Kidderminster Harriers F.C.

{{short description|Association football club in Kidderminster, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}} {{Use British English|date=September 2019}} {{Infobox football club | clubname = Kidderminster Harriers | image = Kidderminster Harriers FC crest.svg | upright = 0.65 | fullname = Kidderminster Harriers Football Club | nickname = ''{{ubl|Kiddy|The Carpetmen|The Reds}}'' | shortname = Harriers | founded = {{Start date and age|1886}}<ref name="harriers.co.uk">{{cite web |url=http://www.harriers.co.uk/club/club_history/ |title=Kidderminster Harriers FC History |website=Harriers.co.uk |date=2015-07-27 |access-date=2016-07-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160712072521/http://www.harriers.co.uk/club/club_history/ |archive-date=2016-07-12 }}</ref> | ground = [[Aggborough Stadium|Aggborough]] | capacity = 6,444<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.harriers.co.uk/tickets/visiting_aggborough/|title=Visiting Aggborough|publisher=Kidderminster Harriers Football Club|access-date=8 May 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170526220029/http://www.harriers.co.uk/tickets/visiting_aggborough/|archive-date=26 May 2017}}</ref> | chairman = Richard Lane | manager = [[Paul Wotton]] | league = {{English football updater|KiddermH}} | season = {{English football updater|KiddermH2}} | position = {{English football updater|KiddermH3}} | website = {{URL|https://harriers.co.uk}} | pattern_la1 = | pattern_b1 = _redhalf | pattern_ra1 = | pattern_sh1 = _whitesides | pattern_so1 = | leftarm1 = FFFFFF | body1 = FFFFFF | rightarm1 = FF0000 | shorts1 = FF0000 | socks1 = FF0000 | pattern = | pattern_la2 = | pattern_b2 = _ | pattern_sh2 =_ | pattern_so2 = | leftarm2 = 000 | body2 = 000 | rightarm2 = 000 | shorts2 = 000 | socks2 = 000 }}

'''Kidderminster Harriers Football Club''' are a professional [[association football]] club based in [[Kidderminster]], [[Worcestershire]], England. The club competes in the [[National League (division)|National League]], the fifth tier of the [[English football league system]].

Formed in 1886, Harriers have spent their entire history at [[Aggborough Stadium]]. They have won the [[Worcestershire Senior Cup]] a record 27 times and are the only club from the county ever to have played in the [[English Football League]]. Founder members of the [[West Midlands (Regional) League|Birmingham & District League]] in 1889, they merged with Kidderminster Olympic the next year and entered the [[Midland Football League (1889)|Midland League]] as Kidderminster F.C., though folded due to financial difficulties in March 1891. Kidderminster Harriers reverted to amateur status and rejoined the Birmingham & District League, though it would take until 1937–38 for them to claim their first league title, which they retained the following year. They joined the [[Southern Football League|Southern League]] in 1948, though reverted to the Birmingham & District League in 1960. They won four further league titles: 1964–65, 1968–69, 1969–70 and 1970–71. Harriers switched to the Southern League Division One North in 1972 and were promoted to the [[National League (division)|Alliance Premier League]] at the end of the 1982–83 season.

Kidderminster Harriers won the [[FA Trophy]] in [[1986–87 FA Trophy#final|1987]] and were crowned Conference champions in 1993–94, though [[Graham Allner]]'s team were denied a place in the Football League due to the state of Aggborough. The club improved the stadium and were admitted after winning the title again under [[Jan Mølby]]'s stewardship in 1999–2000. They remained in the Football League for five seasons, finishing as high as tenth in the [[Football League Third Division|Third Division]] in 2002, before being relegated out of [[EFL League Two|League Two]] three years later. They finished second in the Conference in 2012–13, but were beaten in the play-off semi-finals, and were relegated from the [[National League (English football)|National League]] in 2016. They qualified for the [[National League North]] play-offs in 2017, 2018 and 2022 before winning the play-off final in 2023 to return to the National League after seven years, where they spent a single season. The club won the National League North play-offs in 2026.

==History== Kidderminster Harriers were formed in 1886 from a highly successful [[athletics (sport)|athletics]] and [[rugby union]] club that had existed since 1877. In July 1880 the Athletics club amalgamated with the local Clarence rugby club to become 'Kidderminster Harriers and Football Club'. Matches were played at White Wickets on the Franche Road in Kidderminster. 1885-6 was the last season played as a rugby club and the Harriers switched to Association rules for the next season. [[File:Kidderminster Harriers League Performance.svg|thumb|300px|Chart of yearly table positions since joining the Alliance Premier League in 1983-84.]]

===Olympic and Kidderminster F.C.=== Playing games at Chester Road (the current cricket ground) Harriers' first game was 18 September 1886, away to Wilden, winning 2–1. The town saw a rival team start up as Kidderminster Olympic in 1887, rapidly becoming one of the best sides in the area. In 1887–88 the club started playing its matches at Aggborough.

Both Olympic and Harriers were founder members of the [[West Midlands (Regional) League|Birmingham and District League]] in [[1889 in association football|1889]], Olympic won the league in 1890, with Harriers runners-up.<ref name="harriers.co.uk"/> Both sides regularly attracted crowds of 2,000–4,000 with the local derbies seeing over 7,000 attending. Owing to their success soon after both Olympic and Harriers were subject to allegations of 'professionalism' and illegal payments to players, although the League Committee let off both clubs with a warning about future conduct.

In 1890, the two clubs amalgamated as Kidderminster F.C. on a full professional basis, the new club being admitted to the Midland League which had been formed in 1889.<ref name="harriers.co.uk"/> The club became the first from the town to enter the [[FA Cup]] and after winning 4 qualifying-round games, reached the first round proper (last 32). They lost 3–1 away to Darwen but protested the result because of the poor state of the pitch. Their protest was upheld and the tie was replayed a week later, again at Darwen, where Darwen won 13–0. However the club found things difficult financially as a fully professional club, and, with debts of £369, resigned from the league and was wound up in March 1891.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Collapse of the Kidderminster football club |journal=County Express |date=21 March 1891 |page=3}}</ref>

===Birmingham League=== The club reverted to amateur status in the [[West Midlands (Regional) League|Birmingham and District League]] the following season as Kidderminster Harriers. The club again reached the 1st Round of the FA Cup in 1906–07, losing to [[Oldham Athletic]] away 5–0. In 1910 the then current England international full-back [[Jesse Pennington]] signed for Harriers after a dispute with his then club [[West Bromwich Albion]]. He played one game before the dispute was resolved and he returned to Albion.

The twenties were hard going for the club as poor form on the pitch and financial problems off it took their toll. Harriers did manage a League runners-up place in 1924–25. In this season Harriers made national headlines by signing [[Stanley Fazackerley]], who had been the first £5,000 transfer in English football and scorer of the FA Cup Final winning goal for [[Sheffield United F.C.|Sheffield United]] in 1915. After a pay dispute, he had been given 14 days notice by his then club [[Wolverhampton Wanderers]] and had returned to the public house he managed in the city, where a Harriers fan drinking there overheard the news and quickly contacted the Harriers Secretary. The then Wolves captain [[George Getgood]], also in contractual dispute at the time, also signed for Harriers in a double swoop.

The 1927–28 season saw another accusation of bribery, this time against secretary Pat Davis by [[Cradley Heath F.C.|Cradley Heath]]. During an investigation Davis admitted he had offered [[Burton Town]] players a ten shillings bonus if they managed to beat [[Worcester City]] in the last match of the season. The match was drawn so the bonus was never paid. The case made the national newspapers and Pat Davis was temporarily suspended from all duties.

Harriers proved a rich source of young quality players picked up by professional football clubs at this time, those moving to bigger clubs including full back [[Billy Blake]] (Crystal Palace), winger [[Fred Leedham]] (transferred to [[West Bromwich Albion]] for £300), [[Dennis Jennings (footballer)|Dennis Jennings]] (to [[Huddersfield Town]] for £600) and forward Norman Brookes (to Walsall for £70). In 1935–36 a new scoring record for the club was set, with [[Billy Boswell]] scoring 64 goals in a single season.

