Eddie Mitchell
{{Short description|English football club owner (1954/1955–2024)}}
{{Distinguish|Eddy Mitchell}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Eddie Mitchell
| birth_date = 1954/1955
| death_date = {{Death date and given age|2024|2|17|69|df=yes}}
| nationality = English
| children = 2
| occupation = Property developer, sports executive
| term_start = June 2009
| term_end = September 2013
| office = Chairman of AFC Bournemouth
| successor = Maxim Demin
}}
Eddie Mitchell (died 17 February 2024) was an English sports executive.{{Cite web |date=19 February 2024 |title=AFC Bournemouth's former owner and chairman Eddie Mitchell dies aged 69 |url=https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2024-02-19/tributes-to-afc-bournemouths-former-owner-and-chairman-eddie-mitchell |website=ITV Meridian}}{{Cite web |date=19 February 2024 |title=Bournemouth: Eddie Mitchell's 'important role in Cherries' journey' |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/articles/c87n25vx5d4o |access-date=20 February 2024 |website=BBC Sport |language=}}
Football career
Mitchell owned Dorchester Town FC.{{Cite news |title=Ex-Bournemouth owner Mitchell dies aged 69 |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/68335977 |access-date=19 February 2024 |work=BBC Sport |language=}} He was also involved in Poole Town F.C..{{Cite web |date=19 February 2024 |title=Tributes paid to 'one of a kind' former Magpies chairman Eddie Mitchell |url=https://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/24129189.tributes-paid-former-afc-bournemouth-chairman-eddie-mitchell/ |access-date=19 February 2024 |website=Dorset Echo |language=}} He was known as "Marmite Mitch".{{Cite web |date=12 October 2017 |title=Eddie Mitchell on AFC Bournemouth then and now |url=https://sportsgazette.co.uk/exclusive-eddie-mitchell-on-afc-bournemouth-now-and-then/ |access-date=20 February 2024 |website=Sports Gazette |language=}}
Mitchell was the owner and chairman of AFC Bournemouth between June 2009 and September 2013, and oversaw the beginning rise of the team which moved up from League Two to the Premier League.{{Cite news |title=Mitchell ends Cherries involvement |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/23932105 |access-date=20 February 2024 |work=BBC Sport |language=}} It was the first time this had happened since 1987.{{Cite news |title=Bournemouth 'must invest wisely' |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/22264429 |access-date=20 February 2024 |work=BBC Sport |language=}}{{Cite news |title=Bournemouth make staff redundant |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/21668701 |access-date=20 February 2024 |work=BBC Sport |language=}} In September 2013, he stepped down as chair.{{Cite web |date=2 September 2013 |title=AFC Bournemouth: Mitchell steps down as Cherries chairman and sells up (UPDATED) |url=https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/sport/10647343.afc-bournemouth-mitchell-steps-down-as-cherries-chairman-and-sells-up-updated/ |access-date=20 February 2024 |website=Bournemouth Echo |language=}} His shares of the club were sold to Russian businessman Maxim Demin.{{Cite web |date=2 September 2013 |title=AFC Bournemouth: Eddie Mitchell's Cherries timeline |url=https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/sport/10649037.afc-bournemouth-eddie-mitchells-cherries-timeline/ |access-date=20 February 2024 |website=Bournemouth Echo |language=}} Two weeks after he had sold the club, he was banned from spectating its games.{{Cite web |last=Sunderland |first=Tom |date=19 February 2024 |title=Ex-football chairman who helped attract top celebs to Sandbanks dies aged 69 |url=https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/breaking-eddie-mitchell-dead-bournemouth-32159228 |access-date=20 February 2024 |website=Daily Star |language=}}
Business career
Mitchell was a property developer and reportedly built more than 1,000 homes particularly in the Sandbanks area of Poole.{{Cite web |date=19 February 2024 |title=Tributes paid to 'one of a kind' former Cherries chairman Eddie Mitchell |url=https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/24128311.tributes-paid-former-afc-bournemouth-chairman-eddie-mitchell/ |access-date=19 February 2024 |website=Bournemouth Echo |language=}} In 2010 he paid for the restoration of Dean Court.{{Cite web |date=3 September 2013 |title=Tributes to chairman Eddie Mitchell as he stands down from AFC Bournemouth |url=https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/10649271.tributes-to-chairman-eddie-mitchell-as-he-stands-down-from-afc-bournemouth/ |access-date=20 February 2024 |website=Bournemouth Echo |language=}} In 2019, he opened the UK’s first technical football centre in Bournemouth.{{Cite web |date=2019-09-29 |title=Eddie Mitchell opens UK's first Technical Football Centre |url=https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/17934497.eddie-mitchell-opens-uks-first-technical-football-centre-bournemouth/ |access-date=2024-02-21 |website=Bournemouth Echo |language=en}} More recently, Mitchell owned Elite Skills Arena, a company manufacturing high technology football training products used notably by Barcelona.{{Cite web |last=eliteskillsarena |date=2024-02-20 |title=IN MEMORIAM: OUR FOUNDER & MANAGING DIRECTOR EDDIE |url=https://www.eliteskillsarena.com/post/in-memoriam-eddie |access-date=2024-02-21 |website=Elite Skills Arena |language=en}}
Personal life and death
In 2018, Mitchell suffered serious medical issues and underwent open-heart surgery at Southampton General Hospital.{{Cite web |date=2018-09-14 |title=Eddie Mitchell's heart stops twice after collapse in Poole convenience store |url=https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/16852340.eddie-mitchells-heart-stops-twice-collapse-poole-convenience-store/ |access-date=2024-02-21 |website=Bournemouth Echo |language=en}}
Mitchell died on 17 February 2024, at the age of 69. Those who paid tribute included former Bournemouth manager Harry Redknapp.{{Cite web |date=19 February 2024 |title=AFC Bournemouth, Harry Redknapp pays tribute to former Bournemouth chairman and owner Eddie Mitchell |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0hcvpxy |access-date=20 February 2024 |website=BBC |language=}}