Boss Harriman commits future to Diamonds as he signs new deal

The ex-Cobblers and Luton Town defender took over in October 2023 after Diamonds had lost their opening nine matches in the Pitching-In Northern Premier League Midlands Division.

But despite being 14 points away from safety in early January, Harriman and his assistant Tom Lorraine almost pulled off the ‘great escape’.

The pair oversaw the team as they amassed 32 points in 29 games, only to narrowly miss out on survival following a 2-0 win at WalsallWood on the final day of the season.

Rugby Town, who were 3-0 winners in their final match at Boldmere, pipped them on goal difference.

With a never-say-die attitude, Harriman moulded together a young team which took 28 points from their final 17 games – form which would have placed Diamonds in the top five during that period alone.

Harriman then led Diamonds to silverware in the final match of the season, seeing off Kettering Town on penalties in the final of the NFA Hillier Senior Cup.

Harriman has now decided he wants to carry on his good work, and said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be staying on as manager for next season.

"On reflection, whilst the end result wasn’t what we had hoped, I have learned so much over the past six months and there were a lot of positives for us to take forward.

"The support I’ve received from the club as a whole has been fantastic and I thank each and every one of you for that.

"I’ve loved every single moment so far and I’m looking forward to making more memories with this amazing club.”

Although officially relegated, the Diamonds boss will now be hoping that his side are granted a reprieve by the Football Association, either due to the voluntary relegation of Loughborough Dynamo or on a points per game basis.

The FA are expected to announce 2024/25 Non-League divisional allocations by the end of May, but the club are increasingly hopeful that Diamonds will be playing in NPL Midlands again.

And this time they will be playing at their new home, the Dog & Duck in Wellingborough, having made the move from their previous home, Hayden Road.

One of Harriman’s first tasks will be to appoint a new assistant manager after Lorraine announced that he was not only hanging up his playing boots after the Walsall Wood win, but also stepping down from his managerial role and taking a break from the game.

Harriman, who is 31, made 251 appearances as a player in the Football League, including 56 for the Cobblers during a three-year spell that ended in a League Two play-off final win at Wembley.

But despite his extensive league experience and obvious knowledge, the Diamonds boss has suggested that his appearances next season may be limited as he intends to turn his attention to managing from the sidelines.