Alan Hardy: No Notts County regrets despite League Two club's mounting debts

Kevin Nolan has guided Notts County to seven wins from his 14 games in charge

Notts County will continue to lose money until January 2022, but owner Alan Hardy has no regrets about buying the struggling League Two club.

Hardy said Notts were losing £1.6m a year when he took over in January.

But he told BBC Radio Nottingham's Matchtalk programme they were making progress on and off the pitch.

"It is step in the right direction, but it is still a lot of money we are losing every year. The whole business model has to change," Hardy said.

• LISTEN: Alan Hardy and Kevin Nolan on Matchtalk

Under new manager Kevin Nolan, who joined his chairman on the BBC Radio Nottingham phone-in, the Magpies have climbed to 20th in the table and are now 13 points above the relegation zone with seven games left.

"While I am thoroughly enjoying it, the challenge is immense," Hardy added. "It is made very special by the success on the pitch and the great job Kev has been doing, but it has been hard work.

"I don't regret it, but it is much tougher than I thought. I am having a great time - and it helps that we have been successful. If we were in the bottom two then maybe it would be a different story.

"But this is five-year plan and it will be five years before we break even. We have to do more off-pitch stuff, more commercial stuff, to support the football side."