New Brompton were generally a mid-table and lower First Division side in the Southern League - though one needs to remember it was an exceptionally strong competition in those days, full of clubs who would go on to become major powers in the Football League. During the 1912-13 season New Brompton changed its name to Gillingham F.C.

The Main Stand at Priestfield Photo © 2005 Ciderspace

They were bottom of the last completed Southern League season in 1914-15 before suspension of football for the Great War, and bottom again on the resumption of football in 1919-20. Despite this in 1920 Gillingham became founder members of Football League Division Three. They finished last, but survived without a re-election vote when Division Three South was formed the following year. They continued to be strugglers all the way through the next two decades, only twice finishing in the top half of the division and resorting to re-election for three straight seasons at the start of the 1930's. In 1938 their luck ran out and they were voted out of the Football League, replaced by Ipswich Town.

Back in the Southern League Gillingham met up with Yeovil & Petters United for the first time. The Gills finished third, the Glovers fifth. After World War II the Gills missed the 1945-46 season but were back playing for 1946-47, when they finished as Champions. Runners-up in 1947-48 and Champions again in 1948-49 they were pushing hard to regain their FL place, though the number of votes they received didn't give much cause for optimism. However in 1950 Division Three South was expanded by two clubs and Gillingham took one of the places. Typical of Yeovil's fortune that they finished third to Gillingham's fifth, and had defeated them in both league matches and the F.A. Cup that season, but only got one vote to the Kent side's forty-four. Gillingham's finishes of 22nd, 22nd and 21st over the following three seasons may have cast a few doubts as to whether the right decision had been made. Runners-up Colchester United took the other place; Champions Merthyr Tydfil were ineligible on ground standard issues.

The Rainham Stand Photo © 2005 Ciderspace

There were a couple of better seasons, but as the restructuring of the Football League approached the Gills were back in 22nd again for consecutive seasons and were placed into Division Four. Still they failed to pull up any trees, until under Freddie Cox (1962-65) they began to make a mark and won the title on goal average from Carlisle United in 1963-64. There was another Yeovil connection when ex-Glovers manager Basil Hayward took over the Gills in 1965. He kept them in Division Three until 1971. Relegation saw the end of his tenure, but Gillingham were back up at the end of the 1973-74 season as runners-up to Peterborough United.

They stayed in Division Three for fifteen seasons on this occasion, more in the top half of the table than the bottom. However the end of the Eighties saw a decline and they were relegated in 1988-89. By the early Ninties they were flirting with the Conference, their lowest point being 1992-93 when they went into the final day of the season in a straight head-to-head with Halifax Town. A 2-0 victory for The Gills meant it was The Shaymen who went down. The Kent club weren't out of the woods yet and by 1995 had gone into administration.

Love him (not many do) or loathe him (a more popular option) there's little question that the new owner/chairman/chief executive/loudmouth, who came in as the Gills faced oblivion, saved the club, and also took them on to their best days. Paul Scally remains all-powerful at Gillingham, and during his time there have been two promotions, and Gillingham got to the second level of the pyramid for the first time in their history. They maintained Division One status for five seasons. In 2003-04 they stayed up on the last day of the season. The following year they were five minutes from survivng again, but a late equaliser from already relegated Nottingham Forest and other results going against them meant the drop from the Football League Championship. Off the field Scally's reign has seen Priestfield almost entirely rebuilt.

The Gordon Road Stand Photo © 2005 Ciderspace

Given the size of Gillingham as a club and their recent Championship pedigree, they were probably expected to challenge at the top end of the table, rather than the bottom end. However, as is often the case with relegated sides, losing matches becomes a habit. The Gills are fairly strong in their home games, but away from home they are pretty woeful and that is what has put them on the slide this season. A shame therefore that Saturday's game is at Priestfield!

