AFC Bournemouth: Cherries plan 18,000 stadium expansion

Bournemouth can accommodate up to 12,000 with the stadium in its current guise.

Bournemouth chairman Jeff Mostyn says the club are looking to expand the Goldsands Stadium to 18,000.

Their current home in Kings Park, traditionally known as Dean Court, currently seats up to 12,000 fans.

"We know we can expand to 15,000 without any problem and hopefully look at further development," Mostyn told BBC Radio Solent's Sportshour show.

"We've spoken before about filling in the corners and that would probably take the capacity to 18,000."

Mostyn revealed the club were currently conducting feasibility studies on expanding the stadium as they look to match their ambition off the pitch with their success on it.

Building work on the initial three sides of the ground was completed in 2001 when the club were in the present third-tier, while a new South Stand was added to bring the capacity to its current figure in 2013.

Currently, their 12,000 limit is the lowest in the Championship.

"We will expand the stadium, we have the ability to expand it and we want to fulfil our aim of getting to the Premier League, the only thing I can't tell our supporters is when," added Mostyn.

"Promotion is not the catalyst. What we have to do is keep our feet firmly on the floor as a team and take the "one game at a time" mantra. However, off the pitch running as a business we have to be prepared for what we hope will be the fulfilment of all of our ambitions.

"Those are our thoughts at the moment, we want to remain at the Goldsands, our fans want us to remain at the Goldsands and if we could develop the stadium to 18,000 and increase the commercial capacity then I think everybody would be happy."

Mostyn also says the club are in line to meet the requirements of the new Financial Fair Play rules when they are audited in December,

The Cherries posted a £15.3m loss for the 2012-13 promotion season but Mostyn says that should not be confused as debt and that they have managed to balance the books since that figure was revealed in May.

"We've done it by a combination of commercial and player sales," added Mostyn.

"One of the criticisms that people have directed at it is that we are a big spending club. It couldn't be further from the truth. There was a recent article in a Cardiff newspaper that showed us to be one of the lowest spending clubs. Fans would say if you have £15m worth of debt then how can you sustain Financial Fair Play?

"First of all we haven't got any debt, let me make that absolutely clear. The fact we posted a £15m loss is totally different to debt. This is equity put into the football club, predominately by the owner.

He added: "That is permissible by Financial Fair Play and through a consequence of player sales and we were obviously extremely pleased with the (former Southampton midfielder) Adam Lallana transfer (of which Cherries received a portion) to Liverpool that has balanced the books.

"I remain absolutely confident that when our accounts are submitted to the Football League that we will meet the Financial Fair Play requirements for this year and not have a transfer embargo in January."