Kidderminster Harriers were founded in 1886, and have played at their Aggborough home ground formally since 1890.
Manager John Eustace began his reign in the summer. Eustace was the scorer of an infamous ‘goal’ for Watford against Reading in 2008, whereby his off target ‘shot’ in the midst of a scramble in the box was awarded as a goal – much to the confusion of everyone in the ground including Eustace himself.
Harriers spent five years in the Football League between 2000 and 2005, and are the only representatives of Worcestershire as a league side. They now play at regional level after eleven seasons in the National League.
Kidderminster’s record attendance at a competitive match was a hefty 9,155, against Hereford in November 1948.
Having both been relegated last April, the two teams faced each other in the National League last season. The two played out a 1-1 draw at the Shay in September 2015, with Harriers winning the reverse fixture 1-0 in a crucial clash.
Harriers’ current top scorer in the league this season is Arthur Gnahoua (6). The 24-year-old striker signed in the summer from Macclesfield Town of the National League.
The club were controversially refused promotion into the Football League in 1994. Their Aggborough home was deemed unsafe to host league matches following tightening of fire safety rules after the tragic Valley Parade fire.
Revenue was often a problem for Harriers during their spell as a league outfit. This was largely due to the dissolution of ITV Digital, along with low attendances as a result of being located near big Premier League and Championship clubs in the Midlands.
Kidderminster won the FA Trophy in 1987, beating now-Championship side Burton Albion in a replay at West Brom’s Hawthorns. They have since reached the final three more times, most recently losing 3-2 to Stevenage in 2007 despite leading 2-0 at the break. This was also notably the first ever competitive match hosted at the New Wembley.
The club have previously reached the 5th round of the FA Cup as a record. In 2013/14, Harriers reached the 4th round after knocking out league sides Newport County and Peterborough United. They then modestly bowed out after a narrow 1-0 defeat against Premier League Sunderland at the Stadium of Light – a match in which they had several chances to force a replay.
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