NEW chairman Dave Reynolds believes he had no choice but to take over Kidderminster Harriers, despite claims by Barry Norgrove he had a big money backer waiting in the wings to buy the cash-strapped club.

Norgrove called a meeting last Thursday to propose the club’s takeover by an unnamed mystery buyer.

The former chairman believes he had found someone who would plunge £300,000 into the club immediately, add another £100,000 in January and back manager Steve Burr with an extra £100,000 in the transfer marker.

However, the offer was rejected when the board of directors voted against the move.

Instead Norgrove and vice-chairman Neil Savery resigned and accepted an offer from Reynolds to become majority shareholder of parent company Aggborough Holdings.

Kidderminster businessman Reynolds felt there was little option but to turn down the bid as no hard proof had been provided. With no concrete offers on the table and impending tax and wage bills to be paid, he also believed he had to act to keep the club out of administration.

He said: “I could not bear to see the club fall into the wrong hands, which may have happened, the next option was administration.

“The offers on the table did not materialise. There was, as Barry [Norgrove] explains, an offer from a mystery man but there was nothing in black or white on the table at the time, I wish that there had been.

“We still don’t know who the man is because Barry wasn’t prepared to give the details of a meeting he had down south. “ It ends a 10-year involvement in the club by Norgrove, who became chairman in 2005 when Aggborough Holdings took over from Lionel Newton.

However, he is adamant he had a businessman lined-up to buy the club, but claims because of signing a confidentiality agreement is unable to reveal the identify of the mystery bidder.

Former Shrewsbury Town Managing director Rob Bickerton and Halesowen Town owners Godfrey and Graham Ingram had been linked with a move for the Aggborough outfit.

Norgrove also refuted claims by Reynolds Harriers were £250,000 in debt and on the verge of going into administration.

“Neil and I are just frustrated because we have put a lot of hard work in over the last month or so to find the right person and we thought we had,” said Norgrove.

“I called a meeting to put it to the board about this person but we couldn’t believe what happened.

“The club was not going to fall into administration inside five days, it takes 14 days to get a county court judgement so there was no danger.

“I had also paid the wages for the players on Thursday morning.

“The board only had to wait until Tuesday and it would have been sorted.

“The new owner was going to put in £300,000 straight away and were prepared to put a lot more in – I’ve lost £500,000 in five days.”

Director Mark Serrell, who joined the board on Friday, says Harriers would be prepared to welcome new investors.

Serrell said: “In terms of a potential person who was willing to invest £500,000, we’d welcome that person or anyone else.

“We can’t stress enough, contact the club because we would go the length and breadth of the country to meet the people who can help the club the best.”

Meanwhile, Burr is still searching to strengthen his squad ahead of Tuesday’s Blue Square Bet Premier home clash against Rushden and Diamonds (7.45pm kick-off).

Harriers have been linked with a move for former Mansfield man Andy Burgess, who left Chester last week.

They will have Aaron Griffiths, Oliver Thorne and Jack Byrne suspended for the game. Captain Keith Briggs and winger Callum Gittings are also injury doubts. Winger Gittings picked up a knock in Tuesday’s behind the scenes 3-2 friendly win over Stoke.