Kidderminster dreaming of FA Cup giant-killing as West Ham come to town

Kidderminster manager Russ Penn is dreaming of history as his side prepare to host West Ham in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday and knows the omens are good for the non-league side.

An impressive 2-1 win over Championship Reading last month earned Harriers a shot at a high-flying Hammers team in the hunt for Champions League qualification.

West Ham boss David Moyes will be in no mood to take this weekend’s opponents lightly, given he was dumped out of the competition by Kidderminster as a player at Preston in 1994.

That victory was part of the Aggborough club’s best ever run to the fifth round, where they lost to the Hammers, with Birmingham also beaten along the way when Blues were owned by David Gold and David Sullivan, the current co-owners of West Ham.

Penn said: “I said to the lads in the changing room after we beat Leamington that we have to believe history can be made one day, so let’s hope it could be Saturday. We’ve given ourselves an opportunity to do that.

“We are in an empty book to be scripted and we will give it our best shot.

“I knew about the David Moyes link, but I completely forgot about Gold and Sullivan. This is what I mean, it is history.

“How many years ago are we talking? Twenty-eight years. It is unbelievable and these people are still in the game, which is why I have the utmost respect for David Moyes.

“What a manager to come to the place. I know he will respect us, respect the football club and respect the competition with the team he will put out.”

What a manager to come to the place. I know he will respect us, respect the football club and respect the competition with the team he will put out- Kidderminster boss Russ Penn on David Moyes

Former Harriers midfielder Penn wants Moyes to put out