Kidderminster Harriers suspend technical assistant and launch probe into 'unacceptable' conduct

The club has launched an investigation after Nicosia, who works as technical assistant to boss Adam Murray, admitted making “inappropriate gestures and comments” toward fans after Saturday’s 5-1 home thrashing by Radcliffe.

Murray warned Harriers could “implode” if they didn’t pull together in the aftermath of the chastening defeat.

But his reign has now been hit by another blow with Nicosia’s suspension. The latter, who moved with Murray from Eastbourne to Aggborough in the summer, apologised for his “unacceptable” conduct after rowing with supporters following the final whistle.

In a statement posted on the club's official website, Nicosia said: “After the game on Saturday, I heard an unacceptable comment made towards me from the crowd. 

“I reacted in poor judgement with unacceptable behaviour of my own, making inappropriate gestures and comments towards our supporters.

“I recognise that, as a family and professional football club, there are clear standards set by the Chairman, The Club and Manager, and I fell below them.

“I understand and fully accept that my behaviour was unacceptable, and I would like to apologise personally to Kidderminster Harriers supporters for my conduct.”

Murray had cut a disconsolate figure after the match, warning he was prepared to “walk away” if it became clear he wasn’t wanted.

The 44-year-old, who replaced Phil Brown as boss in May, claimed the club was still reeling from missing out on promotion last season.

He said: “We felt it in the warm up, the atmosphere.

“I understand where the supporters’ heads are at as well, so I can’t get I’m not angry with them for giving me stick. I understand it. One of the subs said after five minutes ‘it’s like a morgue’.

“We all have to understand it. We’re not giving them something to shout about, which is right.

“So then the other emotion comes out. There’s so much anger and frustration still in this football club from the final day of last season. It’s carried on. I don’t care what anybody tells me. And it’s affecting everybody.

“And if we don’t come together as a football club – I’ll be brutal – this will implode this season.

“You can change the manager, you can change the players, it’ll be the same outcome, because there’s a horrible battle going on at the minute and it can’t be like that.

“If people don’t want me, I’ll walk away. This football club is in a certain situation, and it’s only together that you’re going to get out of it. That’s the honesty of it.

“There’s an emotion around the ground, and as soon as something doesn’t go right, you feel it’s just waiting to come out and explode.

“So we’ve got to pull through that moment because it’s not going anywhere. It’s not going to change, until we actually start pulling in the same direction.”