Welcome to the latest instalment of the Gloucester Groundhopper blog.
For this instalment, we headed back to Worcestershire for some National League North Action as Kidderminster Harriers took on Banbury United. The Aggborough Stadium was our host for the afternoon.
It's All In The Name
Kidderminster's nickname is the Carpetmen. This is due to the fact that Kidderminster used to be one of the world's leading carpet producers.
The word 'Harriers' comes from the earliest athletic clubs,, which added the suffix in the wake of 'hare and hound' chases becoming popular. Due to Kidderminster being formed from an athletics club, the Harriers is paying homage to this.
Some Notable People From Kidderminster:
Peter Collins- Formula One Driver
Sammi Davis- Actress
Jess Roden- Singer
John Wyer- Racing Engineer
Gilbert Claughton- Chairman of the London North Western Railway
Some Notable Former Players
Joe Lolley
Will Boyle
Martin Devaney
Lee Hughes
Wes Morgan
Ben Foster
A History Lesson From AFC Finners
Kidderminster Harriers was formed in 1886 from an existing athletics and rugby union club. Kidderminster Olympic was formed on the other side of town, and the clubs battled for a few years before merging and being admitted to the Midland League. Due to financial difficulties, they were forced to revert to amateur status in 1891.
As a result, they joined the Birmingham and District League, and after many years of financial turmoil and bribery scandals off the field, they won the West Midlands League by going unbeaten in 1938. They moved to the Southern League, but their first season was cut short by the outbreak of World War II. They were the first team to host a floodlit FA Cup match in the 1950s, and future FA secretary Ted Croker played for them. More financial difficulties arose near the end of the decade, and they were forced to return to the Birmingham League.
Between 1964 and 1972, they won the West Midlands League four times and a number of local cups. For the 1972/73 season, they were relegated to the Southern League. They ended up in what is now known as the National League in the 1980s, and in the 1980s and 1990s, they had the incredible partnership of Kim Casey and Paul Davies up top, who scored nearly 500 goals for Kiddy.
They won the Conference in 1994, but due to stadium regulations enacted in the aftermath of the Bradford Stadium Fire, they were denied promotion. Jan Molby led them to the Conference championship in 2000, and they would pop their Football League cherry this time. They would spend 5 years in the football league before being relegated, a journey that had taken over 100 years.
They fought for promotion back to the Football League for many years, but it never came, and they were relegated from the National League in 2016. Playoff pushes have followed, but for the time being, they remain in the National League North, and they recently had a fantastic FA Cup run that saw them all the way to the fourth round against West Ham United. After Russell Penn led them to a fourth-place finish last season, they are hoping to return to the Football League one day.
In addition, they are the only club from Worcestershire to have ever played in the Football League.
Honours
🏆 National League (Champions: 1993–94, 1999–2000)
🏆 FA Trophy (Winners: 1986–87)
🏆 Conference League Cup (Winners: 1996–97)
🏆 Southern League Cup (Winners: 1979–80)
🏆Worcestershire Senior Cup (Winners: 1895–96, 1903–04, 1920–21, 1931–32, 1934–35, 1935–36, 1936–37, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1968–69, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1978–79, 1982–83, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1992–93, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2001–02, 2009–10, 2014–15, 2016–17)
🏆 Birmingham Senior Cup
(Winners: 1933–34, 1934–35, 1937–38, 1945–46, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1966–67)
🏆 Staffordshire Senior Cup (Winners: 1980–81, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85)
🏆 Birmingham & District League/West Midlands (Regional) League (Champions: 1937–38, 1938–39, 1964–65, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71)
An interview with Kidderminster Harriers supporter Owen Mason:
GG: Could you compare Kidderminster Harriers to the other clubs in the league?
OM: They are a full-time club, with some members working part-time. However, that gap has shrunk this season as Harriers have struggled in the big table and have lost to part-time teams!
GG: Does the club have a star player, and if so, who is it?
OM: Caleb Richards, who never puts a foot wrong.
GG: What is your favourite aspect of being a football fan, and why?
OM: I adore the atmosphere and the breath-taking moments.
GG: Can you recall your first football match and tell us about it?
OM: Kiddy 1-0 Boston, April 2016, a low-quality game with a fantastic late goal from Elton Ngwatala! Amazing scenes.
GG: Who would you sign if you could sign any player in the world to play for Kidderminster Harriers for one game?
OM: I'd love to see Kevin De Bruyne sign because he'd be fantastic in that midfield.
GG: Can you tell us about your favourite Kidderminster Harriers moment?
OM: The fourth-round match against West Ham United in February 2022. It was the most incredible celebration I've ever felt on a football field when we took the lead. In the midst of the chaos, I misplaced my glasses!!!!
GG: Can you tell us about your favourite footballer of all time and why?
