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Now at their new ground Dial Fields, Harchester Saint found themselves the opposite side of a newly-formed local rivalry, when the men of the local Dragon Leather Tannery set up a team of their own, Harchester St. Augustine and played on the Palmerston Road ground. Saint took this, albeight friendly rivalry seriously, and a year into playing at Dial Fields claimed the prominent "United" title, bringing about the birth of Harchester United in 1887. With the renaming from Saint to United also came the beginning of the association with purple for Harchester, and the team's home colours were changed from it's original white strip.
By 1894-95 it was crunch time for both the United and St. Augustine teams. With the game of football now being recognised as a proper business and industry, United were ready to evolve from a team of part-time players into a club of professionals. The infirmary and the tannery came together, with St. Augustine ceasing in name to merge with United to create one super team: Harchester United Football Club. This new establishment adopted the Dragon as their mascot in tribute to the team who had come together with their rivals to create the dream.
From here on, the local club rivalry Harchester had shared transferred to their neighbours, Small Heath, later to become Birmingham City. St. Augustine's former ground provided the perfect location for Harchester's home, and it's very first stadium, which took the same name as the ground, Palmerston Road.
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