CHAIRMAN Eddie Mitchell has given Cherries a major incentive to triumph in the EC Group Cup – by vowing to pump any potential winnings into Lee Bradbury’s transfer war chest.

Cherries will attempt to claim the £80,000 top prize when they host this weekend’s four-team tournament at Seward Stadium.

The League One outfit entertain the Glenn Hoddle Academy, Russian giants Lokomotiv Moscow and German third-flight club FC Saarbrucken in the inaugural competition.

Cherries boss Bradbury is trying to enhance his squad and remains keen to bring in further reinforcements, particularly in defence, following the departures of Jason Pearce and Rhoys Wiggins.

And Mitchell is promising to hand his manager a useful injection of funds should Cherries pocket cash from the cup, which has been sponsored by Russian company EC Group to the tune of around £250,000.

Discussing the prospect of prize money boosting Bradbury’s spending power, Mitchell told the Daily Echo: “It would go into the playing budget that we have got and it would be another player’s wages for a year. It would increase Lee’s budget by £80,000 if we won.

“We are not carrying a bag of money but we are not carrying a bag of debt. Any surplus money after paying the ongoing wages of players, staff and everything else is going into the playing budget.”

Mitchell is calling on Cherries to pull out all the stops when they face Hoddle’s academy today (3.30pm) before tomorrow’s third/fourth-place play-off and final.

Speaking yesterday, he added: “The tournament is serious. I am going into a meeting with Lee and Fletch in a minute and I want to make sure that the whole team understands that this isn’t a friendly. This is something that we want to win.

“We are trying as hard as we can because it is good prize money. Even second prize (£45,000) is somebody’s wages for a season.

“And if we could bring in a player for £80,000 a season, it would be a good player. That is what we want.

“If we could add to the squad because we have got an extra £80,000, then that would be where it would go, providing we could find the right player.”

England legend Paul Gascoigne is opening the tournament. The former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder was a regular at Cherries home games last season.

Meanwhile, Mitchell confirmed chief scout Des Taylor had officially left the club after being released from his contract.