West Ham and familiar faces in Kidderminster’s FA Cup crosshairs
West Ham United’s top brass would have been forgiven for wincing when they were drawn to face Kidderminster Harriers in the FA Cup fourth round this weekend.
Not only do the lowest ranked team left in the competition pose the threat of a humiliating elimination; the non-league outfit’s taste for an upset is also already known only too well by those in charge of the Hammers.
Manager David Moyes was playing for Preston North End when they became victims of Kidderminster’s most famous FA Cup run, in 1993-94, while West Ham owners David Sullivan and David Gold were running Birmingham City when they too fell to Harriers in an earlier round.
Those uncanny coincidences are enough to get the Worcestershire side, who play in the sixth tier, dreaming of another giant-killing at the Aggborough Stadium.
“We have to believe history can be made one day, so let’s hope it could be Saturday,” said Kidderminster manager Russ Penn, who was just eight when the club got one over on Moyes, Gold and Sullivan.
“We’ve given ourselves an opportunity to do that. We are in an empty book to be scripted and we will give it our best shot.”
Beating Premier League opponents would bring more than just cachet to Kidderminster; an FA Cup run can be transformative for non-league clubs.
Sutton United banked around £1m from reaching the fifth round in 2017. They invested that in club infrastructure and are now flying high in English football’s fourth division.
Kidderminster have more than omens from previous generations to draw faith from, too.
They are third in National League North and have won nine of their last 10 home games, including an extra-time victory over Championship side Reading in round three last month.
West Ham, on the other hand, are enduring a mid-season wobble that has included five defeats in their last nine matches.
“I’m expecting a difficult game,” said Hammers midfielder Pablo Fornals. “In the FA Cup, teams from the lower divisions have the platform to really show how good they are, so it’s not going to be easy at all. We know Kidderminster will be up for this match.”
Moyes appeared to hint this week that he would prioritise Premier League fixtures for the remainder of the campaign, with his side among the scramble for a top-four place.
“I really want to stay strong in the Premier League and I’m determined to try and hang in and see what we can do right to the end,” he said.
With a heavy schedule that also includes Europa League fixtures to negotiate, Moyes might be tempted to rest some of his most valuable players for domestic cup action.
“We would rather see the best out there, but I think even if they play their second team it will be a tough afternoon,” Penn added.
“This is our cup final. We have played seven games to get to this situation and if they want to shuffle the pack, so be it, but I believe they will play a strong side.”
If it is starting to sound like another upset might be inevitable it is worth remembering that the visitors have already beaten Manchester City and Manchester United in cup ties this term.
And there is one element of Kidderminster’s previous FA Cup fairytale that may serve as a warning to the hosts. The killjoys who ended their run 27 years ago? West Ham United.