GARY Whild has left the managerial team at Kidderminster Harriers after more than five seasons with the club.

Tim Flowers has turned down an offer to become head coach but the club are hoping the former Blackburn goalkeeper will remain at Aggborough.

Football development director Colin Gordon, will take the team for tomorrow's game against Bromley and Saturday's match against Barrow.

The club hopes to have a new, permanent head coach in position for next Saturday’s home match with Welling.

The move brings to an end a successful time with the club for Whild, who first came to Harriers as assistant manager in 2010, before being appointed manager in March 2014 at the start of one of the most troubling periods in the club’s history.

His reign as boss started with a run of one defeat in more than a dozen games to finish the 2013/14 season.

Then, amid financial uncertainty, the team remained strong play-off contenders until half-way through last season before losing many of its key players.

Whild is credited with ‘unearthing’ close to £1 million worth of talent over five years, including Jamille Matt, Matty Blair, Joe Lolley, Jack Byrne, Callum Gittings, Nathan Blissett, Marvin Johnson, Chey Dunkley and many others.

Chairman Rod Brown, said: “This has been very difficult decision to take, for nobody more so than myself – to say Gary is hugely respected by everyone at the club would be a huge understatement, and I think recent results and performances have masked some of what he has done for us.

“We cannot thank him enough for everything he has given to the club and we remain hopeful that he will feel able to stay with us in another role as his knowledge at this level of football and skill for finding talent is absolutely second to none.”

Brown added: “Colin will take charge of affairs for the next week or so but our hope is that we’ll have a new Head Coach in position to take training in the lead up to the Welling game.

“We’ve made it very clear that stabilising the long-term future of Kidderminster Harriers is the number one priority and nothing will jeopardise that – so we are not in a position to recruit a manager in the conventional sense and give him a pot of money to spend; at this stage that would be reckless and irresponsible.

“Our priority is to find someone with a proven record of working with young players and getting the best out of them on the training field and match situations.

“Our supporters have remained very patient during what was always going to be an extremely difficult start to the season – you cannot reduce your playing budget by more than 50% in comparison to what the club has been used to, and not expect a serious impact to be felt by the team.

“We all pointed out that it would be that way, and it’s not a job that is going to get any easier. I just hope now that the fans will continue to get behind the players and the staff.”