Former Preston North End, Hartlepool United and Derby County figure takes up non-league job

Former Preston North End manager Phil Brown has taken up the reins at non-league Kidderminster Harriers.

The 64-year-old has been out of work for 19 months, and takes to non-league management for just the second time in his career. His last job had been at Barrow and he guided them to safety in League Two however his stay at Holker Street and was not extended and he has since been out of work after leaving in May 2022.

Brown takes charge of Kidderminster who are rock bottom of the National League and currently seven points adrift of safety. His first match in charge of the Harriers is on Saturday, January 20 when they face Aldershot Town at Aggborough.

After his unveiling, Brown said on the official club website: "I was immediately drawn to the passion that the Chairman and Board of Kidderminster have for their club, and their desire to succeed.

“There’s no getting away from the fact we are in a battle, but the picture is clear in terms of what we want to try and achieve, and it’s a challenge I am looking forward to sinking my teeth into.”

Brown's time in charge at Preston North End was not a time that fans will look on fondly. He replaced Darren Ferguson in January 2011 but could not prevent PNE from being relegated from League One, and was sacked in December of the same year. His record during his time in Lancashire was 15 wins, 15 draws and 21 defeats in 51 games which gave him a win percentage of 29.4%.

He has since gone on to manage Southend United for just shy of five-years before a brief stint at Swindon Town before going to India to manage Hyderabad. Brown returned to England to take the Southend job on for a second-time, and later ended up at Barrow in March 2022.