OM: Mo Salah is my favourite footballer of all time, and seeing him live was a childhood dream come true for me.
GG: What are the club's goals?
OM: Kiddy's ambitions are to be promoted, and they have recently won three in a row, putting them on equal points with the playoffs.
GG: Who is the greatest manager of all time in your opinion?
OM: Sir Alex Ferguson
GG: What can fans expect when they come to see Kidderminster Harriers?
OM: They can look forward to a great game, great fans, and a nice pint in the pub.
Matchday: Kidderminster Harriers vs Banbury United
Myself, AFC Finners and Luke the Stuart Dallas fan travelled to Kidderminster on a wet Saturday morning. The journey up is relatively simple one for us, as it is mostly on the M5, so after a short 45 minute journey, we arrived in Kidderminster. We had a quick look around the town, then had lunch at AJ's diner, which offered a delightful service in what was a busy cafe.
We parked at a nearby Asda then ventured to the ground. Initially, we were asked whether we were home fans by a steward (presumably because they only let home fans in the club bar) then had a quick drink in said bar. The drinks were reasonably priced, and the club bar was showing the early kickoff which was Aston Villa vs Arsenal. We were then greeted by Banbury United chairman, Ronnie Johnson, who recognised us from our recent journey to Banbury, so that was a delightful extra.
After a brief chat about who was the best footballer to grace the Championship (nominees were Jamie Vardy, Jonathan De Guzman, Ruben Neves, Shane Higgs and Pablo Hernandez), we headed into the ground. The ticketing system was relatively simple, they send you a ticket to print off, they scan it then you go in, easy. The ground is in pretty good condition considering it's a National League North stadium. It could be argued that it needs a coat of paint and a new nail or two, but it's arguably one of the better grounds in the league.
There is a kiosk that sells food at the ground. During previous visits to the stadium, there has been an issue buying food there- including a scorching a hot pre season friendly between Kidderminster and Cheltenham which offered no food whatsoever. There was a wide variety of foods available including hotdogs and Kidderminster's renowned Shepherd's Pie. Sadly they only had a few on sale, so we weren't able to purchase one. In my opinion, if the Shepherd's Pie is the USP of Kidderminster Harriers, then they should exploit that and sell plenty (as some football supporters might attend the game hoping to try the pies) so it's easy money for the club if they did so.
The atmosphere at the ground was decent from both fans. The stadiums acoustics enables a loud noise to be amplified across the stadium. The passion of the fans and their love of their club was apparent. Sadly, some of the atmosphere turned very sour as Kidderminster's patience towards the football being played understandably wore thin.
Teamsheet
Kidderminster Harriers
Manager: Russ Penn
Christian Dibble
Nathaniel Knight-Percival
Tom Owen-Evans
Ashley Hemmings
Joe Foulkes
Kyle Morrison
Ethan Freemantle
Kai Lissimore
Reiss McNally
Shane Byrne (c)
Substitutes
Tom Palmer
Alex Penny
Zak Brown
Keziah Martin
Jack Bearne
Banbury United
Manager: Andy Whing
Jack Harding
Sam Brown
Kelvin Langmead
Henry Landers ⚽️
Giorgio Rasulo (c)
Jaanai Gordon
Ben Acquaye
Cody Johnson
Ben Radcliffe
Alex Babos
Callum Reilly
Substitutes
Jack Stevens ⚽️
Jak Hickman
Keane Barugh
Slavi Spasov
Alfie Talbot
The game was extremely competitive and dogged. The first opportunity belongs to Kidderminster after a low 25-yard shot by Nathaniel Knight-Percival flew past the goalkeeper of the opposing team, Jack Harding, before hitting the post and going out for a goal kick. Soon after, Kai Lissimore fired a long-range shot, striking Kai Lissimore in the chest. Just before the halfway point, the Harriers, who were still the more dangerous attacking team, were awarded a free kick from 25 yards out, but Ashley Hemmings shot high over the crossbar. However, Banbury took the lead against the odds in the 34th minute when Henry Landers poked the ball home after a long throw-in by Sam Brown caused issues in the Aggborough back line.
The second half got off to a good start for Banbury when Christian Dibble had to make a spectacular save to stop a hard drive by Landers. Amari Morgan-Smith had a header from a successful Harriers counterattack deflected over the crossbar by Harding, who then denied the Aggborough front-runner with another excellent save. On the 80th minute, a free kick by Stevens rebounded off the goalpost, hit Dibble, and went into the goal to give Banbury the victory. When substitute Slavi Spasov raced through on goal shortly after, Banbury might have added a third, but his shot hit the foot of the post.
Scores On The Doors
Atmosphere: 6/10
Food and Drink: 6/10
Stadium: 6/10
Welcome: 7/10
Overall Experience: 6/10
GG
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