FA Cup: Behind the scenes with Kidderminster boss Russell Penn before West Ham tie

It is a big week for Kidderminster Harriers as they prepare for Saturday's FA Cup fourth-round tie with West Ham United at their Aggborough ground.

Throughout this week, Kiddy boss Russell Penn is counting down to the tie by taking readers behind the scenes at the Worcestershire club with his BBC Sport FA Cup diary, which will be updated daily.

Tuesday, 1 February: 'Cheese, wine and FA Cup fever'

Now I know how Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola must feel when they do the food shop.

Normally I am able to dash around my local Tesco without a care in the world, but not during FA Cup fourth round week.

I was still in my club training gear collecting the weekly groceries with my wife, Kylie, and children Harley and Lyelah on Monday afternoon when I noticed people pointing.

I could hear them talking about Kidderminster in the cup as we walked past the frozen peas. It was a surreal experience.

If I wanted a reminder of how momentous Saturday's tie is, I certainly got one after popping into the supermarket for some cheese and wine.

I've lost count of the number of people who have asked 'have you got any West Ham spares?'. I've even had people I haven't heard from for years text me wanting tickets.

Interest in tonight's match with Leamington is not quite on the same scale. Nevertheless our league attendances have increased on the back of our FA Cup run. To get 2,000-plus in National League North is not bad at all.

After tonight's game I'm up bright and early tomorrow for the school run before heading back to the club for our news conference to preview the big game.

Although Covid restrictions have been eased, the club made the decision to hold a virtual press conference to minimise the risk ahead of what is a lucrative tie for a club of Kidderminster's size.

A normal game would perhaps attract the local radio station and in-house club media. This week, however, is off the scale.

The last time I checked there were 30 television, radio and newspaper outlets from all around the world interested. I'm also due to speak to former England striker Rodney Marsh, who co-hosts a radio show in the United States, about Kidderminster on Friday.

The ground is starting to take shape for West Ham's visit. Scaffolding for the television cameras is starting to go up and there will be electronic advertising boards around the ground in place for the weekend.

Everyone has a spring in their step, from the coffee lady to the chairman, and we all want Aggborough to look its sparkling best on Saturday.

Monday, 31 January: 'All I'm thinking about is Leamington'

So here we are. It's Monday morning and the start of one of the biggest weeks in Kidderminster's 136-year history.

West Ham have been on everyone's lips since the draw was made - but in all honesty, all I'm concentrating on is our rearranged home league game with Leamington on Tuesday.

While the FA Cup run has provided us all with tremendous positives and once-in-a-lifetime experiences, winning promotion remains the number one priority.

Of course I would have liked a free week to prepare for a tie of such magnitude, but it is important we return to winning ways on Tuesday after a frustrating 0-0 against Gloucester City on Saturday.

I spent Sunday watching Leamington's 1-0 weekend win over Blyth Spartans on my laptop, planning Monday's training session and getting some fresh air by watching my 13-year-old son Harley play rugby union for Old Halesonians in Hagley, close to our home in Stourbridge.

My brother Michael played professionally for several clubs including Worcester Warriors and Edinburgh, so he must get it from him. Harley loves it and gets stuck in, while I have always been fascinated by the disciplinary side of rugby union.

Before training on Monday, I'll attend a business event in the Aggborough Suite at the ground. Richard Lane, Kidderminster's owner, is trying to get more companies involved in the club. He is a salesman and pitches the club really well.

This is my first job as a manager and I'm learning an awful lot from him about the business side of running a club.

We are so close to the West Ham tie. I want the players to enjoy Saturday and all the media attention that comes with it.

We've had Sky Sports and Talksport at the club already, while the BBC One trucks will soon be arriving to get ready to broadcast to the nation.

I cannot ban my players from talking about West Ham before our league game on Tuesday. If I did that, how would that make me look?

But the sooner Leamington is out of the way, the sooner we can enjoy the build-up to Saturday.

Russell Penn was talking to BBC Sport's Neil Johnston.