It was on Wednesday afternoon in a small room at the Samurai Judo Gym, which doubles up as Kidderminster Harriers’ training facilities, that the size of the task facing the non-League team hit their manager, Russell Penn.
Since providing the shock of the FA Cup third round by knocking out Reading, the Sky Bet Championship club who were 79 places above them in the English football pyramid, sixth-tier Kidderminster have played seven National League North games in 21 days. There has been little time to consider what is about to unfold when West Ham United, of the Premier League, arrive in Worcestershire today.
“There were two moments when it all sunk in,” Penn says, as he prepares to present his squad with an overview of their opposition. “We were putting together an analysis presentation at training, we put their team up on the screen and it was like, ‘Wow, we really are playing West Ham.’ Then we were putting together the footage and you see Declan Rice going box to box. This is real now.”
Outside on the training pitches, the players complete passing drills before practicing their shape out of possession. There is talk of who can get their “claim to fame” by nutmegging Rice, the England midfielder. Confidence oozes in a squad that has lost only twice since October 9. Signs of that success are seen on the hands of the goalkeeper Luke Simpson.
“He doesn’t cut his nails if he keeps a clean sheet and we’ve had four on the bounce now, so he’s got claws at the moment,” Mark Carrington, his team-mate, says. “Luke said, ‘It’ll count when I save a penalty in the last minute with my fingernail.’ ”
Superstitions run through this group, who sit third in the table. Geraldo Bajrami, 22, plays with a garlic clove in his sock. “He’s Albanian and it’s a lucky tradition,” Carrington, 34, says.
The other is the team’s “winning tablets”, which were knocked back yesterday after preparations were complete. It has become a Friday ritual. Lewis Montrose, once of Manchester City’s academy, dipped into his wash bag a couple of months ago and found a pack of cod liver oil and zinc tablets. “We all had one,” Carrington says. “Ever since, when we’ve had them on a Friday we haven’t lost, so now they’re called the winning tablets.”
A lot has gone into getting today’s game ready at the home of the lowest-ranked team left in the competition. Four full-time office staff, an apprentice called Toby, and the chairman, Richard Lane, have all been working long days since the draw was made. “It’s been mayhem, absolutely manic,” Penn says, “but I’m not moaning. It’s been great.”
Kidderminster are hoping the game will provide an income of more than £200,000, money that would go towards new floodlights and an irrigation system. A makeshift BBC studio has been built, ready to for live Match of the Day coverage.
“The chairman has tried to cram every man and his dog in,” Carrington says. “He would have put stands on the roof if he could.”
Wolverhampton Wanderers, whose Under-23s play their matches at Aggborough, have helped to maintain the pitch. “You hear some stories of horror shows in non-League clubs but this is an ex-League club from 15 years ago and it’s been well looked after,” Penn says. “I think West Ham will be pleasantly surprised — which is not great for our side, so I might have to get the fork out and rough up the pitch a little bit,” Penn says.
The capacity of Aggborough Stadium is 6,444 but Carrington, the former Wrexham midfielder, says West Ham will face an intimidating atmosphere. “There were flares on the pitch and all sorts,” he says of the win against Reading. “It was like Galatasaray away at one point. People running for their lives. They just didn’t fancy it.”
Carrington is one of the senior members of the squad and has experience of days like this. In January 2015, he scored at the Britannia Stadium for Wrexham leaving the non-League side within 17 minutes of knocking out Stoke City, then an established Premier League club. “We got beat in the end,” he recalls. “They brought on some big hitters, but we gave a good account of ourselves and that’s all you can do.”
Penn, 36, is only two years older than Carrington. They were team-mates at Wrexham and Carrington says it was soon clear that Penn was destined for coaching. He’s emotional but exerts an infectious authority. “All the lads love him,” Carrington says.
Yesterday morning, 28 hours before kick-off, the ticking clock seems louder. “I’m a bit edgy, a bit nervous because it’s getting closer,” Penn says. He knows what he’ll say at 12.20pm this afternoon in the cramped home dressing room. As the winning tablets take effect and Bajrami pops the garlic clove into his sock, Penn will stand up.
“Enjoy the occasion but we have a game to win,” he’ll say. “We’re not just going to roll over. We’ve got to try and win the game by being organised and disciplined and professional like we have been all season.”