===Southern League=== Harriers did not win the West Midlands League until [[1938 in association football|1938]], finishing the season undefeated. They moved to the [[Southern Football League|Southern League]] the following year, but played just two games because of the onset of [[World War II]].<ref name=HistOS>[http://www.harriers.premiumtv.co.uk/page/History/0,,10438,00.html Club History] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070603154126/http://www.harriers.premiumtv.co.uk/page/History/0%2C%2C10438%2C00.html |date=3 June 2007 }} Kidderminster Harriers FC</ref>

They rejoined the Southern League in [[1948 in association football|1948]].<ref name="harriers.co.uk"/> Their first game was a 1–1 draw with [[Chingford Town]] in front of 3,889. Future [[The Football Association|Football Association]] General Secretary [[Ted Croker]] was a Harriers player during the early 1950s, as was future England international striker [[Gerry Hitchens]](1953–55). Harriers became the first team to host a [[Floodlights (sport)|floodlit]] [[FA Cup]] match, when on 14 September 1955 they played [[Brierley Hill Alliance F.C.|Brierley Hill Alliance]] in a preliminary round replay, which Harriers won 4–2.<ref name="harriers.co.uk"/> By 1956–57 the club was again in financial difficulties and after several seasons of struggle in [[1960 in association football|1960]] the club voluntarily dropped back down to the Birmingham League.<ref name="harriers.co.uk"/>

During the 1964–72 era Harriers won the West Midland League four times (including three years running 1968–70), and the various County Senior Cups eight times.<ref name="harriers.co.uk"/> Brendan Wassall arrived at Aggborough and debuted on 17 October 1962 against Banbury Spencer. He went on to make 686 appearances up until 1975, and scored 269 goals. His son, Darren, played for Nottingham Forest, Birmingham City and Derby County.

In 1963 Peter Wassall joined the Harriers on the advice of his brother Brendan after spells with Wolves, Aston Villa and Atherstone Utd. After a season in midfield he switched to play up front and went on to score a total of 448 goals in 621 games for the Harriers. He joined Hereford Utd briefly in 1971 but returned to Aggborough a year later.

They were back to the Southern League by 1972–73 as part of Division One North, one level under the Southern League Premier.

===Conference=== Under player-manager Jon Chambers (ex Aston Villa) in 1983, Harriers were promoted to the [[Football Conference|Alliance Premier League]] (now the Conference) after finishing second to [[AP Leamington]], who were refused entry on ground facility issues.<ref name="harriers.co.uk"/>

After a poor start to the first season in the Alliance, AP Leamington manager Graham Allner was appointed manager, marking the start of a 16-year association with the club. Despite not playing in Wales, they were invited to play in the [[Welsh Cup]] through the 1970s and 1980s, reaching the final in 1986 and again in 1989.<ref name="HistOS"/>

In July 1985, Allner signed striker Kim Casey from [[Gloucester City A.F.C.|Gloucester City]] for £2,500. He previously played for Sutton Coldfield and AP Leamington. In his first season for the Harriers, Casey scored 73 goals in 69 games, a club record, and netted 47 the following season. He was transferred to [[Cheltenham Town F.C.|Cheltenham Town]] in August 1990 for £25,000 before re-joining Harriers briefly in July 1995. For much of the eighties and nineties Casey partnered Paul Davies up front, Davies eventually logging 307 career goals in 656 games over 13 years for the club, while Casey hit nearly 200 goals in six seasons.

In 1989, Kidderminster Harriers launched their first Youth training scheme (YTS) – a first, because the club was still playing non-league football in the Vauxhall Conference.<ref name="harriers.co.uk"/> The first crop of players were Ian Clarke (Midfield/Defender), Ryan Rankin (Defender), Willie Bache (Midfield), Alan Knott (Forward), Richard Congrave (Forward), Russel Dodds (Midfield/Defender), Craig Gillett (Midfield) and Justin Taylor (Forward). The intake was coached by Graeme McKenzie and gained instance success finishing runners-up in their first season in the Midlands Floodlit league behind Hereford United.

In 1994, Harriers were Conference champions but were controversially refused promotion due to [[the Football League]]'s tightened [[fire safety]] regulations for stadiums after the [[Bradford City stadium fire]]. Aggborough's main stand was of wooden construction and, despite assurances a new cantilever stand would be ready for the new season (which was completed on time), and considerable West Midlands media support, the Football League rejected Harriers' promotion.<ref name="harriers.co.uk"/> Ironically, the ground hosted an 8,000 crowd without any problems for the visit of [[West Ham United F.C.|West Ham United]] in that year's 5th round [[FA Cup]].<ref name="harriers.co.uk"/>

Harriers finished second to [[Macclesfield Town F.C.|Macclesfield Town]] in 1997, but then finished in the bottom half in each of the next two seasons.

Harriers received the biggest sell-on fee for a former non-league club, picking up £700,000 when [[Lee Hughes]] joined [[Coventry City F.C.|Coventry City]] in August 2001. Harriers had sold Hughes to [[West Bromwich Albion]] in 1998 and under the sell-on clause negotiated by manager Allner at the time received 15% of any further transfer fee. This was activated when Hughes moved to [[Coventry City]] for a reported £5 million.

===Football League=== Backed by retired retail millionaire Chairman Lionel Newton, former [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] star [[Jan Mølby]] was appointed as manager for the [[1999-2000 in English football|1999–2000]] season. He signed [[Mike Marsh (footballer)|Mike Marsh]] in November 1999 as a midfield general. He then led the club to the Conference title at the first attempt, beating [[Rushden & Diamonds F.C.|Rushden & Diamonds]] by nine points.<ref name="harriers.co.uk"/> Thereafter, low attendances (the town is close to several large Championship and Premier League sides) and lack of revenue following the [[ITV Digital]] collapse meant the club struggled to make a mark in the Football League, and after five seasons they were relegated back to the [[Conference National]] division.

===Back to the Conference=== [[File:Southport vs Kidderminster Harriers 1.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Kidderminster Harriers (in red) playing [[Southport F.C.|Southport]] in 2005]] A close-season boardroom takeover battle disrupted preparations for their first season back in the Conference; consequently the club struggled to maintain efforts towards a quick return to the Football League, ending up with a 15th-place finish in the Conference National. Ex-Harriers captain and former [[Doncaster Rovers F.C.|Doncaster Rovers]], [[Cheltenham Town F.C.|Cheltenham Town]] player and [[Burnley F.C.|Burnley]] assistant coach [[Mark Yates (footballer)|Mark Yates]] took over as Manager from the sacked [[Stuart Watkiss]] during the season.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/k/kidderminster_harriers/4587158.stm | work=BBC News | title=Harriers appoint Yates as manager | date=6 January 2006}}</ref> He steered the club away from minor danger of relegation in the 2005–06 season and during his first full campaign, took the side to the [[FA Trophy]] final at [[Wembley Stadium]] for the first time in 12 years. They however lost 3–2 to [[Stevenage F.C.|Stevenage Borough]] in front of 53,262.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/6649807.stm | work=BBC News | first=Ian | last=Hughes | title=Kidderminster 2–3 Stevenage | date=12 May 2007}}</ref> Their league form however was less impressive, resulting in mid-table finishes for three consecutive seasons.

