The Harriers manager Steve Burr hit the market again today and bought in three new players in one fell swoop.  In a previously unknown spate of activity we now have more than a full squad of players in readiness for the new season and that's still another eleven weeks away.  I can see the remainder of the close season being a bit boring.

In addition to the earlier signings of Luke Jones and Marc Williams we now have the former Hereford Utd striker Steve Guinan (right), midfielder Jack Cresswell formerly of Walsall and Scott Phelan from FC Halifax Town.  Mr Burr certainly casts his net wide.

Of these Guinan is obviously the best known and at 35 years old he's definitely been around.  He started his footballing career at Nottingham Forest and during his six years with the sleeping giants he went out on loan to Darlington, Burnley, Crewe, Halifax, Plymouth and Scunthorpe and was finally released having made just four starts for his parent club before joining Cambridge Utd on a free transfer for only three months.  He made just nine appearances for our fellow Blue Square side without finding the net once.

From there he joined up with Plymouth again for two seasons before setting out on his travels once more to, first, Shrewsbury for a few weeks and then moved to Hereford where his career really took off.  In his first spell at Edgar Street he turned out eighty one times for the Bulls and scored an amazing thirty nine goals in just under two years.

That record attracted the attentions of Cheltenham where he bettered his appearances by twenty eight but scored fewer goals with just eighteen hitting the back of the net.  He returned to Hereford on loan for three months before signing permanently once more for a further two years and eighteen goals before teaming up with Northampton Town and then finally Forest Green from whence he has joined us on a one year contract.

With the other two new signings very little is known.  Jack Cresswell (left) joined Walsall from Manchester Utd and was touted as a rising star but then found himself released at the end of the season just gone.  At 18 he now has a bright future with us but will need to work hard to earn himself a contract because he's here at Aggborough on non-contract terms.

Scott Phelan also started his career in the Premiership with Everton but left to join Bradford City in 2007.  After only one season there he left after playing sixteen times and joined FC Halifax to help them recover from the demotion they had been given to the Northern Premier 1st Division.

He eventually played a hundred times for the club and helped them gain promotion back to the fringes of the Blue Square Premier this season but has now left them to join us on a one year contract.

We have had two players going through the exit door with Keith Briggs being probably the most surprising.  He's joined Fleetwood Town for a reputed fee of just £5,000 and future appearance payments.

During his time here at Aggborough he was Captain straight from the start and, following a shaky start, he improved greatly to become the midfield general that we had been hoping for.  He scored some cracking goals too.

Also leaving today was Mark Albrighton.  The defender, sponsored by Harriers Online, has joined Nuneaton Town along with another former Harrier Graham Ward from Worcester City.

This website wishes both players, and Graham, well at their new clubs.