Kidderminster Harriers

22/23 Position: 6th (NLN)

Founded: 1886

Nickname: Kiddy

Ground: Aggborough

Key Player: Krystian Pearce

It brings me great pleasure to talk about Pearce, one of the first players I loved as a County fan. He's had a long career in both the EFL and non-league, and last season he was something of a revelation after making the move from Hereford. He's a West Midlands boy, and a quality defender. While he perhaps doesn't have the same turn of pace he used to, like all great defenders he has learnt to adapt his game. He was an ever present at the heart of the defence last season, and his leadership qualities will be crucial too.

Key Signing: Jack Lambert

Winger Lambert was a player that was tipped for an EFL move earlier last season. His form seemed to tail off alongside Darlington's, but he still had a wonderful season, scoring 13 goals and assisting another 6. It was something of a breakthrough campaign for Lambert, a player who has always had the ability, but not always had the platform to show it. He's an exciting player, and I feel it's something of a coup for Kiddy to land his signature.

Opening Fixtures:

Woking (H)

York City (A)

Fylde (A)

Bromley (H)

Ebbsfleet (A)

Manager: Russ Penn

The Odds:

Title: 50/1

Promotion: 28/1

Top 7: 4/1

37 year old Penn is one of the youngset managers in the league, but he has been in charge of the Harriers since 2020, shortly after he retired as a player there. He is already a club hero, and delivering them back to the National League has only cemented that status. He of course led them on their famous FA Cup run in 21/22, and he had to deal with losing some key players last season too. He rebuilt the side, got it to win when it mattered most, and reaped the rewards.

Verdict:

It pains me to say it, as I really like Kiddy as a club, and they were my picks to win promotion through the playoffs last season. However, I'm just not sure they've got the pre existing quality to survive, nor am I sure they have added the required quality to keep them up either. 22/23 wasn't their best campaign, and it was only really at the end of the season where they came to life. Relegation contenders.

Prediction: