Richard Day looks back at news relevant to Gillingham FC on this day in history, games, players, debuts etc...
Fixtures...
1969 - Romford 2-0 Gillingham Fr Att: 800
1977 - Gillingham 1-0 Leyton Orient Fr Att: 1,148
Danny Westwood won the game with an 82nd minute header
1980 - Herne Bay 0-0 Gills XI Fr
1985 - Gillingham 1-2 Norwich City Fr
Dave Mehmet scored for the Gills while John Deehan hit a double for the visitors as Steve Bruce returned to Priestfield although the game was played 'behind closed doors'.
1986 - Orient 2-1 Gillingham Fr
Trialist Roger Gibbins netted at Brisbane Road
1988 - Gillingham 2-2 Racing Club de Paris Fr Att: 1,500
George Shipley and Jason Lillis, a penalty, netted against the French side
The Gills squad at Cobh
1991 - Cobh Ramblers 0-1 Gillingham Fr
The Irish tour continued with a second victory thanks to David Crown's effort
1996 - Horsham Town 2-2 Gills XI Fr
James Pinnock and Canadian trialist centre-forward Cameron Watkins were on target at Queen Street
2004 - Gillingham 0-0 Charlton Ath Fr Att: 4,372
2005 - Gillingham 3-0 Barnet Fr
Darren Byfield stung the Bees with a hat-trick
2008 - Aveley 1-4 Gills XI Fr
The goalscorers at Mill Field were Tyrone Berry, Luis Cumbers, Rory Hill and Tayler Thomas
2009 - Croydon Athletic 2-2 Gills XI Fr
Luis Cumbers and Josh Sargeant were the Gills scorers as four goals were shared at the Keith Tuckey Stadium
2011 - Gillingham 1-2 Peterborough U Fr
The Posh netted twice in the closing stages after Matt Lawrence had headed the Gills in front
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Births...
The following former Gillingham players were born on this day.....
1964 - John Gayle
The experienced, much-travelled striker arrived at Priestfield on loan from Stoke City in March 1996.
Boss Tony Pulis signed him to boost the promotion push and he scored an important goal, the only one of the game, on his debut at Mansfield Town.
He went on to add two more goals in his nine appearances for the club before having spells at Northampton Town, Scunthorpe United, Shrewsbury Town and Torquay United and later managed Totnes and Dartington Sports and Newton Abbot.
1975 - Rodney Rowe
The Yorkshire born forward had spent all of his career in the north of the country before Peter Taylor splashed £30,000 on him in November 1999.
He made his Gillingham debut as a substitute, replacing Andy Thomson, at Cardiff City and opened his goal account in the home Boxing Day win over Colchester United.
Rodney struggled to break into the team and eventually joined Hull City in January 2001 having scored four goals in his 23 appearances, more than half of which had been as a substitute.