Harriers Managers

Harriers Managers

Over the years Kidderminster Harriers have had a variety of managers that have either been good, bad or indifferent. This list isn’t to give a personal opinion on the merits of each manager because that can be seen by looking at how long a manager has remained in the post and their record.

Graham Allner
Graham Allner
The first of the great managers

From the clubs inception in 1886 it was a committee that decided the team and the job of looking after them was given to a coach. The last of those was Ted Gamson up until the 1970’s when the club appointed the first proper manager, Ron Farmer, in 1973.

Jan Molby
Jan Molby
Took us into the Football League

Our first well known manager, Graham Allner, arrived in 1983 and stayed for fifteen years guiding the club to our only FA Trophy triumph in 1987 when we beat Burton Albion and then to two more finals in 1991 (Wycombe Wanderers) and 1995 (Woking).

Add in to that two Welsh Cup Finals in 1986 and 1989 and then a Conference Championship title in 1995 along with reaching the sixth round of the FA Cup when we lost to West Ham Utd after beating both Birmingham City and Preston North End on the way.

Sadly promotion was denied Allner due to ground grading issues.

When he left in December 1998 he was eventually replaced by Jan Molby who did finally get us into the Football League in 2000. Jan was probably our most high profile manager ever due to being with Liverpool and also a Denmark international.

Since the Molby years there have been three standout managers with Mark Yates, Steve Burr and John Eustace all taking us close to promotion but never quite making it.


ManagerDate fromDate toPlayed WonDrew  Lost
Ron Farmer19731974127513343
Stan Jones19751976103312448
Ron Whitehouse [c]197719771010
Allan Grundy [*]19771979611
John Chambers197919833241677087
Martin Gavin [c]198319833201
Graham AllnerMay 1983December 1998911409205297
Phil MullenDecember 1998May  19992710512
Jan MolbyMay 1999March 2002144605331
Ian BrittonMarch 2002October 200375242031
Jan MolbyOctober 2003October 200454162216
Shaun Cunnington [c]October 2004November 20045005
Stuart WatkissNovember 2004December 200550151025
Martin O’Connor [c]December 2005January 20066213
Mark YatesJanuary 2006December 2009217925273
John Finnigan [c]December 2009January 20102101
Steve BurrJanuary 2010January 2014205965158
Andy ThornJanuary 2014March 201410325
Gary WhildMarch 2014September 201573212428
Colin Gordon [c]September 2015October 20154022
Dave HockadayOctober 2015January 2016132110
Colin Gordon [c]January 2016April 201620758
John EustaceApril 2016May 2018104562226
Neil MacFarlaneMay 2018January 2019271179
Colin Gordon [c]January 2019January 20194103
Mark YatesJanuary 2019April 201912715
James O’Connor [c]April 2019April 20192011
John PembertonMay 2019November 2019195410
Russ Penn [c]November 2019December 20192011
James ShanDecember 2019February 202011335
Russ PennFebruary 2020January 2024161674254
Phil Brown [c]January 2024     
       
[c] Denotes caretaker manager      
[*] Denotes record incomplete