In December 2009 [[Mark Yates (footballer)|Mark Yates]] and his number two coach [[Neil Howarth]] left the club to take over as coaches at [[Cheltenham Town F.C.|Cheltenham Town]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/c/cheltenham_town/8426480.stm | work=BBC News | title=Yates appointed Cheltenham boss | date=22 December 2009}}</ref>

After a month of speculation and a number of names such as [[Jim Harvey]] and [[Jeff Kenna]] being mentioned as possible replacements for Mark Yates, [[Stalybridge Celtic F.C.|Stalybridge Celtic]] Manager [[Steve Burr]] took over on an initial two-and-a-half-year contract,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/2010/01/21/harriers-appoint-burr-as-new-boss/ |title=Harriers appoint Burr as new boss « Express & Star |website=Expressandstar.com |date=2010-01-21 |access-date=2016-07-30}}</ref> which was extended to 2014 in March 2011. The club finished sixth in Burr's first season in charge. Burr's second season in charge was largely similar to his first. Harriers again finished sixth, just one place outside the play off places. Harriers were given a 5-point deduction for submitting misleading financial information.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kidderminsterharriers.com/harriers/newsstory.php?storyID=1241 |title=St@tto's Kidderminster Harriers Site |website=KidderminsterHarriers.com |date=2011-01-06 |access-date=2016-07-30}}</ref>

The 2012–13 season started badly for Harriers as they lost the first five games, drew the next five games. However, Harriers went on a run that saw them win 22 out of their last 23 games, including a run of 12 wins, putting them in contention for the title and promotion.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Alexander |first1=Jeremy |title=Mansfield Town escape Blue Square and head back to charmed circle |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2013/apr/21/mansfield-town-wrexham-blue-square-premier |access-date=2 September 2020 |work=The Guardian |date=21 April 2013}}</ref> In January, Harriers received a club record fee of £300,000 from [[Fleetwood Town F.C.|Fleetwood Town]] for striker [[Jamille Matt]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/20978108 |title=Fleetwood: Jamille Matt leaves Kidderminster for record fee |publisher=[[BBC Sport]] |date=2013-01-11 |access-date=2016-07-30}}</ref> Following the departure of Matt, Harriers signed eventual top scorer [[Michael Gash]] from [[Cambridge United F.C.|Cambridge United]] on loan till the end of the season with a clause that Harriers could make the deal permanent at the end of the season.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/United-striker-Michael-Gash-joins-Kidderminster/story-22386274-detail/story.html |title=United striker Michael Gash joins Kidderminster |newspaper=[[Cambridge News]] |date=2013-03-04 |access-date=2016-07-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923231036/http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/United-striker-Michael-Gash-joins-Kidderminster/story-22386274-detail/story.html |archive-date=2015-09-23 }}</ref> The title race with [[Mansfield Town F.C.|Mansfield Town]] went down to the last day with Mansfield 2 points ahead. Harriers in front of a sold out 6,453 Aggborough beat [[Stockport County F.C.|Stockport County]] 4–0 which confirmed their relegation. Mansfield beat a weakened Wrexham side who were already guaranteed the play-offs 1–0.<ref>[[2012–13 Football Conference]]</ref> Harriers finished 2nd and played 5th place [[Wrexham F.C.|Wrexham]] in the play off semi-final. Harriers lost the first leg at the [[Racecourse Ground]] 2–1, Michael Gash scoring Harriers goal from the penalty spot. Harriers also lost the second leg, again in front of a sell out crowd 3–1, confirming a 5–2 aggregate loss and Conference football for another season.<ref>{{cite web|last=Scott |first=Ged |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/22247123 |title=Kidderminster 1–3 Wrexham (agg 2–5) |publisher=[[BBC Sport]] |date=2013-04-28 |access-date=2016-07-30}}</ref> After an impressive season, Harriers had 3 players in the Conference Team of the Year for the 2012–13 season – [[Anthony Malbon]], [[Josh Gowling]] and [[Lee Vaughan]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/22830881 |title=Newport duo named in Conference Premier team of the season |publisher=[[BBC Sport]] |date=2013-06-08 |access-date=2016-07-30}}</ref>

Strong early form in the 2013–14 season found them in 2nd place which could not be sustained. In November 2013, [[Steve Burr]] walked out on Harriers to speak to [[Forest Green Rovers F.C.|Forest Green Rovers]]. The talks broke down<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/24822753 |title=Steve Burr: Forest Green target stays at Kidderminster Harriers |publisher=[[BBC Sport]] |date=2013-11-05 |access-date=2016-07-30}}</ref> and Burr returned to Harriers where the league form dipped rapidly. Harriers enjoyed a fine cup run defeating League Two side [[Newport County F.C.|Newport County]] in the second round<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/25163293 |title=Kidderminster Harriers 4–2 Newport County |publisher=[[BBC Sport]] |date=2013-12-07 |access-date=2016-07-30}}</ref> and holding League One side [[Peterborough United F.C|Peterborough United]] 0–0 at Aggborough in the third round.<ref name="bbc.co.uk">{{cite web|last=Scott |first=Ged |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/25531646 |title=Kidderminster Harriers 0–0 Peterborough United |publisher=[[BBC Sport]] |date=2014-01-04 |access-date=2016-07-30}}</ref> However, Burr did not get chance to see the replay as a heavy 6–0 defeat away to [[Luton Town F.C.|Luton Town]] saw him dismissed as Harriers manager on 7 January 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/other-football/kidderminster-harriers-fc/2014/01/07/kidderminster-harriers-confirm-steve-burr-was-sacked/ |title=Kidderminster Harriers confirm Steve Burr was sacked « Express & Star |website=Expressandstar.com |date=2014-01-07 |access-date=2016-07-30}}</ref> On 8 January, [[Andy Thorn (footballer)|Andy Thorn]] was appointed manager,<ref>{{cite news|last=Telegraph |first=Coventry |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/football/transfer-news/andy-thorn-back-management-kidderminster-6480768 |title=Andy Thorn back in management with Kidderminster Harriers |newspaper=[[Coventry Telegraph]] |date=2014-01-08 |access-date=2016-07-30}}</ref> winning his first game in charge 3–0 at home to Salisbury, [[Joe Lolley]]'s first hat trick for the club<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nonleague.pitchero.com/news/lolley-increases-value-with-hat-trick-28111/ |title=Lolley Increases Value With Hat-Trick |website=Nonleague.pitchero.com |date=11 January 2014 |access-date=2016-07-30}}</ref> and last league game as a move to [[Huddersfield Town F.C.|Huddersfield Town]] was looming. Having agreed to let [[Joe Lolley|Lolley]] stay for the FA Cup replay, [[Joe Lolley|Lolley]] then netted the winning goal in a 3–2 win away to [[Peterborough United F.C|Peterborough United]].<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/25633435 |title=Peterborough United 2–3 Kidderminster Harriers |publisher=[[BBC Sport]] |date=2014-01-14 |access-date=2016-07-30}}</ref> The next day, [[Joe Lolley|Lolley]] moved to [[Huddersfield Town F.C.|Huddersfield Town]] for a fee in the region of £250,000 having only been at the club for 6 months.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/25714103 |title=Transfer window: Joe Lolley joins Huddersfield from Kidderminster |publisher=[[BBC Sport]] |date=2014-01-15 |access-date=2016-07-30}}</ref> Harriers league form dipped after the departure of [[Joe Lolley|Lolley]] and strain of the FA Cup run as Thorn was sacked after 54 days in charge following a run of only 3 wins in 10 games<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.footballtradedirectory.com/news/2014/march/conference-side-kidderminster-sack-andy.html |title=Conference side Kidderminster sack Andy Thorn after only 54 days in charge |website=Footballtradedirectory.com |date=2014-03-05 |access-date=2016-07-30 |archive-date=20 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160420215426/http://www.footballtradedirectory.com/news/2014/march/conference-side-kidderminster-sack-andy.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> which also included the 1–0 [[FA Cup]] Fourth-round loss to Premier League [[Sunderland A.F.C|Sunderland]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Scott |first=Ged |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/25789220 |title=Sunderland 1–0 Kidderminster Harriers – |publisher=[[BBC Sport]] |date=2014-01-25 |access-date=2016-07-30}}</ref> On 5 March, Burr's former number two Gary Whild was appointed Harriers manager for the final 13 games until the end of the season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/26453354 |title=Kidderminster Harriers: Gary Whild replaces sacked Andy Thorn |publisher=[[BBC Sport]] |date=2014-03-05 |access-date=2016-07-30}}</ref> Under Whild, Harriers lost only 1 of the last 13 games, but 6 draws meant that Harriers fell just short of the play-offs finishing the season in 7th.

