KIDDERMINSTER Harriers are stepping up preparations for the new season after a week of welcome good news at Aggborough.

Harriers aim to capitalise on a triple boost after experiencing a difficult spell because of their financial problems, which recently led to five non-playing staff being axed.

The first slice of good news is set to be revealed next week with the capture of a mystery Second Division midfielder on a two-year deal.

The move, however, cannot be completed until the contract at his current club expires on Monday.

Another major lift is confirmation that Mark Blake will be reporting for the start of pre-season training which will get underway on July 8.

The Aggborough skipper has been increasing his fitness programme following surgery to repair his damaged Achilles tendon last February.

The 32-year-old is now pencilling in October as the time for him to be challenging for a first team spot.

A further boost for hard-up Harriers is that they have been given the go-ahead for a new £1m stand at Aggborough.

The Football League set a deadline of May next year for a minimum of 2,000 seats to be in place when the club were promoted from the Nationwide Conference two years ago.

Wyre Forest District Council's planning (development control) committee have given the green light to the proposed new 2,025-seater stand to replace the Bill Greaves terrace.

The stand has been scaled down from original plans due to the ITV Digital cash row which has put the future of many League clubs under threat. The stand will increase seating capacity at Aggborough to 3,177.