HISTORY CORNER: We Look Back On The 1993-94 Campaign

They finished the season as GM Vauxhall Conference champions but were unable to take promotion to the Football League as their Aggborough stadium failed to meet capacity requirements.

As a result, the bottom-placed Third Division club Northampton Town avoided relegation to the Conference.

Graham Allner`s team deserved to follow Martin O`Neill`s Wycombe Wanderers side up into the Football League – the Chairboys having won the title the previous campaign.

But Harriers` eleventh season at the top level of non-League football was their most memorable to date, although few would have rushed to the bookmakers to back them after they won just one of their opening seven matches!

They also finished poorly, but in between they were outstanding in both league and cup as they moved from the foot of the table to the top and reached the Fifth Round of the FA Cup before bowing out to Premier League West Ham United 1-0.

It perhaps wasn`t a vintage Hammers side containing the likes of Alvin Martin, Ian Bishop, Martin Allen, Ludek Miklosko, Steve Potts and Lee Chapman, who scored the only goal at Aggborough, and they lost to First Division Luton Town in the Quarter-Final, but the fact that a non-League side had reached that far was a marvellous achievement.

Reaching the Fifth Round, Harriers had seen off Chesham United in the Fourth Qualifying Round 4-1 with Delwyn Humphreys bagging a brace, league rivals Kettering Town 3-0 at home in round one, another Conference side Woking in the Second Round, 1-0 at Aggborough, thanks to a Richard Forsyth penalty, remarkably, First Division Birmingham City 2-1 at St Andrews with Neil Cartwright and Jon Purdie scoring in either half and then Division Two outfit Preston North End 1-0 at home, courtesy of a goal just after half-time from the outstanding Humphreys.

Despite winning the title, Kidderminster`s top scorer was the long-serving Paul `Ocker` Davies, who netted 14 in the league and 19 in total.

The goals were shared about by Allner`s side, who liked to play open, attacking football.

Delwyn Humphreys had a remarkable season – starting it on the transfer list and injured for a while and ending it back in the England semi-professional (England C) side and as one of the mainstays of the title-winning team.

But Allner`s squad was built on good, solid performances from honest performers such as centre-back Chris Brindley, left-back Paul Bancroft, midfielder Neil Cartwright and Paul Davies, sprinkled with some young stars such as Richard Forsyth and Paul Grainger, while goalkeeper Kevin Rose, defender Simeon Hodson and winger Jon Purdie came out of the pro ranks to make their mark on a tremendous season.

Harriers made their supporters suffer towards the end of the season.

They beat Welling United – ironically their first victims of the season – 3-0 at Park View Road on April 30th, but then proceeded to lose their last three matches against Halifax Town, Telford United and Altrincham – all 1-0!

Title rivals Kettering needed to win by a massive margin at home to Harriers` neighbours Bromsgrove Rovers to prevent the title going to Allner`s men.

In the end, both lost 1-0 – a result which actually prevented Rovers from going down – and Kidderminster claimed the crown by three points.

What was to follow, with chairman Dave Reynolds fighting hard off the field to persuade the powers that be that the ground would be ready in time for the start of the 1994/95 season fell on deaf ears.

They finished second to Macclesfield Town in 1997, but then languished in the bottom half in each of the next two seasons until Jan Molby took them up at the end of the 1999/2000 season – seven seasons after they reckon they should have been!