In April 2014, it was announced Gary Whild would stay on as Harriers manager after signing a one-year rolling contract.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/27126404 |title=Kidderminster Harriers: Gary Whild and Ken Rae to stay |publisher=[[BBC Sport]] |date=2014-04-23 |access-date=2016-07-30}}</ref> The 2014–15 season started strongly for the Harriers, as they remained unbeaten in their first 7 games which propelled them into the play-offs. Harriers inconsistent form left them outside the play-offs approaching the Christmas period. In November it was announced that Harriers were having financial troubles and that the wage budget would have to be decreased. This led to key players [[Chey Dunkley]] and Nathan Blissett being loaned to [[Oxford United F.C.|Oxford United]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.harriers.co.uk/news/article/news-chey-dunkley-completes-oxford-united-move-2093313.aspx |title=NEWS: Chey Dunkley completes Oxford United move |website=Harriers.co.uk |access-date=2016-07-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417134944/http://www.harriers.co.uk/news/article/news-chey-dunkley-completes-oxford-united-move-2093313.aspx |archive-date=2016-04-17 }}</ref> and [[Bristol Rovers F.C.|Bristol Rovers]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.harriers.co.uk/news/article/news-nathan-blissett-joins-bristol-rovers-subject-to-medical-2094178.aspx |title=NEWS: Nathan Blissett joins Bristol Rovers subject to medical |website=Harriers.co.uk |access-date=2016-07-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417063120/http://www.harriers.co.uk/news/article/news-nathan-blissett-joins-bristol-rovers-subject-to-medical-2094178.aspx |archive-date=2016-04-17 }}</ref> respectively, both moves being made permanent in January. One other key influence on Harriers' declining league form was the state of the deteriorating pitch.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.harriers.co.uk/news/article/news-aggborough-pitch-update-2179465.aspx |title=PITCH: Groundsman Gary Birch discusses Aggborough pitch |website=Harriers.co.uk |access-date=2016-07-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417081322/http://www.harriers.co.uk/news/article/news-aggborough-pitch-update-2179465.aspx |archive-date=2016-04-17 }}</ref> Reducing the budget further in January, several players were released including striker Michael Gash<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.harriers.co.uk/news/article/news-michael-gash-leaves-harriers-2186393.aspx |title=NEWS: Michael Gash leaves Harriers |website=Harriers.co.uk |access-date=2016-07-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417145652/http://www.harriers.co.uk/news/article/news-michael-gash-leaves-harriers-2186393.aspx |archive-date=2016-04-17 }}</ref> and midfielder Kyle Storer after just reaching 150 appearances for the club.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.harriers.co.uk/news/article/news-kyle-storer-leaves-harriers-2229672.aspx |title=NEWS: Kyle Storer leaves Harriers |website=Harriers.co.uk |access-date=2016-07-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160520144650/http://www.harriers.co.uk//news/article/news-kyle-storer-leaves-harriers-2229672.aspx |archive-date=2016-05-20 }}</ref> However, this created the chance for former West Brom striker [[Lee Hughes]] to rejoin Kidderminster Harriers some 18 years after leaving the club. Hughes' contract at Forest Green Rovers was cancelled by mutual consent, allowing him to sign again, aged 38, at Aggborough. He began his career at Aggborough in 1994 and scored 70 goals in 139 games for Harriers before moving to West Brom in 1997.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://m.worcesternews.co.uk/sport/11762772.Former_West_Brom_ace_Lee_Hughes_rejoins_Kidderminster_Harriers/ |title=Former West Brom ace Lee Hughes rejoins Kidderminster Harriers (From Worcester News) |website=M.worcesternews.co.uk |date=2015-01-30 |access-date=2016-07-30}}</ref> Hughes went on to score on his second debut for the Harriers in a 1–1 home draw against Woking.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/31423739 |title=Kidderminster Harriers 1–1 Woking |publisher=[[BBC Sport]] |date=2015-02-14 |access-date=2016-07-30}}</ref> Harriers were sitting 6th after boxing day, with a game in hand to go into the playoffs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/30544315 |title=Forest Green 2–3 Kidderminster Harriers |publisher=[[BBC Sport]] |date=2014-12-26 |access-date=2016-07-30}}</ref> However, Harriers only won three of the last twenty games, losing twelve of those as they finished in 16th place. At the end of the season, it was announced that Harriers only had five players contracted for next season and that the wage budget would be significantly reduced.{{citation needed|date=December 2025}}

The Harriers began the 2014–15 in the same poor form they had finished on the last. Harriers were winless after 11 games, and in September 2015 it was announced Head Coach Gary Whild would be leaving the club. First team coaches Mark Creighton and [[Tim Flowers]] also left the club.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/non-league/2015/09/21/gary-whild-relived-of-harriers-duties/ |title=Gary Whild relieved of Harriers duties |website=Expressandstar.com |date=2015-09-21 |access-date=2016-07-30}}</ref> The club was relegated from the National League at the end of the season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36004044 |title=Kidderminster Harriers 0–0 Barrow |website=bbc.co.uk/sport |date=2016-04-16 |access-date=2022-05-13 }}</ref>

====National League North==== On 21 April 2016, former [[Watford F.C.|Watford]] and [[Derby County]] midfielder [[John Eustace]] was announced as the club's new manager.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.harriers.co.uk/news/article/harriers-confirm-details-of-new-manager-and-potential-head-of-coaching-3073176.aspx |title=Harriers confirm details of new Manager and potential Head of Coaching |website=Harriers.co.uk |date=2016-04-21 |access-date=2016-07-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160530234009/http://www.harriers.co.uk/news/article/harriers-confirm-details-of-new-manager-and-potential-head-of-coaching-3073176.aspx |archive-date=2016-05-30 }}</ref> Eustace guided Harriers to a second-place finished in their first season in the National League North, before they were beaten by [[Chorley F.C.|Chorley]] in the play-off semi-finals.<ref>{{ cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39850786 |title=Kidderminster Harriers vow to overcome National League North play-off exit |website=bbc.co.uk/sport |date=2017-05-08 |access-date=2022-05-13 }}</ref> After the culmination of the [[2017–18 National League#National League North|2017–18]] season, where Harriers again lost in the first round of the play-offs, this time to [[Bradford Park Avenue F.C.|Bradford Park Avenue]], manager John Eustace left the club to join [[Queen's Park Rangers F.C.|Queen's Park Rangers]], and was replaced by [[Neil MacFarlane (footballer)|Neil MacFarlane]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://harriers.co.uk/news/2018/05/25/macfarlane-appointed-boss/ |title=MacFarlane appointed boss |website=harriers.co.uk |date=2018-05-25 |access-date=2022-05-13}}</ref> MacFarlane was replaced by former manager Mark Yates in January 2019,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://harriers.co.uk/news/2019/01/28/mark-yates-appointed/ |title=Mark Yates appointed |website=harriers.co.uk |date=2019-01-28 |access-date=2022-05-13}}</ref> as Harriers struggled to a mid-table finish. [[John Pemberton (footballer)|John Pemberton]] was installed as manager ahead of the [[2019–20 National League#National League North|2019–20 season]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://harriers.co.uk/news/2019/05/29/john-pemberton-appointed/ |title=John Pemberton appointed |website=harriers.co.uk |date=2019-05-29 |access-date=2022-05-13}}</ref> although he too was replaced part-way through the season. After an early curtailing of the season, owing to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom|COVID-19 pandemic]], [[Russell Penn|Russ Penn]] and [[James O'Connor (footballer, born 1984)|Jimmy O'Connor]] were appointed manager and joint-manager, respectively.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://harriers.co.uk/news/2020/04/24/russ-penn-appointed-manager/ |title=Russ Penn appointed Manager |website=harriers.co.uk |date=2020-04-24 |access-date=2022-05-13}}</ref> In the [[2021–22 National League#National League North|2021–22 season]], the pair led Harriers to a fourth placed league finish, as well as the fourth round of the [[2021–22 FA Cup|FA Cup]], where they lost to [[Premier League]] side [[West Ham United F.C.|West Ham United]].<ref name="Database">{{cite news|url=https://fchd.info/KIDDERMH.HTM |title=Kidderminster Harriers FC |publisher=Football Club Database |access-date=27 April 2023}}</ref><ref name="WHU">{{ cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/60266353 |title=Kidderminster Harriers 1–2 West Ham: Hammers overcome huge scare |website=bbc.co.uk/sport |date=2022-02-05 |access-date=2022-05-13 }}</ref> In the play-offs, Harriers exited at the first round, as they suffered a 2–1 defeat to [[Boston United F.C.|Boston United]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://harriers.co.uk/news/2022/05/13/recap-harriers-1-2-boston/ |title=Recap: Harriers 1–2 Boston United |author=Matty Paddock |publisher=Kidderminster Harriers FC |date=13 May 2022 |access-date=27 April 2023}}</ref>

