected, that funding is harder to come by and that revenues at the club have been dropping. We also know that the new owners had not factored in the demands of the Football League to pay around £500,000 to previous creditors, or the demands by the stadium landlords to pay a reputed 9 months rent in advance in order for a new lease to be signed – and this of course also creates another pressure point, as the FL have given the club until the end of the season to obtain a new lease. Of course it is not clear what the consequences of failing to do so are yet, but as has been the case in the past, the League can make that ruling based on nothing more than their own opinions.

It is these combined circumstances, that worry supporters. If the owners were to announce a massive cash injection that would guarantee the club’s solvency and assist team strengthening, most supporters would have good reason to celebrate. Only Paul Baker knows if that is possible, but the signals from the club when talking about, for instance, the lease have not indicated to supporters that this is likely to happen.

What they have indicated is that if the situation remains principally the same, the club will need to be heavily subsidised this season. Paul Baker has stated that there is a ‘contingency’ fund available for this, but of course, the degree of funding required would appear to be getting greater all the time, hence the consternation of fans.

Points even more vital than they may seem

Last season, in the end the financial situation of the club resulted in demotion – the last gasp, dramatic improvement and decent points accrued tally were effectively undone by what had happened off the pitch. The further docking of 17 points has put renewed relegation pressure on AFCB. This season, there is an even bigger reason to play our way out of the drop zone. The Conference League has the toughest solvency rules in football. they insist that all debts are paid by the end of the season. If that cannot be achieved, a club will not be granted membership the following season. With the known additional burdens imposed by the League, the lease situation, lack of available bank credit and revenue pressures, that would put a very considerable strain on Paul Baker’s pockets. If he or yet another ‘white knight were not able to pay all the debts, it would seem inevitable that the club would drop through the floor, into the nether regions of non-league football – and it wouldn’t even have taken another administration to have caused it. It would seem just about impossible for the club to survive such a fate. With even the possibility of this situation, it needs to be conveyed to the manager and the players that the absolute survival of the club may depend on what they can achieve.

What to do?

Firstly, picking up on the last point, this team under this manager have played some very good football against some pretty decent teams in this division. What appears to need sorting is motivation and determination, and quite possibly some tactical adjustments. Since the likelihood of ‘magiic new player signings’ seems remote, that previous flair needs to be rekindled.

Secondly, if we are to assume that the sort of cash injection that would provide an instant remedy is not available via the resources of the current owners, then we need to be finding ways of attracting large scale funding now. That is the principal reason we have welcomed the possibility of the stadium development.

The answer lies within. Within the current board and within the support base, Our suggestion is that a steering group be created that would genuinely draw on all the available resources. That means, the people that have suggested the ‘wealthy fans’ initiative, the council that appear keen on the development plans, the connections of Adam Murry, including the fitness and motivational experts he introduced (and no, they weren’t able to speak to the team last night, as we covered in our bulletin), the connections to Harry Redknapp, including tactical nous and loans, the supporters groups, the media and of course, the supporters themselves. Oh – and it should also include the Football League, because being proactive and positive when addressing the issue of struggling clubs should be a damn sight higher on their remit than waiting for the nasty brown stuff to hit the fan )pun only half intended).

This doesn’t seem to be an appropriate time for overinflated egos, for politics or for that matter the doom and gloom and name them and shame them brigades. This seems to be a time for unity, for energy, for commitment and for an assembly of a wider resource.

That’s our opinion anyway – as ever, we would value feedback from fans.

If you haven’t signed up on Buzz for news and articles and would like a copy of our last email bulletin and / or to receive future news and articles from Buzz, you can either sign up in the AFCB section on the Bournemouth Buzz site or simply send an email to afcbbuzz@googlemail.com

Up the Cherries!

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Adam Murry is introducing Fast, Furious Football to the AFCB plans. This is not (maybe unfortunately) a new tactic for the team, but rather a version of football that is proving popular in South Africa, which is where the picture (see below) was taken.

Played within an inflatable court, it is, as the name suggests a non-stop game that he plans to use to give local kids something to do that is healthy and great fun. The broader plan is for it to be one of the components that attract more people to the club and help build greater local affinity. The courts can also be hired out. This is just one element of the extensive plans for an upgrading at the club and facilities and improvement behind the South Stand.

He has had the first court made and it will be at the ground this Saturday 29th November, as part of a showcase event, revealing the full plans for the development.

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