Mark Stimson was appointed as manager in November 2007, and despite their precarious position, both Scally and Stimson have persisted in suggesting that promotion and play-offs remain within reach, even though the League table suggests otherwise. Certainly with the amount of spending Stimson has done, his side ought to be higher. Striker Simeon Jackson cost £150,000 from Rushden and Diamonds, John Nutter, Adam Miller, Barry Fuller and Stuart Lewis were signed from Stevenage in deals believed to top six figures, whilst Garry Richards arrived from Southend, Stuart Thurgood and Dennis Oli from Grays and Leroy Griffiths from Fisher Athletic - all signed in the month of January alone! The fact that almost all of those signatures have come from non-league sides hasn't exactly endeared Stimson to the Gillingham faithful, who perhaps were expecting him to do a little more than raid six players from his former clubs. It's a dangerous tactic, particularly when one of the outgoings to balance the books has been for the Gills to get shot of Efe Sodje in the direction of Bury - precisely the sort of character you need in your dressing room in a crisis. At the moment, the Gills are just about keeping their heads above water, but will be desperate for a win, both to win disgruntled fans over, and to try and drag the Glovers down into their mess.

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RECENT RESULTS

01/04/2008	Luton Town	Home	CCL1	W	2-1	6142		Jackson 75, 87
05/04/2008	Millwall	Away	CCL1	D	1-1	10006		Southall 26
12/04/2008	Swansea City	Home	CCL1	L	1-2	8520		Oli 22
19/04/2008	Bristol Rovers	Away	CCL1	D	1-1	6614		Nutter 38
26/04/2008	Swindon Town	Home	CCL1	D	1-1	6334		Richards 2
03/05/2008	Leeds United	Away	CCL1	L	1-2	38256		Jackson 20

FORTHCOMING FIXTURES

CLUB GOALSCORERS

Name	LGE	FAC	FAT	LGC	CC	Total
Chris Dickson	7	0	0	0	0	7
Andrew Crofts	5	0	0	0	0	5
Gary Mulligan	5	0	0	0	0	5
Simeon Jackson	4	0	0	0	0	4
Dennis Oli	4	0	0	0	0	4
Delroy Facey	3	0	0	0	0	3
Adam Miller	3	0	0	0	0	3
David Graham	3	0	0	0	0	3
Leroy Griffiths	2	0	0	0	0	2
Mark Bentley	2	0	0	0	0	2
Garry Richards	1	0	0	0	0	1
Aaron Brown	1	0	0	0	0	1
Barry Cogan	1	0	0	0	0	1
Ian Cox	1	0	0	0	0	1
Nicky Southall	1	0	0	0	0	1
John Nutter	1	0	0	0	0	1

ATTENDANCE STATISTICS

Highest League Attendance: 8719, vs Leeds United, 29/09/2007
Lowest League Attendance: 4402, vs Oldham Athletic, 22/01/2008
Average League Attendance: 6077

CURRENT LEAGUE SEQUENCE STATISTICS

Games Without A Win:	5		Games Without A Home Win:	2
Games Without An Away Win:	11		Games Without Defeat:	0
Games Without A Home Defeat:	1		Games Without An Away Defeat:	0
Games Without A Draw:	1		Games Without A Score Draw:	1
Games Without A No-Score Draw:	6		Games Without Scoring:	0
Games Without Conceding:	0		Home Results Sequence:	LWDWLD
Away Results Sequence:	LLLDDL		Overall Results Sequence:	WDLDDL

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Gillingham is part of the Medway sprawl one of the historic Medway towns. Parts of Rochester aren't unpleasant. Most of the rest is.

By Road

On the A278 follow the signs for Gillingham, driving over two roundabouts before taking the first exit off the third roundabout onto the A2. Continue until the next roundabout (there's a Holiday Inn to your left) and take the third exit onto the A289. At the first roundabout take the first exit onto Cornwallis Avenue. Continue along Cornwallis Avenue over the traffic lights before turning right into Toronto Road. Take the second left off Toronto into Redfern Avenue, where you will see Priestfield Stadium on your left.

