Kidderminster's FA Cup heroics a symbol of town's success says councillor

Harriers will host West Ham in the fourth round of the FA Cup this Saturday, having knocked Reading of the Championship out in the third round in January.

It has seen the Wyre Forest town cast into the national spotlight and brought new eyes to not just Kidderminster Harriers, but all parts of the town as people begin to see what it has to offer.

One of the leading figures behind the regeneration of Kidderminster as it emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic has been Councillor David Ross, leader of Kidderminster Town Council.

The Conservative councillor for St Barnabas said he felt the success of the Harriers mirrored the growing success of the town.

He said: “What it does show is that as we are emerging from the pandemic and hopefully into a brighter future, it is giving the residents of Kidderminster, whether they are football fans or not, something to hook onto.

“That means getting behind and supporting the Harriers and their current FA Cup run and I think they are really inspiring everyone to get behind them in their big match with West Ham.”

Councillor Ross said that while he wasn’t a massive football fan, he could see the impact the cup run was having on the town and the people.

He said: “Even someone with my limited football knowledge can feel the enthusiasm of the supporters and it is quite heart-warming to see on social media how excited all the youngsters and senior citizens, like myself, are feeling.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for the town, which is a very historic town which has been around for hundreds of years, and raises our profile in terms of our impact regionally and people start to look at us in a different light.

“It also brings people to think about what goes on in Kidderminster, such as the Severn Valley Railway, the Safari Park and the carpet museum, as well as the other visitor attractions in the town, so the club are raising the profile and highlighting things people may have missed.”

Councillor Ross said the fact the game was on BBC television was an honour the club deserved and offered his own congratulations to the team ahead of the game.

He said: “The players and manager have done a wonderful job and are so dedicated to what they do, and all I can do on behalf of the town and council is to wish them the best of luck against West Ham.

“On this occasion, I will be glued to the TV to watch the game as I know all tickets have rightly gone to all the loyal supporters, so it’s more important for me to offer my support through watching on TV and I hope they win 1-0.”