CHERRIES STAFF HIT BY RELEGATION CUTS

BOURNEMOUTH have been forced to dismantle their successful recruitment team following a redundancy drive caused by their Premier League relegation. Two first-team scouts, an analyst and a recruitment consultant are among those to have lost their jobs. Despite the club’s relegation from the top flight, Bournemouth’s recruitment network have had major success in recent years. Having signed Nathan Ake (right) from Chelsea for £20million in 2017, they sold the Holland international to Manchester City earlier this summer for £41m. Similarly, goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale — who was signed for £1m from Sheffield United in 2017 — was sold to his previous club for £18.5m on Wednesday. Midfielder David Brooks, signed from the Bramall Lane club in 2015 for £11.5m, is a £40m target for Manchester United. Following their relegation, the Cherries have made a relatively low number of 10 redundancies in recent weeks but a consultation period is ongoing. The club have been desperate to keep job losses to a minimum, particularly given they already had a significantly streamlined workforce in comparison to other Premier League teams. But their relegation essentially meant they had no option but to enforce job losses to balance the books. Meanwhile, the club will not be taking legal action against Hawk-Eye. There were reports that the now-Championship club would seek compensation from the company whose goal-line technology system failed in Aston Villa’s 0-0 draw with Sheffield United. The point Villa picked up that day, when referee Michael Oliver’s watch failed to confirm a Sheffield United goal, saw them survive at the expense of Bournemouth. Given the Premier League’s riches, losing their position could cost tens of millions over time. Hawk-Eye were quick to make a public apology after Chris Wilder’s United were not awarded their goal, which they said was not given because all of their cameras were blocked. But Bournemouth, now managed by Eddie Howe’s former assistant Jason Tindall, have accepted their fate and will instead focus their efforts on making a return to the Premier League. The club never instructed lawyers to instigate proceedings. Had they done so, they may have met difficulties due to the International Football Association Board’s laws of the game. Under the heading ‘Match Validity’ — which takes technological advances into account — the rulebook states: ‘In principle, a match is not invalidated because of malfunction of the VAR technology (and the same applies to goal-line technology).’