In the [[2022–23 National League#National League North|2022–23]] season, Harriers won their last six consecutive league matches and a further three wins in the play-offs beating [[Alfreton Town F.C.|Alfreton Town]] in the play off eliminator 1–0,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/non-league/kidderminster-harriers/2023/04/29/kidderminster-secure-national-league-north-play-off-spot/ |title=Kidderminster secure National League North play-off spot |publisher=Express and Star |date=29 April 2023 |access-date=16 May 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/football/65441194 |title=Listen: National League North play-off - Alfreton v Kidderminster |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2 May 2023 |access-date=16 May 2023}}</ref> beating second placed [[Kings Lynn Town F.C.|Kings Lynn Town]] 4–1 in the play-off semi-final before winning the play-off final 2–0 against [[Brackley Town F.C.|Brackley Town]], thanks to two goals from Ashley Hemmings, earning promotion to the National League after seven years' absence.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://harriers.co.uk/news/2023/05/07/recap-kings-lynn-1-4-harriers/ |title=Recap: King's Lynn 1–4 Harriers |author=Matty Paddock |publisher=Kidderminster Harriers FC |date=7 May 2023 |access-date=16 May 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65589307 |title=Kidderminster Harriers and Oxford City reach National League with play-off triumphs |publisher=BBC Sport |date=14 May 2023 |access-date=14 May 2023}}</ref> On 7 January 2024, Penn was dismissed with the club bottom of the National League.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67910737 |title=Russ Penn: Kidderminster Harriers sack manager with club bottom of National League |website=BBC Sport |date=8 January 2024 |access-date=8 January 2024}}</ref> Although form initially picked up following the appointment of [[Phil Brown (footballer, born 1959)|Phil Brown]], the club were relegated in the penultimate match of the season.<ref>{{cite web|title=Many Matters Now Settled With Just One Week Left To Go|url=https://www.thenationalleague.org.uk/many-matters-now-settled-with-just-one-week-left-t-81366|website=www.thenationalleague.org.uk|date=13 April 2024|accessdate=14 April 2024}}</ref> On 7 May 2025, Brown was dismissed from the post following his failure to gain promotion back to the National League at the first attempt.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kidderminster Harriers statement|url=https://harriers.co.uk/news/2025/05/07/kidderminster-harriers-statement/|website=www.harriers.co.uk|date=7 May 2025|accessdate=7 May 2025}}</ref>

[[Adam Murray]] was appointed manager ahead of the [[2025-26 National League|2025-26 National League North]] season.<ref>{{cite web|title=Adam Murray appointed Manager|url= https://harriers.co.uk/news/2025/05/20/adam-murray-appointed-manager/|website=www.harriers.co.uk|date=20 May 2025|accessdate=13 April 2026}}</ref> In his first season in charge, he guided the club back to the National League, defeating [[South Shields F.C.|South Shields]] in the play-off final.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kidderminster Harriers promoted to National League|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/cp8pqq02gz6t|website=www.bbc.co.uk/sport|date=9 May 2026|accessdate=10 May 2026}}</ref> Shortly after, Murray left the club to take up the role of manager at [[Barrow A.F.C.|Barrow AFC]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Murray leaves Kidderminster to become Barrow boss|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cvgz8z58qyyo|website=BBC Sport|date=12 May 2026|accessdate=13 May 2026}}</ref>

==Cup success==

===Welsh Cup=== Harriers reached the [[Welsh Cup]] final in 1986, losing to [[Wrexham A.F.C.|Wrexham]] (2–1) in the replay after drawing the first game (1–1)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fchd.info/cups/welshcup1985-86.htm |title=Football Club History Database – Welsh Cup 1985–86 |website=Fchd.info |access-date=2016-07-30}}</ref> and again reaching the final in 1989, losing to [[Swansea City A.F.C.|Swansea City]] (5–0).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wfda.co.uk/welshcup_final_detail.php?id=102 |title=Welsh Football Data Archive: Preserving our football heritage |website=Wfda.co.uk |date=1989-05-21 |access-date=2016-07-30}}</ref>

===FA Trophy=== In 1987 Harriers went to [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley Stadium]] for the [[FA Trophy]] final against [[Burton Albion F.C.|Burton Albion]]. The game was a 0–0 draw after [[extra time]], but Kidderminster won 2–1 in the replay at [[The Hawthorns]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/other-football/kidderminster-harriers-fc/2012/09/27/harriers-fa-trophy-winners-reunited/ |title=Harriers' 1987 FA Trophy winners are reunited « Express & Star |website=Expressandstar.com |access-date=2016-07-30 |archive-date=31 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141231175240/http://www.expressandstar.com/sport/other-football/kidderminster-harriers-fc/2012/09/27/harriers-fa-trophy-winners-reunited/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> They have reached the final on three occasions since, losing 2–1 to [[Wycombe Wanderers F.C.|Wycombe Wanderers]] in 1991 in front of a crowd of 34,842 at the old Wembley and that remained the record attendance for a Trophy match until 2007 again when Kidderminster played Stevenage in another final.<ref name="thefa.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.thefa.com/fa-trophy/more/history |title=The history of The FA Trophy – The FA Trophy |publisher=The FA |access-date=2016-07-30}}</ref> Kidderminster also lost 2–1 to [[Woking F.C.|Woking]] in 1995 final.<ref name="thefa.com"/> In 2007, Kidderminster again reached the final, losing 2–3 to [[Stevenage F.C.|Stevenage Borough]], despite being 2–0 up at half time through two [[James Constable]] goals. Stevenage came back and scored the winner in the 88th minute in front of the new record trophy attendance of 53,262, which was also the very first competitive match to be held at the New Wembley.<ref name="thefa.com"/>

===FA Cup=== Kidderminster have also had some success in the [[FA Cup]]. [[Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.|Brighton & Hove Albion]] were entertained in the late 1960s as were [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]] & [[Millwall F.C.|Millwall]] (first round) in successive seasons 1981 & 1982. They reached the fifth round in 1994 (a feat not again equalled by a non-league team until [[Crawley Town F.C.]] achieved it in 2011, although Crawley were fully professional), shooting to national fame after defeating [[Birmingham City F.C.|Birmingham City]] 2–1 away<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/fa-cup/1993-1994/results/r3 |title=English FA Cup 1993-1994 Third Round - statto.com |access-date=2014-12-31 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20141231152815/http://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/fa-cup/1993-1994/results/r3 |archive-date=2014-12-31 }}</ref> and [[Preston North End F.C.|Preston North End]] 1–0 at home in the previous two rounds.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/fa-cup/1993-1994/results/r4 |title=English FA Cup 1993-1994 Fourth round - statto.com |access-date=2015-12-31 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141231193301/http://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/fa-cup/1993-1994/results/r4 |archive-date=2014-12-31 }}</ref> They then lost narrowly 0–1 at home in front of nearly 8,000 to [[West Ham United F.C.|West Ham United]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/fa-cup/1993-1994/results/r5 |title=English FA Cup 1993-1994 Fifth round - statto.com |access-date=2015-12-31 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141231193339/http://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/fa-cup/1993-1994/results/r5 |archive-date=2014-12-31 }}</ref>