If coming from London or north of the Thames get onto the A2 (Junction 2 if coming off the M25) and follow it until it becomes the M2. However don't take the motorway, exit at Junction 1 (M2) and take the A289. Follow the signs for 'Medway Tunnel'. After around three miles take the second exit off the roundabout, again following signs towards 'Medway Tunnel'. At the next roundabout take the first exit. At the next roundabout take the first exit again and into the Tunnel. On exit follow the A289 over two sets of traffic lights before coming to the Strand roundabout. Take the third exit onto Church Street. Drive up the hill and continue over the level crossing. Take the second left after the crossing and follow Linden Drive to the end. Turn right into Redfern Avenue, where you will see Priestfield Stadium on your right.

Parking - street parking is the main option, but supporters should note that the following roads are restricted to permit holders only:
Balmoral Road, Windsor Road, Ferndale Road, Linden Avenue, Priestfield Road, Gordon Road, Livingstone Road, Coulman Street, Beaconsfield Avenue, Harold Avenue, School Lane, Toronto Road, Redfern Avenue and parts of Sunnymead Avenue.
Wardens are about in numbers on matchdays so it is strongly recommended you choose alternative parking areas. 'Safe' zones include:
the furthest end from the stadium of Sunnymead Avenue, Chicago Avenue, Canadian Avenue, Valley Road, Sturdee Avenue, Woodlands Road, Carlton Avenue, Alexandra Avenue, Larkfield Avenue, Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue.

Alternatively, if you can't find any on-street spots, Priestfield is close enough to the town centre to use the car parks there and walk. Of course commercial rates apply.

By Rail

Priestfield is a pretty convenient ground for the train, ten minutes walk from Gillingham Station.

Two London terminals serve the town. There are four trains per hour from South Eastern Trains out of Victoria Station on Saturdays. For the quicker service select those with a destination of Ramsgate / Dover Priory rather than those for Faversham. Departure times from Victoria are three minutes past and thirty-three past for the speedier service, eleven minutes past and nineteen minutes to the hour for the slower. Total journey times: 47 minutes on the fast train, 1.02 on the slow. The last service back to Victoria, should you wish to leave it that late, departs Gillingham at 00.07, arriving 01.13.

The other choice is from Charing Cross, with two direct services per hour from South Eastern Trains departing at twenty-two and fifty-two minutes past. Journey time is one hour fourteen minutes.

The trip there and back can be done in the day by rail from Yeovil. Best options, with least changes, are the 06.20 (if an early riser who wants to arrive just before the pubs open) - go straight through to Waterloo then walk across to Waterloo East for the 09.25 for Gillingham - or 09.20 on South West Trains from Yeovil Junction - change at Clapham Junction (to Southern) and London Victoria (to South Eastern Trains) - if an arrival at 13.13 with time to grab a late bite suits. On the return the 19.47 out of Gillingham is the latest that will get you connections back to Yeovil on the Saturday night.

Walking to the ground : from Gillingham station turn into Balmoral Road. It's about five minutes down Balmoral Road until you come to the end. Straight opposite Balmoral Road you will see Priestfield Road. The away turnstiles are located at the top of Priestfield Road. Total time is ten minutes maximum.

By Bus

Gillingham is one of those places served by quite a number of different bus companies. You probably have to be a local to know what you are doing.

Taxis

A selection of Gillingham taxi companies can be found here.

IMPORTANT FOOTNOTE FOR THE MARCH 2008 FIXTURE.

Those planning to use the railways to get to Gillingham this coming weekend, should be aware that there are engineering works on the line that will affect your journey.

Train services depart from London Victoria (those coming up from Yeovil Junction should change at Clapham Junction to get up to Victoria) but all trains will terminate short of Gillingham - usually at Strood but one or two terminate at Meopham.

Both terminations offer replacement bus services between the end station and Gillingham, but if you have a choice, pick the one that terminates at Strood as the time claimed for the bus journey is a little longer from Meopham.

You'll encounter the reverse issue when travelling back in the evening. The Strood bus journey is scheduled to add 35 minutes to your journey time, whilst the Meopham journey is around 45 minutes to/from Gillingham. Hence add some extra time when organising your day.

