By Simon Wright – Follow
me on Twitter @Siwri88
The
FA Cup, the world’s greatest football competition has returned and in a new series for the website from round one
until the final at Wembley next May; I will share my memories of what has made
the competition so special to me and many football fans up and down the land.
These
stories can be one of personal achievement, a huge surprise against the odds,
even something like a game played in freezing temperatures or a weekend where
the underdog ripped up the formbook.
While
many of the highest professionals are away with their countries in
international action this midweek, the first round replays take place in the FA
Cup. The likes of Brackley Town, Gateshead and Braintree Town will all have
their eyes on claiming league scalps and making the second round proper.
My FA Cup memory to mark this stage of the competition rewinds the
clock to almost 20 years ago when non-league Kidderminster Harriers went on a
remarkable run in 1994 that took them to within two matches of playing at
Wembley Stadium.
After
dispatching Kettering Town and Woking in the first two rounds, Kidderminster
moved into the third round to play Birmingham City from division one.
Birmingham were struggling in the second tier and staring relegation in the
face. Barry Fry was their new manager but despite their struggles, the Blues
were expected to comfortably overwhelm their weaker opposition. Kidderminster
might have been three points clear at the top of the GM Vauxhall Conference and
were on a great run of just one defeat in 16 games but still came into the
clash at St Andrews as huge underdogs.
Birmingham
missed a penalty, had a goal chalked off for offside and Kidderminster
goalkeeper Kevin Rose put in a blinding performance with a string of top draw
saves that won’t have looked out of place in the Premier League. The winner
ultimately came in the 63rd minute. Telephone salesman Jon Purdie
smashed in a storming effort from the left-hand side of the 18-yard box and Ian
Bennett couldn’t do a thing about it. The 26-year-old had been a youngster at
Arsenal but unlike Tony Adams and Paul Merson, who were part of the same intake
at Highbury, hadn’t made the grade in north London. Now this was his moment of
magic and it took Kidderminster into the fourth round for the first time in
their history.
Manager
Graham Allner then steered his side into round five. On a bumpy playing surface
at their Aggborough ground, Preston North End couldn’t cope with the
conditions. Delwyn Humphreys scored the only goal of the fourth round tie to
take them into the last 16.
Kidderminster
had made the hat, whilst other major clubs such as cup holders Arsenal,
previous season’s finalists Sheffield Wednesday, big spending Blackburn Rovers
and former Merseyside giants Liverpool and Everton hadn’t got so far. Premier
League side West Ham United were drawn to face Kidderminster in round five.
8,000
spectators were in force to see if the team could become the first from the
non-league to reach the quarter-finals in the history of the competition. The
game was an even contest. West Ham had more of the possession but were well
matched in the tackling department. One goal ultimately settled the game. Keith
Rowland’s cross was misjudged by Rose and in the 69th minute, the
looping header by Lee Chapman ended in an unguarded net.
The
FA Cup dream was over for Kidderminster but they had made national headlines.
They were only the fifth non-league side to get to round five and only Crawley
Town in 2011 and Luton Town in 2013 have matched this feat since.
It
was an epic journey and often forgotten in the context of other fairytales that
have happened in this great competition over the years.
What happened to some of
the key figures on that run?
Graham
Allner was manager of Kidderminster for 15 years. He led the team to the
Conference championship in 1994, although they were denied promotion to the
Football League as it was declared their ground didn’t meet the required
standards. Allner left Kidderminster in 1998 and later worked as a coach at
Cheltenham Town. He now works for The Scouting Network.
Delwyn
Humphreys scored 33 goals in 136 games for Harriers before a serious knee
injury nearly ended his professional career. Spells playing followed at
Northwich Victoria, Stafford Rangers and Bromsgrove Rovers and he now manages
Ellesmere Rangers in the West Midlands League.
Jon
Purdie now manages AFC Wulfrunians after ending his playing days in 2000 with Worcester
City and helped his team to the West Midlands Regional League Premier Division
title last season.
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