In 2004 Kidderminster again reached the third round to face [[Premier League]] team and local rivals [[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolverhampton Wanderers]], Harriers were one minute away from causing a massive shock before an 89th-minute equaliser forced a replay, the game finishing 1–1 at [[Aggborough]]<ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/fa_cup/3349187.stm | work=BBC News | title=Kidderminster 1–1 Wolves | date=3 January 2004}}</ref> Harriers lost the replay 2–0 although video footage clearly showed that the second goal did not cross the line.<ref>{{cite news|author=Adrian Milledge |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2004/jan/14/match.sport1 |title=FA Cup: Wolverhampton W 2 – 0 Kidderminster Harriers | Football |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=2016-07-30}}</ref> In the 2008–09 season Harriers again reached the third round, losing away to [[Coventry City]] 2–0.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www1.skysports.com/football/live/match/11163/report |title=Match Report – Coventry 2 – 0 Kid'minster | 03 Jan 2009 |website=Skysports.com |date=2009-01-03 |access-date=2016-07-30}}</ref>

In the [[2013–14 FA Cup]] Kidderminster beat League Two side [[Newport County F.C.|Newport County]] 4–2 in the second round<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/25163293.app |title=Kidderminster Harriers 4–2 Newport County |publisher=[[BBC Sport]] |date=2013-12-07 |access-date=2016-07-30}}</ref> In the third round, Harriers beat [[Peterborough United F.C.|Peterborough United]] from League One 3–2 at London Road in the 3rd round replay in front of 3,483 of which 660 were travelling Harriers fans,<ref name="ReferenceA"/> after drawing 0–0 at Aggborough.<ref name="bbc.co.uk"/> In the fourth round they lost away to Premier League [[Sunderland A.F.C|Sunderland]] 1–0 in front of 25,081, of which 4,000 were travelling Kidderminster fans, to end their run.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thefa.com/news/the-fa-cup/2014/jan/sunderland-v-kidderminster-match-report |title=Sunderland 1–0 Kidderminster: FA Cup fourth-round match report – The Emirates FA Cup |publisher=The FA |date=2014-01-25 |access-date=2016-07-30}}</ref>

In [[2021-22 FA Cup|2022]], Harriers reached the fourth round of the [[2021–22 FA Cup|FA Cup]], whilst in the sixth-tier National League North, where they were drawn against [[Premier League]] opponents [[West Ham United F.C.|West Ham United]], the same club Harriers faced at home in round 5 in 1994. Harriers had beaten National League opposition in [[Grimsby Town F.C.|Grimsby Town]] and [[F.C. Halifax Town|FC Halifax Town]] in the first and second round, respectively, before coming from behind to beat [[EFL Championship|Championship]] side [[Reading F.C.|Reading]] in the third round. Harriers led for much of the tie through [[Alex Penny]]'s first-half goal before West Ham equalised through [[Declan Rice]] in the last minute of stoppage time at the end of 90 minutes to send the match into extra time. [[Jarrod Bowen]] then scored for West Ham in the dying seconds of extra time as Harriers eventually lost 1–2 and were eliminated.<ref name="WHU" />

==Players==

===Current squad=== {{updated|05 April 2026}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://harriers.co.uk/teams/first-team/ |title=First Team |website=Kidderminster Harriers FC |access-date=29 September 2025}}</ref> {{fs start}} {{fs player|no=1|nat=ENG|pos=GK|name=Tom Palmer}} {{fs player|no=2|nat=WAL|pos=DF|name=[[Alex Penny]]}} {{fs player|no=3|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=[[Reece Devine]]}} {{fs player|no=4|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Kamran Kandola}} {{fs player|no=5|nat=NGA|pos=DF|name=[[Emeka Obi]]}} {{fs player|no=7|nat=ENG|pos=FW|name=Seb Thompson}} {{fs player|no=8|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Jack Clarke}} {{fs player|no=11|nat=WAL|pos=FW|name=[[Dan Mooney]]}} {{fs player|no=12|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=[[Joe Foulkes]]}} {{fs player|no=14|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Richard Faakye}} {{fs player|no=15|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=[[Reece Hall]]}} {{fs mid}} {{fs player|no=19|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Louis Francis}} {{fs player|no=20|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=George Walker}} {{fs player|no=24|nat=WAL|pos=DF|name=Owen Evans}} {{fs player|no=26|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=[[David Davis (footballer)|David Davis]]}} {{fs player|no=27|nat=ENG|pos=FW|name=[[Tobi Sho-Silva]]}} {{fs player|no=32|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Josh Robinson}} {{fs player|no=33|nat=NIR|pos=DF|name=[[Pierce Bird]]}} {{fs player|no=34|nat=ENG|pos=FW|name=Layton Love}} {{fs player|no=37|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Bruce Minaker}} {{fs player|no=39|nat=ENG|pos=GK|name=[[Rhys Lovett]]}} {{fs end}}

===Out on loan=== {{Fs start}} {{fs player|no=13|nat=ENG|pos=GK|name=Josh Bishop|other=On loan at [[Malvern_Town_F.C.|Malvern Town]]}} {{fs player|no=18|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Samson Hewett|other=On loan at [[Bedworth_United_F.C.|Bedworth Utd]]}} {{fs player|no=22|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Arthur Squire|other=On loan at [[Worcester Raiders F.C.|Worcester Raiders]]}} {{Fs end}}

==Rivals== Harriers fans consider local teams [[Stourbridge F.C.|Stourbridge]], [[Hereford F.C.|Hereford]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/non-league/kidderminster-harriers/2020/01/01/hereford-2-kidderminster-harriers-1-report/|title=Hereford 2 Kidderminster Harriers 1 - Report|website=www.expressandstar.com|date=January 2020 }}</ref> (continued from the rivalry with the now defunct [[Hereford United]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/herefordandworcester/content/articles/2005/10/25/harriers_bulls_2910_event_feature.shtml|title=BBC - Hereford and Worcester - Sport - Kidderminster v Hereford|website=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref>), [[Bromsgrove Sporting F.C.|Bromsgrove Sporting]] and [[Worcester City F.C.|Worcester City]] to be the club's main rivals. They also share a less significant rivalry with near neighbours [[A.F.C. Telford United|AFC Telford United]]. There was also a healthy rivalry with the now defunct [[Rushden & Diamonds F.C.|Rushden & Diamonds]], which stemmed from the 1999–2000 Conference title-winning campaign. During the club's stint in the Football League, they developed a rivalry with [[Cheltenham Town]].

