Graham Allner

Graham Allner is a retired British footballer and football manager.

He is most notable for his spell as manager of Kidderminster Harriers from 1983 until 1999.

A long-serving defensive midfield player with Worcester City, Allner began his managerial career with AP Leamington after working as assistant manager at Cheltenham Town a club he also played a number of games for in his career. He led AP Leamington to the Southern Premier League in 1983. However, Leamington were denied promotion to the Gola League, their place being taken instead by the club that had finished second that year, Kidderminster Harriers. Soon after this, Allner was to leave Leamington and take charge at the Worcestershire club. Kidderminster quickly established themselves as a top non-league side under Allner's management, winning the FA Trophy in 1987 and reaching the final in 1991 and 1995, in addition to making the final of the Welsh Cup in 1986 and 1989. Their most successful season came in 1994/95 when they reached the Fifth Round of the FA Cup (the last non league side to do so), knocking out Division One side Birmingham City - Allner's first club as a player, and Preston North End. They also won the Conference title that year, but were controversally denied promotion because their Aggborough stadium was not deemed up to Football League standards.

Kidderminster almost made it to the Football League in 1996-97 after leading the Conference by 15 points at Christmas, but a storming run by close contenders Macclesfield pushed them into second place.

Allner quit in March 1999 after almost 16 years in charge ( second only to Dario Gradi who took over at Crewe in June 1983] in professional football) and was eventually replaced by Jan Molby. A brief tenure as Worcester City manager followed.

He later worked as a coach under Steve Cotterill at Cheltenham Town and helped them win promotion to Division Two in 2002. When Cotterill moved to Stoke City a few weeks after the promotion triumph, Allner was promoted to the manager's seat but was sacked on 13 January 2003 with Cheltenham heading for relegation. His successor was Bobby Gould.

He is currently working for The Scouting Network.

Honours

As a manager

AP Leamington
* Southern Premier League champion - 1982/83

Kidderminster Harriers
* FA Trophy winner - 1987
* Football Conference champion - 1994/95

External links

* [http://www.harriers-online.co.uk/squad/allner.shtml Harriers-Online profile]
* [http://thescoutingnetwork.co.uk/allner.htm The Scouting Network]