Result! Kidderminster Harriers' FA Cup run set to bring in £1.3 million to club and town
Kidderminster Harriers and businesses across the town are set to enjoy a £1.3 million funding boost, thanks to the team's FA Cup run.
A report by football finance expert Dr Rob Wilson has estimated that the club's run to the fourth round has a revenue benefit of £500,000 for the club and around £800,000 to the community in Kidderminster.
Dr Wilson said the report, which was commissioned by the Football Association, calculated the direct financial impact through prize money, broadcast and commercial fees, along with detailed estimates and the broader economic impact underpinned by the spending habits of fans and visitors to the town.
He said the finance generated from the game would have a transformative effect on the club, with £100,000 in gate receipts potentially life-changing for Kidderminster Harriers, as opposed to just a drop in the ocean for West Ham United.
"The club would have lost around £400,000 last year due to Covid and the closures, so this cup run has helped eclipse that loss and leaves the club in profit," said Dr Wilson, head finance, accounting and business systems at Sheffield Hallam University.
"It has a ripple effect on the town as well, as people are getting excited about the game and you will see local bars and restaurants and hotels getting a huge boost on the day of the game.
"What it has done as well is brought the eyes of the world to a relatively small town outside Birmingham and allowed it to see what makes it what it is, like the carpet museum, and it will stimulate an economic boost for quite some time to come."
For businesses across the town, the impact of the cup run and the success of the club has given them a warm feeling of pride and happiness at the attention it has brought to the town.
Lesley Carr, head of marketing and communications at Severn Valley Railway, said she was full of pride at the success of the club.
She said: "You can't help but feel proud when you see your local team doing so well, and the Harriers are now synonymous with the town in the same way Severn Valley Railway is.
"While we have been closed for trains during the winter, we have had people coming to our pubs to watch the games, which has been a real boost for us, and I think we will see more people coming to see us when the season starts.
"It's just been really good for the town and puts us on the map in so many new ways."
Sue Heatherington, manager of Kidderminster Carpet Museum, was also delighted at the success of the club and said it would bring more eyes to the history of the town.
She said: "The carpet industry has had a big link to the football over the years and we have always had an affinity with the club, so we hope that more people will be able to see us and our history through the club.
"It will definitely bring more people into the town and help more people know about the museum and what we offer, not just as a museum, but also as a hub for the whole community.
"The whole cup run has had a lovely impact on us and the whole town and I think will have that bounce for us and other businesses for a long time to come."
