A FOOTBALL academy left “disillusioned” after their relationship with Worcester City broke down have forged new links with Kidderminster Harriers.

Former City striker Mark Owen who runs the academy described the deal as a “massive opportunity” for his players who will look to rise through the ranks at the National North club.

Shab Khan, Brad Birch and Jamie Smith have all gone from Owen’s set-up based at the Heart of Worcestershire (HOW) College in Worcester to play for City.

But Owen admitted he had been “fighting” to keep the college’s partnership with the Midland League Premier Division outfit going for “many years” only for the club’s bosses to go a “different route”.

“The link with City has just evaporated over time and our lads got disillusioned,” Owen said.

“One minute we had the (Worcester City) badge, the next we had it taken off us, so all of a sudden you have got 30 players that are lost instead of having them walking around the city with the badge on. They lost their identity.”

Owen who scored more than 100 goals during his time at Worcester said it was a “shame” cash-strapped City were “willing to lose a full-time academy”.

“The partnership started in 2002 and it ran successfully under the John Barton era,” Owen continued.

“But when Evesham came and ground shared with Worcester that’s when the partnership started to dwindle and we have been fighting to keep it together for many years.

“We have created a lot of players for the first-team, notably Sam Wedgbury and Shab Khan.

“But for one reason or another the club were reluctant to do something with us.”

As well as offering a variety of sports courses at the Heart of Worcestershire College, students aged between 16 and 21 can play for Owen’s side who compete in the Midland League U21 West Division.

But with no backing from City Owen was keen to find a club who could provide his players with a “stepping stone” into the men’s game.

Owen said Kidderminster would provide work experience opportunities, coaching sessions and a chance to be a part of their under 23 programme.

“It is a massive opportunity for us,” Owen added.

“It is a win-win situation as Harriers will be working in our college and we will be working with a big National North club.

“The lads now know they will go two or three years through our academy system and there might be a chance of getting a contract.”

James Long, football development officer at Harriers, said the deal with the college presented an opportunity for the club to obtain talent from Worcester.

“The college are doing some great work and producing good players, so hopefully that can feed into our under 23s programme and then into the first-team,” Long said.

“We don’t see many players from the Worcester area, they are predominantly north of Worcester.

“So we are excited to give HOW College players an opportunity.

“We are the biggest club in Worcestershire at the moment and we are striving to do bigger and better things.”

The academy will be holding trials at Perdiswell Leisure Centre at 9.15am on Thursday.

The Worcester News contacted City youth director Mark Wilcox for a comment but he has yet to respond.

Heart of Worcestershire College’s football academy alumni:

Liam McDonald, Dean Smith, Dan Parker, Lewis Skyers, Shab Khan, Mike Wright, Troy Wood, Gary Walker, Sam Wedgbury, Matt Dinsmore, Brad Birch, Sam Yeomans, Ben Tilbury, Dave Reynolds, Jamie Smith, James Lemon, Dean Waldron, Louis Bridges, Luke Whittington, Dan Scarr.