KIDDERMINSTER Harriers' new owners have echoed Lionel Newton's parting sentiments by agreeing that the board must learn from its mistakes if they are to restore the club to its former glory.

Majority shareholder Newton is on the verge of sticking to his word and handing over his controlling interest in the club.

But although he admitted he was relieved to be ending weeks of wrangling by signing his shares over to Aggborough Holdings, he warned the club must heed the harsh lessons of the recent past.

"The options I had were very limited because the Farnborough people never came forward and the only other option was to watch the club slide into administration which I was not prepared to do.

"Subject to the final contracts being agreed I will be handing over my shares to Barry and his people and I wish them success, I really do.

"But the board must learn from their own mistakes and from the knowledge they have gained recently."

Newton, who will continue to attend games and keep his box at the ground, praised the fans for their patience and said manager Stuart Watkiss had conducted himself with "absolute dignity."

But he warned that despite the optimism returning to Aggborough, he feels the coming season could be one of consolidation rather than promotion.

"The fans have remained loyal and they will need to carry on being loyal because it is going to be very difficult to get promotion.

"I don't see us being in a promotion or play-off situation but the main thing is to wipe the slate clean and get the club on an even footing."

Barry Norgrove, who is heading up the Aggborough Holdings group, is promising changes behind the scenes.

Directors Steve Hodge and Richard Painter have already left the board, although chairman Colin Youngjohns and finance director John Baldwin remain .

Neil Savery will also join the board, but it is unknown how much influence fellow Aggborough Holdings member Gordon Howard will have in the new set up.

It has not been decided whether there will be a change in the chair or how the takeover will affect non-playing staff.

Norgrove said: "Kidderm-inster Harriers is in my blood and it it is in the blood of Neil Savery and we are delighted that the club is being kept in local hands.

"We have got the club's best interests at heart and I'm not sure the same could be said about the Farnborough group that were rumoured to be interested.

"We know we've got to learn from our mistakes and we know that changes have to be made to the way the club attracts investment

"Hopefully we can do that quickly because getting the club back to the League at the earliest opportunity would be an absolute dream."

Norgrove plans to attract a team of mini investors rather than relying on a sugar daddy like Newton.

He is also keen to introduce a one member one vote style policy to make the running of the club more democratic.

Media manager Steve Thomas has resigned to join Wolverhampton Wanderers.