ON THIS DAY

News relevant to the club on this day previously

Richard Day looks back at news relevant to Gillingham FC on this day in history, games, players, debuts etc...

FIXTURES...


1896 - New Brompton 0-2 Sheppey U        SLD1

1899 - W Arsenal 0-1 New Brompton         FAC3Q
James Atherton finally ended the long running saga in the fourth replay

1903 - Portsmouth 2-0 New Brompton       SLD1

1908 - New Brompton 2-1 Crystal Palace   SLD1
J Reid andArthur Pickett scored as the Glaziers were defeated

1914 - Croydon Common 8-1 Gillingham   SLD1
The Gills were hammered with Ernie Pinkney getting the consolation

1925 - Gillingham 0-1 Bristol City              D3S      Att: 6,779

1931 - Gillingham 1-1 Torquay Utd            D3S      Att: 3,919
Roy Bethell was on target for the Gills

1936 - Torquay Utd 0-2 Gillingham            D3S      Att: 3,612
Goals from Jimmy Watson and Edwin Scott earned this away win at Plainmoor

1953 - Gillingham 1-0 Swindon Town         D3S      Att: 11,682
Ernie Morgan notched the only goal of the game

1959 - Bedford Town 0-4 Gillingham         FAC1     Att: 8,000
Pat Terry (2) plus others from Bill Albury and Gordon Pulley gave the Gills a comfortable victory

1964 - Gillingham 2-2 Guildford City         FAC1    Att: 7,500
Les Riggs and Brian Gibbs scored the home goals in a surprise draw

1970 - Gillingham 1-1 Brighton & HA         D3       Att: 3,008
A Dave Peach penalty earned the struggling Gills a point

1970 - QPR 3-2 Gills Res                          FC
                                                                                     
1973 - Gillingham 4-0 Workington             D4      Att: 6,804
Alan Wilks struck a first-half hat-trick and Brian Yeo was also on target in this comprehensive win against the Reds

1981 - Gillingham 3-0 Doncaster R            D3      Att: 8,189
Dean White added two to a Trevor Lee goal for a solid win

1987 - Gillingham 2-1 Fulham                   FAC1   Att: 6,444
Goals from Jason Lillis and Howard Pritchard put the Gills through to the next round

1989 - Torquay Utd 0-2 Gillingham            D4      Att: 2,318
Both Peter Heritage and Lee Palmer were on target at Plainmoor

1992 - Gillingham 3-2 Kettering T              FAC1   Att: 3,962
Paul Clark, David Crown and Nicky Forster were the scorers as the Gills edged into the Second Round

1997 - Bristol Rovers 2-2 Gillingham          FAC1   Att: 4,825
Iffy Onuora and Ade Akinbiyi struck to earn a replay at the Memorial Ground

1998 - Oldham Athletic 2-0 Gillingham       FAC1   Att: 3,173

2009 - Gillingham 1-0 Oldham Athletic       L1       Att: 4,787
A Curtis Weston penalty proved to be the difference

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BIRTHS...

1972 - Chris Hope

The Sheffield born central defender had been at Darlington, as a trainee, Nottingham Forest, and Scunthorpe United before the Gills paid £250,000 in July 2000.

He made his debut against Stockport County as the Gills played in the second tier of English football for the first time.

Chris was an ever-present for his first three seasons and went on to make a total of 264 appearances.

After leaving Priestfield in the summer of 2006 he has gone on to play for Rushden & Diamonds, Corby Town and St Neots Town where he won the Evo Stik Division One Central Division last season [2011-12].
 
He is currently performing in the United Counties League Division One having signed for AFC Rushden & Diamonds in the summer where he is skippering the reformed club.