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The most local beer comes from the Nelson Brewery Co. in Chatham. It has a small number of tied outlets in the Medway area and supplies around 80 other outlets. It produces a good number of seasonal offerings and up to ten other beers, some regulars, others more occasional.

Club Bar :

The Medway Stand houses the Official Supporters Club Members bar. As we understand it that's what it is - members only.

Local Pubs :

Cricketers: Usually a home fans dominated pub but has on occasion allowed away supporters entrance. Has a full menu and a large beer garden. About five hundred yards from the stadium. Cricketers, Sturdee Avenue, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 2JR. Tel: 01634 851226. Map: Click Here.

Dog & Bone: Town centre pub a few hundred yards from the railway station and around ten minutes walk from the ground. Used to do food, but no longer. Four handpumps with a constantly changing variety of unusual beers on offer. Conservatory has fruit and games machines, juke box and pool table. Also has a small garden. Opening 11-11. Welcomes away fans. Dog & Bone, 21, Jeffrey Street, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 1DE. Tel: 01634 576829. Map: Click Here.

Frog & Toad: Local community pub running football, darts, and quiz teams, golf and fishing competitions etc. Holds a number of beer festivals each year, but sadly our fixture doesn't coincide with one. Lunches available during the week but at weekends food is restricted to sandwiches plus free snacks on the bar. Has four handpumps (London Pride is the regular, the others constantly vary), a draught Belgian ale, up to thirty different Continental bottled beers, Dry Blackthorn and usually a farmhouse style cider from the West Country, keg Boddingtons, Guinness, and for lager drinkers Carling Black Label, Carlsberg, De Konnick, Stella Artois. Beer garden. OK with children. Opening is 11.00 a.m. - 11.00 p.m. Frog & Toad, 38, Burnt Oak Terrace, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 1DR. Tel: 01634 852231. Website: Click Here. Map: Click Here.

Livingstone Arms: Opening Monday to Saturday is 10.00 a.m. - 11.00 p.m. Hundred yards or so from the stadium and no issues with admitting away fans. A range of draught beers available including some unspecified real ale. Satellite TV on a big screen, pool table, darts board, juke box, new beer garden, disabled facilities, family room / play area, own car parking. Credit cards accepted. Food on Sundays only. Livingstone Arms, 239, Gillingham Road, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 4RB. Tel: 01634 851284. Map: Click Here.

The Barge: Not the easiest to find, in the back streets, with good views of the river from the beer garden. Under half a mile from the station and ten minutes or so walk to the football stadium. Has five real ales, with Joshua, produced by Nelson Brewery of Chatham the house beer. The others are regularly changing guests. Pool table, games machine, TV and darts. Opening times are various on weekdays, but a simple 12.00 noon - 11.00 p.m. on Saturdays. The Barge, 63, Layfield Road, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 4NN. Tel: 01634 850485. Map: Click Here.

The Southern Belle: Pub directly opposite the exit to Gillingham railway station. Welcomes away fans. The Southern Belle, 170, High Street, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 1AJ. Tel: 01634 280699. Map: Click Here.

Will Adams: Another pub a few hundred yards from the railway station and ten minutes or so walk to the ground. Popular with home supporters on matchdays - the landlord, who has been there over a decade, is a fan - but welcoming away fans too. The regular beers were Summer Lightning and London Pride on our visit last season, plus up to three guests. There's a cider, usually Old Rosie but sometimes another variety, and Budweiser Budvar lager - that's the 'proper' one for anybody who has only previously experienced some disgusting Yank rip off of the name - on draught. Has pool and darts. Food available at lunchtimes -basic fare but good enough for all that. Standard opening is 12.00 noon - 3.00 p.m. and 7.00 p.m. - 11.00 p.m., but the pub opens at 11.30am on Saturdays when Gillingham are at home. Will Adams, 73, Saxton Street, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 5EG. Tel: 01634 575902. Map: Click Here.

Likelihood the Natives Will Understand You :

Pretty much. Standard 'London Fringe' lingo is what they speak here.

Top-Tip :

If you go to Gillingham, Dorset, you won't see the match you expected. This one is pronounced Jillingham.

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