Worcestershire trio aim to make more Cup magic

Lifelong Worcester City fan Roger King, who witnessed their FA Cup win over then Second Division Liverpool in 1959, Kidderminster Harriers boss Paul Wotton (centre) and Alvechurch manager Kyle Storer (right), a veteran of past Cup upsets with both Tamworth and Harriers [BBC Midlands Today/Press Association] It's now 55 seasons since non-league Hereford United's 2-1 fourth-round replay win over top-flight Newcastle United entered English football folklore as arguably the greatest FA Cup shock of all time. Elsewhere in the Midlands, though, there have been many other upsets and moments of cup magic too. Telford United (in 1984) and Kidderminster Harriers (in 1994) both made it to the fifth round, and Worcestershire village side Alvechurch hold a record they will keep forever - unless the rules are changed again - after taking four replays to see off Oxford City in a qualifying round tie in 1971. Worcester City were involved in a record-breaking penalty shootout against Scunthorpe in 2014 - the same year they famously beat Coventry City. But, while the memory of that day at Hereford - Ronnie Radford et al - surpasses all other memories, across the Worcestershire border, it perhaps still irks a bit. Accompanied by fallen 1970s non-league stars Stafford Rangers, Worcestershire clubs make up three of the four non-EFL Midlands sides to have made it through to the first round proper - the Harriers plus seventh-tier duo Alvechurch and Worcester, who all face EFL clubs. How will they fare this time? Plymouth Argyle v Alvechurch 5th in League One v 6th in Southern League Premier Central (Tier 7) On paper, it looks a very tall order for Alvechurch. But not every non-league club has got an FA Cup pedigree like the Church's manager Kyle Storer. The former Bedworth United, Tamworth, Hinckley United, Atherstone Town, Nuneaton Town, Kiddy Harriers, Wrexham, Cheltenham Town, Solihull Moors, Nuneaton Borough, AFC Telford United, Kettering Town and Alvechurch player is not just a walking advert for Midlands non-league football, he has got plenty of FA Cup "previous" to be taken into consideration. "I've been very fortunate," Storer told BBC Midlands Today. "I got to the fourth round with Kiddy Harriers, when we played at Sunderland in front of 40,000. And that was having beaten Peterborough over two games with a team that had Joe Lolley, Marvin Johnson and Chey Dunkley." Kyle Storer (background) led Kiddy Harriers out for their 1-0 fourth-round defeat by Sunderland at the Stadium of Light [Shutterstock] "And, when I was at Tamworth, we won at Bournemouth [ Storer actually scored the winner] , then took Stoke to a replay. And we got Norwich at home in third round the following year." Dion Dublin and Darren Huckerby both netted twice in a 4-1 win but Storer had the last word by getting one back. "It was voted goal of the round too," he grins. "I've had some amazing FA Cup runs but let's hope we can go and create another day to remember. Let's hope we can cause some damage. "in terms of football prospects, it's a tough one. They're flying, aren't they? But, in financial terms, then it's amazing." Colchester United v Worcester City 23rd in League Two v 17th in Southern League Premier Central (Tier7) For the younger generations, ask any Worcester City fan what the FA Cup means to them and they will bring up the 2013-14 season. City caused "Pandemonium at the Ricoh", as BBC Hereford & Worcester freelance reporter Dan Johnson excitedly put it, when they beat then League One side Coventry. Then came that 14-13 spotkicks defeat by Scunthorpe United in that astonishing, record-breaking 30-penalty shootout. City also made the first round the following season when, despite having Troy Deeney's brother Ellis in the side, they were well beaten 3-0 at Bramall Lane by Sheffield United . This is their first appearance in the first round proper since then. But, for the result that still counts as City's biggest FA Cup scalp, you have to go way back to January 1959 - and the arrival of Liverpool at their old St George's Lane home. FA Cup highlights: Liverpool lose to Worcester City City leave Worcester after 108 years It was 11 months before the great Bill Shankly arrived at Liverpool to create the legendary 'Mighty Red' machine which became kings of English football and conquered all of Europe in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. At the time, they were still in Division Two - and not promoted until 1962 after eight years in the second tier - but it's a memory that then schoolboy, Roger King, will ever forget. "The game should have been on the Saturday but it was postponed," Roger told BBC Midlands Today. "It was quite icy. "I was at school then, Christopher Whitehead Secondary Modern. The game was rearranged for the following Wednesday afternoon and the only way you could attend was to get the ticket signed by my father, to take the headmaster and he gave you permission to have the afternoon off. "I can't remember much of the game but I do remember the crowd. We got to the ground at one o'clock and didn't get in until gone two o'clock. St George's Lane was just a residential street and it was thronged with thousands. "A lot of people talk about Hereford and their notable win, but we'll never forget our win over Liverpool." Can City cause another upset on Saturday? Well, Danny Cowley's Colchester have not won since a 1-0 victory over Rochdale on 29 August - 12 games ago - and have slipped to 23rd in League Two. It might not be Liverpool or Coventry, but it would be another significant scalp for Worcester. And it was in Essex 68 years ago that their Cup heroics all began, when they drew 0-0 with Chelmsford and beat them in a first-round replay. Kidderminster Harriers v Doncaster Rovers 13th in National League v 20th in League One After early exits in the qualifying rounds over the last two seasons, when they were a sixth-tier side, regular cup fighters Kidderminster Harriers make ther first appearance in round one since losing 2-1 at home to Fleetwood in 2023 . After promotion in May, Harriers made a great start back in the fifth tier under new manager Paul Wotton. But they have now not won in eight league games - their only victory in that time coming at home to fellow Midlanders Solihull Moors in the fourth qualifying round. Now they face Grant McCann's Doncaster, who have themselves won just three league games so far this season. Is another Harriers scalp on he cards? "You always want to win your next game," Wotton told BBC Hereford & Worcester. "And we're at home. And there's no pressure on us. "I know the manager well. I've played against him many times and I've been assistant manager when he's been the manager on the opposite bench. "We're full time, so we'll have no excuses fitness-wise but they're two leagues higher than us. "It's still a big jump for us. We're a million miles from League One. "But don't let anyone ever tell you can't do anything. We'll be as committed as we possibly can." Other Midlands sides in the FA Cup first round Saturday 7 November (15:00 GMT) Crewe Alexandra v AFC Wimbledon (4th in League Two v 18th in League One) Eastleigh v Shrewsbury Town (17th in National League v 15th in League Two Newport County v Walsall (14th v 3rd in League Two) Port Vale v Scunthorpe United (19th in League Two v 23rd in National League) Sunday 8 November (12:00 GMT) Stafford Rangers v Grimsby Town (2nd in Northern Premier League West Division v 6th in League Two)