Harriers is a name you would not normally associate with a football club, but it is a common name for an athletics club. Kidderminster Harriers were in fact originally an athletic club. The many disciplines involved in athletics, echo some of the many facets of this majestic bird of prey. (PIC 1) The harrier usually glides silently in the air over marshes and grasslands, with its wings held in a shallow V. To catch its prey, however, it flies at speed very close to the ground taking its prey by surprise. Its prey include mice, rats and frogs, so usually favours the skies over marshland.
Kidderminster Harriers Athletic Club, first joined forces with a rugby club before throwing its lot in with football, which was fast becoming popular at the time. Kidderminster Harriers Football Club was founded in 1886, from the former athletic and rugby clubs, and they have kept the name of the former athletic club. I would like to thank, the Kidderminster Shuttle and Times, for some of the above information.
The club’s badge is of a simple design and clearly conveys its message. (PIC 2) It has a harrier clutching its prey, in this case, a football, and if its talons have not yet burst the ball then its beak looks like it’s about to. Both are unsurprisingly, symbols of the football club, and it will not surprise you to learn that the nickname of the club is, wait for it “The Harriers”. It used to be “The Carpetmen”, as Kidderminster is known for making carpets. The rest of the badge is made up of the club’s initials, and the whole lot is coloured in the red and white of the club’s colours. Now back in the conference, Kidderminster are included as they were in the league when I was researching this project. However now I am updating the project, they reside in the National League North. The town name is an Anglo-Saxon personal name Cydela, and the Anglo-Saxon word Mynster, meaning monastery. So, Cyd’s Church plays at the Compact Aggborough Stadium and is the nest of “The Harriers” which can hold 6,238 fans, half of them seated. Cheltenham and Shrewsbury contest the local rivalry and to find out more on “The Harriers” then soar down and clutch hold of www.harriers.co.uk
