by Peter Scherer
National League North side Kidderminster Harriers are our visitors to the Don Amott Arena this Saturday, for Mickleover’s third pre-season match.
Sports boss Gareth Holmes is still experimenting with his players, after last weekends home draw against Belper and the win over Chesterfield Youth.
“We have got this game and the Shepshed one away to look at more trialists and our squad players, before we start making decisions before the Burton and Barnsley games.
By then I want to have a good idea of what my starting line-up will be for the first league game. I don’t really mind who we get first, as we have to play everyone twice,” said Holmes.
Harriers now managed by ex Rams boss Phil Brown, finished 10th in the league last season, but going back to 2000 they were promoted to the Football League, spending five years before relegation to the then Conference.
Brown has been in charge since January and this weekend will be their third pre-season game, having taking 1-0 wins at Cardiff City and Droitwich Spa.
Christian Dibble and Josh Bishop have shared the goalkeeping duties so far. Dibble came from Wrexham in January and was a Bury Junior. He has also played for Warrington, Barnsley, Nuneaton, Boston Utd and Chorley, before spending 5 ½ years at Wrexham and is a Wales Under 17, 19 and 21 international. Bishop is a product of their own youth scheme.
Right back Alex Penny was a Wales International at Under 15’s. Hull City picked him up from Withernsea, but on his release he moved on via Bedworth, Stourbridge, Hinckley, Nuneaton and Peterborough Utd, before spending a year in Scotland with Hamilton Academicals. He came back to England with Boston Utd and has been at Kidderminster since February 2020.
Centre back Caleb Richards started out at Blackpool, and was loaned to Marine, Warrington and Southport, before joining Norwich in 2018. He was loaned again to FC United, Tampa Bay Rowdies in the USA and Yeovil and became a Harrier in September on his release.
Fellow centre back Paul Downing is a recent signing from Hereford. His early career was with West Bromwich Albion, who loaned him to Hereford, Shrewsbury, Rotherham and Barnet, before joining Walsall on his release. He has also played for MK Dons, Blackburn, Doncaster, Portsmouth and Rochdale, making over 300 football league appearances.
Luke Summerfield is a central midfielder and another recent signing from Halifax. He has played almost 400 football league games, having started out at Plymouth Argyle. He was loaned to Bournemouth and Leyton Orient, before joining Cheltenham on his release. Shrewsbury, York City, Grimsby Town, Macclesfield and Wrexham were his next stops, before a four-year spell at Halifax.
Ashley Hemmings is another vastly experienced and long serving left sided midfielder, with more than 400 senior football league games under his belt. Wolves initially loaned him to Cheltenham and Torquay, before he went to Walsall on his release. After a loan at Burton Albion he was released again to join Dagenham & Redbridge, but has played at Mansfield, Boston Utd, Salford City, Fylde, and Altrincham too. He came to Kidderminster from Fylde in October 2019.
Winger Seb Thompson was an England Under 16 International, who played youth football at Aston Villa. Liverpool, Leicester City, Derby and Burnley. He joined Macclesfield on his release, but left after a month and came to Kidderminster in February.
Maliq Cadogan is a winger too, currently on loan from Swansea City. He started out at Crystal Palace and is on loan until January.
Football is in the blood for right back Chistian Oxlade-Chamberlain. His father Mark was a well known Stoke City player and England International, uncle Neville had a long league career too and brother Alex currently playing in Turkey, is an England International too.
Christian started at Portsmouth and was loaned to Salisbury, Eastbourne, Pole Town and Oxford City, before joining Notts County. After two years he headed for Gosport, Aldershot and Kings Lynn, before joining our visitors in July 2023.
Winger Samson Hewett, striker Kobe Hall and midfielder Noah Rubio are more home-grown talents, Hewett was out on loan at Bromsgrove and Malvern Town last season to gain experience, while Hall was also at Bromsgrove and Coleshill Town.
Right sided midfielder Jack Lambert came from Darlington at the start of last season. After early spells at Middlesbrough and Dundee he joined Scunthorpe, who loaned him to Darlington and Blyth Spartans. He spent a month with IBV Vestmannaeyjar in Iceland, before joining Hebburn Town and then spent two years at Darlington.
Joe Foulkes is a right back and played his early football at Walsall. After three loan spells at Kidderminster, his moved became permanent a couple of weeks ago.
Striker Amari Morgan-Smith is about to start his fifth season with our visitors, after arriving from Alfreton in July 2020. He started at Wolves, before moving to Crewe Alexandra. Quickly moving on to Ilkeston, Luton and Macclesfield, he first came to Kidderminster on loan in 2013, before his stay became permanent. Oldham Athletic was his next stop, followed by Cheltenham, York City, Telford and Alfreton.
Central midfielder Zak Brown scored the winning goal at Droitwich. He came from Alvechurch in July 2022, after being a West Bromwich Albion Junior.
Centre back Reiss McNally has spent most of his career with Solihull Moors. He spent a year at Guiseley before returning to Moors in 2020, but was loaned to Brackley Town, Hereford and Telford, before coming to Kidderminster on another loan in November 2022, making it permanent at the start of last season.
Maz Kouhyar is an Afghan International, who can play on either wing. He played his youth football at Coventry City and Walsall and made 21 league one appearances. He then moved on to Hereford and York, from where he is currently on a season long loan.
Central midfielder David Davis has just arrived from Forest Green. He started at Wolves, before loans at Darlington, Walsall, Shrewsbury, Inverness and Chesterfield followed. He joined Birmingham on his release and after another loan at Charlton, he went to Shrewsbury, who also loaned him to Solihull and Forest Green, before the latter became permanent.