Chris Oldnall has been following his home-town football club Kidderminster Harriers since the early 1960s and he has also been chronicling their fluctuating fortunes for around 60 years.
Here, in our monthly feature ‘Harriers Heritage’, Chris says the club’s latest promotion has rekindled some fond memories.
LONG and loyal Kidderminster Harriers’ fans turned back the clock after enjoying every minute of their favourite club’s well deserved promotion to the National League.
Delighted Harriers secured a place in non-league’s top flight next season by winning 2-0 in last month’s National League North play-off final at South Shields.
And for a clutch of veteran Aggborough regulars I spoke to recently, it brought back many happy memories of promotion glories from days gone by.
Indeed, during our close season catch-up, it soon became clear that one yesteryear promotion triumph they particularly enjoyed was when Harriers earned a place in the Football League more than a quarter of a century ago.
I can still remember the start of the club’s five year spell in the ‘promised land’ when I made my way to Aggborough on Saturday, August 12, 2000, to watch them make their debut in the Football League Division Three – their highest level since being formed in 1886.
And they marked the historic occasion in style with a 2-0 win over Torquay United with Stewart Hadley having the distinction of netting Harriers’ first Football League goal.
Watched by a bumper crowd of 5,122, he pounced in the first-half and was joined on the scoresheet by Barry Horne after the interval.
Harriers’ line-up that memorable day was: Tim Clarke, Ian Clarkson, Craig Hinton, Adie Smith, Scott Stamps, Paul Webb, Barry Horne, Dean Bennett, Andy Ducros, Ian Foster, and Stewart Hadley. Subs: Tony Bird, Mark Shail, Ben Davies, Andy Corbett and Stuart Brock.
After their opening day success, manager Jan Molby’s men went on to register another nine home league victories to help them finish the campaign in 16th place.
Harriers were at home again on the opening day of the following season and an Andy Ducros goal was just about enough to beat spirited Scunthorpe United 1-0.
They signed off the term in tenth spot in the table and I can recall the Aggborough faithful starting to think that the Football League was a great place to be.
And who could blame them, particularly as the club continued to build solid, if unspectacular, foundations by ending the following season in 11th spot.
Some die-hard fans, however, began to feel that cracks were starting to appear in Harriers’ Football League adventure when they finished 16th at the close of the 2003/04 campaign.
And, looking back now, their growing fears for the future were well founded.
The following season Harriers’ hard-earned Football League status was in tatters when they finished second from bottom and were relegated along with Cambridge United.
The dream was over and it was back to life in the club’s more usual habitat in non-league football where they remain to this day.
But, despite the ups and downs and managerial changes during their treasured membership of the Football League, ambitious Harriers would love to do it all again – and last season’s memorable promotion success was a big step in the right direction.
