BACK IN ’94 I WAS DAZED AND CONFUSED MOYES: MY TOP BIDS REJECTED

Zeppelin legend Robert Plant is a Wolves nut, but has a huge place in his heart for Kidderminster... just don’t ask him where he was when they met West Ham in the 1994 FA Cup

LED ZEPPELIN front-man Robert Plant admits to being dazed and confused when it comes to Kidderminster’s last FA Cup crack at West Ham.

Gaps in the memory come with the territory when you are a rock legend. “I was somewhere lost in America,” said Plant when asked to recall the fifth-round clash back in 1994, which was settled in the Hammers’ favour thanks to a goal from Lee Chapman.

But Plant still has a whole lotta love for his local team and a town best known for making carpets.

And, after attending the Harriers National League North win over Leamington on Tuesday night, he will be back at Aggborough on Saturday for the pick of the fourthround ties.

Climbing the stairway to heaven at Wembley may be a long way off for Kidderminster, but Plant has no doubt they can rock the Hammers, having dumped out Reading in the previous round.

“Why not?” said the Black Country-born star at the prospect of a giant-killing. “Reading weren’t even at the races.

“West Ham are having a really good season but this club is consistent now with some cracking little players. They play really well and the size of the pitch will baffle West Ham. When you play on small pitches like this you really have to contain your game. Hopefully the town can be a giant-killer.”

Plant is a lifelong Wolves fan but has always had a soft spot for Kidderminster, keeping tabs on their progress as he toured the world with Led Zep before going solo.

And rather than head to Molineux to watch Wolves take on Norwich on Saturday, he will make the three-mile journey from his home to Aggborough.

“Kidderminster have always been my second team after following Wolves all my life,” said Plant.

“Saturday is going to be exciting, I wouldn’t miss it.

“I can’t do both games without a jump-jet. But I have been allowed an afternoon off to come here.

“I have been to lots of games here before. I went to a lowerleague play-off once when Kidderminster lost and I was in the middle of recording an album. I drove back to London in tears. It is terrible when the club you have followed all your life ends up playing against Chorley in the Yorkshire League or whatever it is.

“There have been some great people and characters running this place over the years. Now it is getting consistent again. Everybody is excited about the weekend.”

Harriers are 10-1 with bookies to beat the Hammers. While those odds may appear long, compare them with odds for Championship leaders Fulham, who are 16-1 to win at Manchester City.

Plant, who has switched from powerhouse rock anthems to crooning country blues, laughed off the prospect of penning an FA Cup anthem for the Harriers.

And while it has been a case of good times, bad times for both Kidderminster’s football team and the town itself, Plant expects the place to be at full volume when the Hammers visit.

“In the last 30-40 years it has been a see-saw for Kidderminster Harriers with despair and elation,” said the 73-year-old (below).

“But when they are successful it is really good for the spirit of the town.

“When I was a kid in this area, the town was incredibly affluent.

“There was a lot of business and employment with the carpets and agriculture. It is another age now but football and the resonance it has created here goes right the way through into the bloodstream and nervous system of the town.”

Rest assured, in front of the BBC cameras, the Harriers will give the Hammers no quarter on Saturday.

DAVID MOYES has defended West Ham’s lack of transfer business, insisting they had THREE record bids turned down.

Hammers boss Moyes wanted a centre-back and a back-up striker in before the January transfer window shut – but ended up signing nobody.

And fans have turned on the board, fearing the club have missed out on an opportunity to go for the top four.

But Moyes (below) said: “There have been some things said about the board, but in this window they have been brilliant. They have backed me and tried to support me in all the moves.

“We probably made three record transfer bids in this January window.

“It’s probably been tougher because we’re trying to attract some of the top players throughout Europe.

“West Ham supporters can be reassured that we were really ambitious in what we were trying to do, but we missed out on one or two late on.”

The Irons are believed to have had a bid of more than £40million turned down by Benfica for striker Darwin Nunez.

They were also stonewalled by Leeds over Raphinha, failed with a late effort to sign Atalanta striker Duvan Zapata and got nowhere trying to bring Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard back on loan.