County host Kidderminster Harriers on Saturday in a 3pm kick-off and, ahead of this Vanarama National League North tie, County Tweet-meister Gareth Evans has put together five factoids on Kiddy for you.
1. So – another end to British Summer Time, another visit to Edgeley Park by ‘Kiddy’!
Indeed so. The full-time Harriers were in SK3 for this corresponding weekend, and the final day of BST, in 2016 – when they departed with three points. Obviously, we Hatters shall be hoping that, this time around, our last match for a few months to end in daylight will have a brighter outcome!
- 2. Like our previous guests Blyth Spartans, their name has a rather distinctive suffix.
Yes – the ‘Harriers’ part is perhaps more redolent of running than playing football, and, as it so happens, Kiddy’s formation in 1886 was from an athletics and rugby union club that had come into being nine years earlier. Further evidence of Kiddy’s roots could be seen at Aggborough – their ground since turning four – in the form of a track that ran around the pitch until the 1990s.
The original Harriers competed in their infancy with another club from the town – Kidderminster Olympic – that was founded in 1887, before the pair merged for 1890/91 to form Kidderminster FC on a professional basis. But this early full-time experience lasted just a year before the club was wound up due to financial difficulties, and reformed as an amateur outfit with the original name.
- 3. And how have they fared in their current iteration?
Very respectably. After dividing their time up to 1983 between stints in the Birmingham & District – later West Midlands – League and the Southern League, the Harriers have been calling the National League (as we know it today) their competition of residence for an impressive 28 of the last 34 years. Of the other six years, five (from 2000 to 2005) were spent as Worcestershire’s only-ever representatives in the Football League – while one, last term, saw them compete, and finish second, in the National League North following relegation from non-league’s top tier in 2016.
In knockout competitions, they have made their mark, too, reaching the Fifth Round of the FA Cup as a non-league club in 1994, and making it to four FA Trophy Finals – three of which pitted them against clubs now in the Football League: Burton Albion (who the Harriers beat in a replay 30 years ago, to become holders for the only time to date); Wycombe Wanderers; and Stevenage (with whom, during 2007, they took part in the inaugural competitive match at the ‘new’ Wembley, before a Trophy-best attendance of 53,262 that still stands). Kiddy’s geographical position has also, at various times, permitted the club entry into a number of County Senior Cups – winning the Worcestershire version 25 times, as well as those of Birmingham and Staffordshire on seven and four occasions, respectively. And the Harriers were also one of the last participants from the English border areas to reach the Welsh Cup Final – which they did twice, before surrendering to Principality opponents Wrexham (in 1986, following a replay) and Swansea (1989).
4. Our paths haven’t crossed until recently, have they? Has anyone played for both clubs?
It is certainly true that County’s shared history with the Harriers is confined to recent times. We never met during their Football League adventure (which kept them in League Two throughout), and so only mixed in the same circles when our own sadly ended – for now – in 2011.
Two of our former League players have since turned out for Kiddy, though: midfielder James Vincent (at County from 2007 to 2011) left Edgeley Park to ply his trade at Aggborough for a couple of years; and one-appearance Hatter Amari Morgan-Smith (2007/08) was in the Harriers’ front line during 2013/14. Additionally, Tim Flowers, one of our several goalkeepers from 2001, later served as Kiddy’s First Team Coach, and, for a fortnight in 2015, acted as Manager there.
- 5. Only Kiddy did the ‘double’ over us last year. Another of those demons to exorcise, eh?!
It is – although, with rather good timing (but unforgivable punning!), the Hatters did get into the ‘habit’ of beating full-timers last Saturday with that fine victory at Nun-eaton. And we might also take heart from the Harriers’ record at EP before last season, which shows two wins from two for County. Ok – it is only history… but, if nothing else, it can be used as pre-match Kidd-ology!
