ANGRY Kidderminster Harriers' shareholders have issued a desperate 'sort it out quickly' plea to end the crisis club's bitter power struggle.

The festering saga took another controversial twist this week when chairman Colin Young-johns and majority shareholder Lionel Newton clashed in an explosive public confrontation.

Their heated exchange reached a flashpoint on Tuesday night when shareholders held their annual meeting which frequently plunged into a slanging match between Newton and the Aggborough directors.

The tone for the showdown was set when worried supporters put up banners at the entrance to the ground.

They spelled out fans' fears by saying:

Keep KHFC local

Lionel do you have a conscience?

Lionel out

Do what's best for 4 the club

not what's best 4 U

After the lively two-hour debate, the parties involved in the grim struggle admitted that some progress had been made.

Alan Shepherd, chairman of Kidderminster Harriers Independent Supporters' Trust, said: "We're a lot wiser about one or two things going on, but at the same time we seem to have gone around in circles.

"We are at a stage where we need the playing budget resolved now. There are players available and if we're not careful we're going to miss out on them.

"It's a little bit clearer about the various consortiums and the offers on the table, but at the same time it still needs to be resolved.

"I think Lionel Newton and the board are a little bit closer, but they are still not within touching distance and obviously they need to be. I think we're nearer getting it resolved, but time is dragging on."

Around 100 shareholders attended the meeting which boiled over when Newton, accompanied by his solicitor and accountant, launched a fierce attack on the board.

He again accused them of failing to allow a Farnborough-based consortium to see the books and queried the offer of a deal from Harriers' vice-chairman Barry Norgrove and retired businessman Neil Savery.

After the meeting, Newton said: "Provided that Barry's consortium buys shares in the club then I'm happy to consider his offer."

He said that prior to the meeting he had believed that Norgrove's offer involved 'loan money' to the club of £300,000 and another £100,000 over the next two years.

Newton said: "The previous experience I've had is that once any consortium has got control they can then take their money out the next day if they wanted to. I'm trying to secure - for the club's security - that that money is locked in forever."

Former chairman Newton wants £400,000 to be given to the club and is prepared to give his 680,000 up for £1.

Youngjohns said: "I'm optimistic that we can come to some sort of agreement between us all. We've all agreed that the only priority is the football club. During the meeting I think we got some platforms on which we can move forward and we have got to look at it that way. We are still talking and that's the main thing."

He again emphasised that Harriers had not officially heard from the Hampshire consortium led by former Farnborough Town chairman Ron Higgins.