==Seasons== Statistics from the previous decade, for a full history see ''[[List of Kidderminster Harriers F.C. seasons]]''<ref name="Database"/> {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! League ! Level ! Pld ! W ! D ! L ! GF ! GA ! GD ! Pts ! Position ! Top League Scorer(s) ! Goals ! [[FA Cup]] ! [[EFL Cup|League Cup]] ! [[FA Trophy]] ! Average attendance |- style="text-align:center;" | [[2012–13 Football Conference#Conference Premier|2012–13]] | [[Conference National]] | 5 | 46 | 28 | 9 | 9 | 82 | 40 | +42 | 93 | 2nd of 24 '''[[Playoffs#England|Lost in PO semi-final]]''' | [[Michael Gash]] | 20 |[[2012–13 FA Cup|R1]] |[[2012–13 Football League Cup|-]] |[[2012–13 FA Trophy|R2]] | 2,193<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emfootball.co.uk/attend2013.html |title=Football League Attendances 2012/2013 |website=Emfootball.co.uk |date=19 May 2013 |access-date=30 July 2016}}</ref> |- style="text-align:center;" | [[2013–14 Football Conference#Conference National|2013–14]] | [[Conference National]] | 5 | 46 | 20 | 12 | 14 | 66 | 59 | +7 | 72 | 7th of 24 | [[Michael Gash]] | 11 | style="background:#ace1af;"|[[2013–14 FA Cup|R4]] |[[2013–14 Football League Cup|-]] |[[2013–14 FA Trophy|R1]] | 2,020<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emfootball.co.uk/attend2014.html |title=Football League Attendances 2013/2014 |website=Emfootball.co.uk |access-date=30 July 2016}}</ref> |- style="text-align:center;" | [[2014–15 Football Conference#Conference Premier|2014–15]] | [[Conference National]] | 5 | 46 | 15 | 12 | 19 | 51 | 60 | −9 | 57 | 16th of 24 | [[Marvin Johnson (footballer, born 1990)|Marvin Johnson]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id%3D64127 |title=Marvin Johnson | Football Stats | Motherwell | Age 24 | Soccer Base |access-date=17 April 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150405112221/http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=64127 |archive-date=5 April 2015 }}</ref> | 9 |[[2014–15 FA Cup qualifying rounds|QR4]] |[[2014–15 Football League Cup|-]] |[[2014–15 FA Trophy|R2]] | 1,909<ref name="Emfootball 2015"/> |- style="text-align:center;" | [[2015–16 Football Conference#Conference National|2015–16]] | [[National League (division)|National League]] | 5 | 46 | 9 | 13 | 24 | 49 | 71 | −22 | 40 | 23rd of 24 | [[James McQuilkin]]<hr>[[Ben Whitfield]] | 6 |[[2015–16 FA Cup qualifying rounds|QR4]] |[[2015–16 Football League Cup|-]] |[[2015–16 FA Trophy|R1]] | 1,804<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/teams/kidderminster-harriers |title=BBC Sport – Football – Kidderminster Harriers |website=BBC Sport |date=30 April 2016 |access-date=30 July 2016}}</ref> |- style="text-align:center;" | [[2016–17 National League#National League North|2016–17]] | [[National League North]] | 6 | 42 | 25 | 7 | 10 | 76 | 41 | +35 | 82 | 2nd of 22 | [[Arthur Gnahoua]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=68836|title=Arthur Gnahoua | Football Stats | Morecambe | Age 29 | Soccer Base|website=www.soccerbase.com}}</ref> | 15 |[[2016–17 FA Cup|R1]] |[[2016–17 EFL Cup|-]] |[[2016–17 FA Trophy|R3]] | 1,837<ref name="Emfootball 2015"/> |- style="text-align:center;" | [[2017–18 National League#National League North|2017–18]] | [[National League North]] | 6 | 42 | 20 | 12 | 10 | 76 | 50 | +26 | 72 | 4th of 22 | [[Joe Ironside]]<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=66015|title=Joe Ironside | Football Stats | Cambridge United | Age 27 | Soccer Base|website=www.soccerbase.com}}</ref> | 23 |[[2017–18 FA Cup|R1]] |[[2017–18 EFL Cup|-]] |[[2017–18 FA Trophy|R2]] | 1,683<ref name="Emfootball 2015">{{cite web|url=http://www.emfootball.co.uk/attend2015.html |title=Football League Attendances |website=Emfootball.co.uk |access-date=30 July 2016}}</ref> |- style="text-align:center;" | [[2018–19 National League#National League North|2018–19]] | [[National League North]] | 6 | 42 | 17 | 9 | 16 | 68 | 62 | +6 | 60 | 10th of 22 | [[Joe Ironside]]<ref name="auto"/> | 21 |[[2018–19 FA Cup qualifying rounds|QR3]] |[[2018–19 EFL Cup|-]] |[[2018–19 FA Trophy|QR3]] | 1,683<ref name="Emfootball 2015"/> |- style="text-align:center;" | [[2019–20 National League#National League North|2019–20]]* | [[National League North]] | 6 | 33 | 10 | 8 | 15 | 39 | 43 | −4 | 38 | 15th of 22 | [[Ashley Chambers]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=42167|title=Ashley Chambers | Football Stats | Buxton | Age 31 | Soccer Base|website=www.soccerbase.com}}</ref> | 13 |[[2019–20 FA Cup qualifying rounds|QR2]] |[[2019–20 EFL Cup|-]] |[[2019–20 FA Trophy|QR3]] | 1,364 |- style="text-align:center;" | [[2020-21 National League#National League North|2020–21]]* | [[National League North]] | colspan="12" | Season expunged due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom|COVID-19 pandemic]] |[[2020–21 FA Cup qualifying rounds|QR2]] |[[2020–21 EFL Cup|-]] |[[2020–21 FA Trophy|R2]] | 0 |- style="text-align:center;" | [[2021–22 National League#National League North|2021–22]] | [[National League North]] | 6 | 42 | 21 | 11 | 10 | 72 | 35 | +37 | 74 | 4th of 22 | [[Ashley Hemmings]] | 16 |[[2021–22 FA Cup|R4]] |[[2021–22 EFL Cup|-]] |[[2021–22 FA Trophy|R3]] | 2,478 |- style="text-align:center;" | [[2022–23 National League#National League North|2022–23]] | [[National League North]] | 6 | 46 | 19 | 12 | 15 | 49 | 42 | +7 | 69 |style="background:#ace1af;"| 6th of 24 '''[[Promotion and relegation|Promoted]]''' | [[Ashley Hemmings]] | 11 |[[2022–23 FA Cup|QR4]] |[[2022–23 EFL Cup|-]] |[[2022–23 FA Trophy|R4]] |2,280 |}

† – deducted 5 points for submitting misleading financial information. * – season ended early due to [[COVID-19 pandemic in England|COVID-19 pandemic]].

==Statistics== [[File:KHFC Progress.png|right|thumb|300px|League positions and average home league attendances since the 1983–84 season]] *Record Attendance: 9,155 vs. [[Hereford United]], [[FA Cup]] Round 1, 27 November 1948 *Record Attendance (Conference): 6,453 vs. [[Stockport County]], 20 April 2013 *Record win: 25–0 v Hereford Club (H), [[Birmingham Senior Cup]] Round 1, 12 October 1889 *Record defeat: 0–13 v [[Darwen F.C. (1870)|Darwen]] (A), [[FA Cup]] Round 1, 24 January 1891 *Record transfer fee paid: £80,000, [[Andy Ducros]] (from [[Nuneaton Borough]]), 2000 *Record transfer fee received: £300,000 (estimate) [[Jamille Matt]] (to [[Fleetwood Town F.C.|Fleetwood Town]]), 2013 *Club record goalscorer: Peter Wassall; 448 (all competitions), 1963–1974 *Record goalscorer in one season: Kim Casey; 73 goals in 68 games, 1985–86 *Record appearances: Brendan Wassall; 686, 1962–1974

==Shirt sponsors== *Fair Discount 1983–84 *[[Severn Valley Railway]] 1984–85 *Trustees Savings Bank (later Lloyds TSB) 1986–90 *Westbury Homes 1990–92 *[[Ansells Brewery]] 1992–93 *Walkers Timber 1992–94 *Clarkes (car dealership) 1994–95 *[[Holsten]] 1995–97 *OGL 1997–2004 *Hire-It 2004–08 *Tim Rose Electrical 2008–10 *OGL 2010–2012 *Hire-It 2012–18 *Kidderminster Harriers In The Community 2018–19 *Hire-It 2019–20 *Kaleidoscope Plus Group 2020–21 *Adam Hewitt Ltd 2021–

