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...


1897 - Gravesend Utd 1-1 New Brompton  SLD1
Jack Frettingham scored in this North Kent derby

1899 - W Arsenal 2-2  New Brompton        FAC3Q2R
Tom Pangbourne scored twice to set up a third replay after extra-time

1909 - Crystal Palace 6-2 New Brompton   SLD1
John Taylor and Albert Court were on target in this hefty defeat

1920 - Newport County 1-0 Gillingham      D3

1926 - Merthyr Town 2-0 Gillingham          D3S       Att: 2,704

1937 - Cardiff City 4-0 Gillingham             D3S       Att: 14,818

1946 - Dartford 2-0 Gillingham                 SLCQ     Att: 2,207

1948 - Gillingham 3-2 Chingford               SLD1     Att: 8,002
Two goals from Hughie Russell plus a Cook own goal saw the Gills scrape home

1954 - Newport County 3-2 Gillingham      D3S      Att: 6,745
Billy Millar and Errol Crossan were on target at Somerton Park

1963 - Gillingham 3-1 Bristol Rovers         LC3R    Att: 10,771
Two goals from Ron Newman and a Gordon Pulley penalty sent the Gills through

1965 - Bristol Rovers 0-0 Gillingham         D3        Att: 8,422

1971 - Gillingham 3-2 Stockport Co          D4        Att: 4,896
Graham Knight, Alan Wilks and Brian Yeo all netted in narrow home win

1974 - Gillingham 2-1 Preston                  D3        Att: 10,494
A Peter Feely brace was enough to beat Bobby Charlton's team

1976 - Peterborough Utd 0-1 Gillingham   D3        Att: 5,651
Joe Durrell nabbed the winner at London Road

1982 - Portsmouth 1-0 Gillingham           D3        Att: 12,212

1984 - Burnley 0-1 Gillingham                D3        Att: 3,595
Martin Robinson scored the winner at Turf Moor

1985 - Rotherham Utd 1-1 Gillingham     D3        Att: 2,461
The Gills goal came from Mark Weatherly

1990 - Bournemouth 0-0 Gillingham  LDAFCPR   Att: 2,784

1993 - Mansfield T     2-1 Gillingham         D3     Att: 2,421
Nicky Forster got the goal at Field Mill

1999 - Notts County 1-1 Gillingham          D2     Att: 6,023
Robert Taylor was on target at Meadow Lane

2002 - Chelsea 2-1 Gillingham                 WC3  Att: 28,033
Marlon King was the goalscorer at Stamford Bridge

2004 - Sheffield Utd 0-0 Gillingham           C      Att: 16,598

2007 - Gillingham 1-1 Doncaster R            L1    Att: 5,030
The Gills led through Chris Dickson but the Yorkshire outfit hit back for a point

2012 - Gillingham 0-0 Cheltenham T         L2     Att: 6,096
An entertaining clash ends goalless

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DEBUTS...

The following player made their Gillingham debuts in the above games...

1965 - Micky Williamson at Bristol R

1971 - Mike Bickle against Stockport at home

2004 - Dean Marney at Sheffield Utd

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BIRTHS...

1908 - John Rutherford

The goalkeeper joined the Gills from Crawcrook Celtic in April 1927 but didn't make his first-team debut until a trip to Walsall in February 1929.

In August 1931, after making 38 of his 46 appearances for the Gills, he moved to Watford.


1932 - Ron Saunders

Ron, who was born in Birkenhead, had played for Everton and Southern League Tonbridge before Gillingham manager Archie Clark paid £800 to sign the centre-forward in May 1957 and made his debut in a 1 - 0 home defeat by Brighton on the opening day of the 1957/58 season.

His first goal for the club came the following week at Southampton.

Probably his greatest moment came on the 16th November when the Gills met Eastern Counties League Gorleston in an F.A Cup 1st Round tie and he scored five times (and missed a penalty) in a record 10 - 1 victory.

After scoring 26 goals in just 53 league and cup games for the Gills, Portsmouth paid £8,000 for his services in September 1958 and he later had spells at both Watford and Charlton before retiring from playing in 1967.

Having cut his managerial teeth at Yeovil Town (as player-manager) and Oxford United he enjoyed spells at Norwich City, Manchester City and Aston Villa where he won  two League Cups and, after a 71-year wait, in 1980-81 season the league championship trophy.

After leaving Villa before their European success he bossed both Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion, the job at the Hawthorns proving to be his last managerial role.


1933 - John Maher

The former Manchester City amateur joined the Gills from Walsall in July 1955 and made a goalscoring debut at Brentford at the start of the season.

An injury picked up in the second game saw him miss the remainder of the campaign and he never added to his appearance total.

After leaving the Gills he played for Guildford City, Margate, Ashford Town and Dover.


1943 - Gordon Riddick

Gordon came through the ranks at Luton Town and had scored 16 goals in 102 league games before Basil Hayward paid a then club record fee of £8,000 for the versatile performer in March 1967.

He made his debut against Darlington at home and scored his first goal in his fifth game, a 4-1 home win over Watford.

It didn't take long for him to be appointed skipper at Priestfield and he was soon playing as an out-and-out centre-forward.

After netting 27 goals in 125 games for the Gills a £17,000 transfer took him to Charlton Athletic in November 1969.

Having spent almost a year at the Valley he was on the move again and spells followed at Leyton Orient, Northampton Town and Brentford where a knee injury ended his professional career.