Harriers nearly clear of their debts

Kidderminster Harriers chairman Mark Serrell has revealed the club are well on the way to being free of debt by the end of the season.

Harriers were £160,000 in the red and came hours away from administration at the start of last month but, after a remarkable fund-raising effort, have raised around £300,000 to pay their immediate bills and now have the funds to operate for the rest of the campaign.

There could be a slight shortfall, depending on attendances, but Serrell estimates the club - at worst - will be no more than £20,000 in debt at the end of the season.

Anonymous donations, fund-raising initiatives from supporters, help from local businesses and former directors writing off big loans to the club have played a huge part in Harriers' rescue, not to mention two home gates touching 3,000 in February.

The club are now hoping to build for next season by keeping the fans coming through the turnstiles that had previously stayed away from Aggborough and support on the road is also starting to swell.

Harriers haven't required more than one coach away from home all season but are already on their third for Saturday's high-noon showdown at Mansfield - and one of those is a double decker.

Serrell said: "I am not going to say everything is hunky dory, because we have still got lots of issues to resolve within the club but, compared to where we were, we are in a much better position.

"With the way the finances are at this moment, we will be in a situation where we will between £0 and £20,000 in debt with current creditors between now and the end of the season.

"But the season ticket money we are taking at this moment in time, through the Early Bird scheme, is money that will be used for next season.

"Obviously it's in the bank, but we don't need it this season."

Harriers have spent all of this week making moves to prove that they are committed to providing their supporters with something worth watching next season.

In the past four days, the club have tied down manager Steve Burr and his assistant Gary Whild to new three-year contracts, along with a two-year deal for goalkeeper Danny Lewis and another season's terms for winger Callum Gittings.

The team are in the play-off places and the chairman revealed that, if the promotion dream comes true, his manager wants to place his faith in the stars that have got Harriers this far.

Serrell said: "It's been a great week so far and the board has worked very hard to get these things sorted out. The squad is already taking shape for next season, with more to follow.

"My understanding with Steve is that if he could keep all of his players he has this season he would do, because he believes that even we were in League Two next season, this team could do a job there.

"He believes in the players he has got."