==Managerial statistics== ''Information correct as of 6 January 2024. Only competitive matches are counted. Wins, losses and draws are results at the final whistle; the results of [[Penalty shootout (association football)|penalty shoot-outs]] are not counted.''  {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center" |- !Image!!Name!!Nationality!!From!!class="unsortable"|To!!P!!W!!D!!L!!GF!!GA!!GD!!Win%!!class="unsortable"|Honours!!Notes |- | |align=left|{{sortname|Harold|Cox|nolink=1}} |{{ENG}} |align=left|1970 |align=left|1972 {{WDL|0|0|0|0|for=0|against=0|diff=yes|decimals=1}} | | |- | |align=left|{{sortname|John|Chambers|John Chambers (footballer)}} |{{ENG}} |align=left|1979 |align=left|1983 {{WDL|324|167|70|87|for=553|against=391|diff=yes|decimals=1}} | | |- | |align=left|{{sortname|Graham|Allner}} |{{ENG}} |align=left|1983 |align=left|November 1998 {{WDL|911|409|205|297|for=1627|against=1322|diff=yes|decimals=1}} | style="text-align:left; font-size:80%;"|1 [[FA Trophy]] 1 [[Football Conference]] | |- | |align=left|{{sortname|Phil|Mullen|nolink=1}} |{{ENG}} |align=left|November 1998 |align=left|May 1999 {{WDL|27|10|5|12|for=40|against=33|diff=yes|decimals=1}} | | |- |[[File:Jan Molby.jpg|75px]] |align=left|{{sortname|Jan|Mølby}} |{{DEN}} |align=left|May 1999 |align=left|March 2002 {{WDL|151|66|31|54|for=204|against=172|diff=yes|decimals=1}} | style="text-align:left; font-size:80%;"|1 [[Football Conference]] | |- | |align=left|{{sortname|Ian|Britton|Ian Britton (English footballer)}} |{{ENG}} |align=left|March 2002 |align=left|October 2003 {{WDL|75|24|20|31|for=92|against=106|diff=yes|decimals=1}} | | |- |[[File:Jan Molby.jpg|75px]] |align=left|{{sortname|Jan|Mølby}} |{{DEN}} |align=left|October 2003 |align=left|October 2004 {{WDL|53|16|15|22|for=48|against=68|diff=yes|decimals=1}} | | |- | |align=left|{{sortname|Shaun|Cunnington}}* |{{ENG}} |align=left|October 2004 |align=left|November 2004 {{WDL|5|0|0|5|for=2|against=12|diff=yes|decimals=1}} | | |- | |align=left|{{sortname|Stuart|Watkiss}} |{{ENG}} |align=left|November 2004 |align=left|1 January 2006 {{WDL|50|15|10|25|for=56|against=78|diff=yes|decimals=1}} | | |- | |align=left|{{sortname|Martin|O'Connor|Martin O'Connor (footballer)}}* |{{ENG}} |align=left|2006 |align=left|2006 {{WDL|6|2|1|3|for=7|against=8|diff=yes|decimals=1}} | | |- | |align=left|{{sortname|Mark|Yates|Mark Yates (footballer)}} |{{ENG}} |align=left|1 January 2006 |align=left|22 December 2009 {{WDL|213|92|49|72|for=296|against=247|diff=yes|decimals=1}} | | |- | |align=left|{{sortname|John|Finnigan}}* |{{ENG}} |align=left|22 December 2009 |align=left|1 January 2010 {{WDL|2|1|0|1|for=4|against=4|diff=yes|decimals=1}} | | |- |[[File:Burr, Steve.jpg|75px]] |align=left|{{sortname|Steve|Burr}} |{{ENG}} |align=left|1 January 2010 |align=left|7 January 2014 {{WDL|206|96|52|58|for=343|against=264|diff=yes|decimals=1}} | | |- | |align=left|{{sortname|Andy|Thorn|Andy Thorn (footballer)}} |{{ENG}} |align=left|8 January 2014 |align=left|5 March 2014 {{WDL|10|3|2|5|for=14|against=8|diff=yes|decimals=1}} | | |- | |align=left|{{sortname|Gary|Whild|nolink=1}} |{{ENG}} |align=left|5 March 2014 |align=left|21 September 2015 {{WDL|73|21|24|28|for=80|against=90|diff=yes|decimals=1}} | | |- | |align=left|{{sortname|Colin|Gordon|Colin Gordon (footballer)}}* |{{ENG}} |align=left|21 September 2015 |align=left|9 October 2015 {{WDL|4|0|2|2|for=4|against=6|diff=yes|decimals=1}} | | |- |[[File:DavidHockaday@FGRFC.jpg|75px]] |align=left|{{sortname|Dave|Hockaday|Dave Hockaday}} |{{ENG}} |align=left|9 October 2015 |align=left|7 January 2016 {{WDL|13|2|1|10|for=10|against=23|diff=yes|decimals=1}} | | |- | |align=left|{{sortname|Colin|Gordon|Colin Gordon (footballer)}}* |{{ENG}} |align=left|7 January 2016 |align=left|31 May 2016 {{WDL|20|7|5|8|for=25|against=26|diff=yes|decimals=1}} | | |- |[[File:EustaceJohn.jpg|75px]] |align=left|{{sortname|John|Eustace|John Eustace}} |{{ENG}} |align=left|1 June 2016 |align=left|25 May 2018 {{WDL|104|56|22|26|for=193|against=114|diff=yes|decimals=1}} | | |- |[[File:44 Neil MacFarlane.JPG|75px]] |align=left|{{sortname|Neil|MacFarlane|Neil MacFarlane (footballer)}} |{{SCO}} |align=left|25 May 2018 |align=left|7 January 2019 {{WDL|27|12|6|9|for=48|against=41|diff=yes|decimals=1}} | | |- | |align=left|{{sortname|Colin|Gordon|Colin Gordon (footballer)}}* |{{ENG}} |align=left|7 January 2019 |align=left|29 January 2019 {{WDL|4|1|0|3|for=3|against=5|diff=yes|decimals=1}} | | |- | |align=left|{{sortname|Mark|Yates|Mark Yates (footballer)}} |{{ENG}} |align=left|29 January 2019 |align=left|21 April 2019 {{WDL|12|6|1|5|for=22|against=18|diff=yes|decimals=1}} | | |- | |align=left|{{sortname|James|O'Connor|James O'Connor (footballer, born 1984)}}* |{{ENG}} |align=left|21 April 2019 |align=left|29 May 2019 {{WDL|2|0|1|1|for=3|against=4|diff=yes|decimals=1}} | | |- | |align=left|{{sortname|John|Pemberton|John Pemberton (footballer)}} |{{ENG}} |align=left|29 May 2019 |align=left|27 November 2019 {{WDL|19|5|4|10|for=23|against=30|diff=yes|decimals=1}} | | |- |[[File:Russell Penn 19-09-2015 1.jpg|75px]] |align=left|{{sortname|Russell|Penn|Russell Penn}}* |{{ENG}} |align=left|27 November 2019 |align=left|6 December 2019 {{WDL|2|0|1|1|for=1|against=2|diff=yes|decimals=1}} | | |- | |align=left|{{sortname|James|Shan|James Shan}} |{{ENG}} |align=left|6 December 2019 |align=left|11 February 2020 {{WDL|11|3|3|5|for=12|against=15|diff=yes|decimals=1}} | | |- |[[File:Russell Penn 19-09-2015 1.jpg|75px]] |align=left|{{sortname|Russell|Penn|Russell Penn}} |{{ENG}} |align=left|11 February 2020 |align=left|7 January 2024 {{WDL|161|67|41|53|for=-|against=-|diff=yes|decimals=1}} | | |- |[[File:Bilde-Philbrown01-2009-06-05.jpg|75px]] |align=left|{{sortname|Phil|Brown|Phil Brown (footballer, born 1959)}}† |{{ENG}} |align=left|10 January 2024 |align=left|7 May 2025 {{WDL|85|41|19|25|for=-|against=-|diff=yes|decimals=1}} | | |} ;Key :<nowiki>*</nowiki> Served as [[caretaker manager]]. :† Served as caretaker manager before being appointed permanently.

==Honours==

'''League''' *[[National League (division)|Football Conference]] (level 5) **Champions: [[1993–94 Football Conference|1993–94]], [[1999–2000 Football Conference|1999–2000]] *[[National League North]] (level 6) **Play-off winners: [[2022–23 National League#National League North|2023]], [[2025–26 National League#National League North|2026]] *[[West Midlands (Regional) League|West Midlands League]] **Champions: 1937–38, 1938–39, 1964–65, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71

'''Cup''' *[[FA Trophy]] **Winners: [[1986–87 FA Trophy|1986–87]] **Runners-up: [[1990–91 FA Trophy|1990–91]], [[1994–95 FA Trophy|1994–95]], [[2006–07 FA Trophy|2006–07]] *[[Conference League Cup]] **Winners: 1996–97 *[[Southern Football League Cup (England)|Southern League Cup]] **Winners: [[1979–80 Southern Football League|1979–80]] *[[Worcestershire Senior Cup]] **Winners (27): 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

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{commons category}} *{{fchd |id=KIDDERMH |name=Kidderminster Harriers }}

[[Category:Kidderminster Harriers F.C.| ]] [[Category:Association football clubs established in 1886]] [[Category:Men's football clubs in England]] [[Category:Football clubs in Worcestershire]] [[Category:English Football League clubs]] [[Category:National League (English football) clubs]] [[Category:1886 establishments in England]] [[Category:Southern Football League clubs]] [[Category:Kidderminster]]