STEVE Burr believes Kidderminster Harriers will be ready for the challenge as they try to improve on their previous impressive season.

Preparations for the 2013-14 campaign in the Conference Premier kick into a higher gear, when they take on a strong Walsall first team squad in their opening friendly of the summer on Saturday (3pm ko).

Hopes are high around the town that the club can repeat or even improve on last year's second-place finish, where they narrowly missed out on the title.

Harriers will certainly go into the new campaign as one of the favourites for the play-offs, after retaining 15 players from last season and adding new faces Lee Fowler, James Dance, Dior Angus and Jamie Tolley, as well as signing striker Michael Gash on a contract.

“We always want to improve and that’s the challenge for us again,” said the Harriers manager.

“We had a very good season last year but now we’ve got to try and improve on that.”

With training commencing last week, plans for the new campaign are at an advanced stage but Burr is still keen to add one or two new faces.

He is casting his eye over six trialists, a contingent which includes two Australians and a Colombian hopeful.

Fans are set to catch a glimpse of the signings when the Saddlers pay a visit to Aggborough, but the trialists are more likely to get their chance to impress at the War Memorial Ground on Tuesday, when Kidderminster play Stourbridge (7.30pm ko).

Walsall have just returned from a tour of Trinidad and Tobago and are ahead of Harriers with several matches under their belts.

Burr said: “Walsall are bringing a good squad. They’ve lost a few players during the summer but it’s a test for us.

“It’s probably a week or two too early for us because we’re still working on fitness and haven’t really started on ball work.”

Meanwhile, former Harriers wideman Ricky Shakes has joined Conference South outfit Boreham Wood after just one season at Harriers. He signed last summer from Ebbsfleet but failed to nail down a regular spot.

The club also revealed the squad numbers for the new season. Gash, who enjoyed a prolific loan spell from Cambridge United, has been handed the number nine shirt. Fowler is number eight, Tolley five and Angus has been given the number 14.

But Burr admitted squad numbers are meaningless, saying: “The squad numbers don’t really mean much to be honest, if you’re playing well it doesn’t matter if your squad number is six or 65, you’ll be in the side.”