ON THIS DAY...

Richard Day reviews this day in the club's history

News relevant to Gillingham FC on this day in history, games, players, debuts etc...

FIXTURES...


1905 - New Brompton 1-0 Millwall     SLD1
James McKie scored the only goal of the game

1907 - New Brompton 2-0 Portsmouth     SLD1
James Hartley and Bill Marriott found the net against Pompey

1908 - New Brompton 0-1 Swindon T     SLD1

1911 - New Brompton 0-1 Leyton     SLD1

1914 - Gillingham0-0 Reading     SLD1

1922 - Gillingham 3-1 Aberdare Ath     D3S
Goals from Arthur Wood, George Needham and Tommy  Hall proved too much for the Welsh side

1929 - Southend Utd 2-0 Gillingham     D3S     Att: 7,773

1933 - Bristol C 1-1 Gillingham     D3S     Att: 7,309
A Bill Armfield goal earned a point at Ashton Gate

1939 - Gillingham 2-1 Chelmsford C     SLD1
Harry Rowley scored both, including a penalty

1950 - Gillingham 0-0 Guildford C     SLD1     Att: 7,973

1963 - Hartlepools Utd 1-1 Gillingham     D4     Att: 2,629
John Ballagher netted for the Gills at Victoria Park

1967 - Gillingham 4-1 Watford     D3     Att: 6,016
Gordon Riddick, Bill Brown, Brian Gibbs and Charlie Crickmore all found the net against the Hornets

1972 - Northampton T 6-1 Gillingham     D4     Att: 2,625
A Roy Woolcott goal was little consolation at the County Ground

1978 - Gillingham 0-0 Wrexham     D3     Att: 10,978

1980 - Chesterfield 0-0 Gillingham     D3     Att: 8,952

1983 - Southend Utd 1-1 Gillingham     D3     Att: 4,553
Tony Cascarino struck for the Gills at Roots Hall

1989 - Gillingham 1-0 Northampton T     D3     Att: 3,447
The winner came from Pat Gavin

1991 - Gillingham 2-2 Lincoln C     D4     Att: 3,770
David Crown and Alan Walker both netted in this draw with the Imps

1995 - Preston 1-1 Gillingham     D3     Att: 9,095
The one and only career goal of Joe Dunne came in this draw at Deepdale

1999 - Gillingham 2-1 Reading     D2     Att: 8,195
Goals from Mark Saunders and Carl Asaba won the points against the Royals

2000 - Gillingham 1-0 Chesterfield     D2     Att: 6,772
Steve Butler notched the only goal of the game

2002 - Gillingham 1-0 Crewe Alex     C     Att: 7,748
Marlon King won it from the penalty spot

2006 - MK Dons 1-2 Gillingham     L1     Att: 6,432
Two goals in two second-half minutes from Darren Byfield and Tommy Black earned the Gills the points

2008 - Gillingham 2-1 Luton T     L1     Att: 6,142
The Hatters took a first-half lead but two Simeon Jackson goals in the final 15 minutes turned things round

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DEBUTS...

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

1991 - Adrian Owers versus Lincoln C

2008 - Georges Ba and Donovan Simmonds against Luton at home

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BIRTHS...

1908 - Wilf Crompton

Born in Blackburn, the outside-right had played for his home-town club before joining the Gills from Burnley in June 1934.

He made his debut on the opening day of the 1934-35 campaign against Torquay United at home in Division Three (South).

Having been an ever present, scoring seven times in 15 games, he moved to Luton Town in the November.


1909 - Joe Wiggins

Joe played non-league football with Hanwell Town and Grays Thurrock before joining Brentford.

After a spell with Leicester City he arrived at Priestfield Stadium in the summer of 1934 and like Crompton above he made his debut against Torquay.

In his one season with the club the right-back made a dozen appearances before signing for Rochdale and later played for Oldham Athletic, Stalybridge Celtic, Hurst (Ashton United) and Rhyl.


1920 - Bobby Veck

The former Southampton amateur returned to sign professional terms at the Dell in September 1945 after appearing for Leeds United, Bradford Park Avenue, St Johnstone and York City during World War Two where he served in the RAF.

In July 1950 Gillingham manager Archie Clark paid a £3000 transfer fee to bring the outside-left to the club and he made his debut in the home game against Colchester United as the Gills returned to the Football League.

He went on to score 12 times in 37 games in his single season at Priestfield, after refusing new terms he signed for Chelmsford City.

A return to Kent followed in July 1952 when he moved to Canterbury City where he featured in 138 appearances which included a Kent Senior Cup Final success before a knee injury forced him to retire.

  
1969 - John Hodge

John, a right-winger, had played for Falmouth Town, Exeter City, Swansea City and Walsall prior to his arrival at Priestfield on a Bosman in July 1998.

He made his debut against former club Walsall on the opening day of the season and while at Gillingham he earned the name of 'supersub' as he regularly managed to change a game.

In all he made 65 appearances for the club but 48 of those were as a substitute.

A £25,000 fee took him to Northampton Town in March 2000.

After 'googling' John it looks as if he is working for Head of Exeter City's Football in the Community scheme in Cornwall.


1971 - Andy Thomson

Andy Thomson may have only made 65 appearances for the Gills but he still managed to achieve legendary status at the club.

His extra-time header at Wembley secured the Division Two play-off final victory over Wigan Athletic in May 2000 that took the club up into the second tier of English football for the first time.

Born in Motherwell, he played for local boys' club Jerviston FC and Queen of the South before he moved south to Southend United in July 1994 when Peter Taylor splashed out a then club record fee of £250,000.

After four seasons at Roots Hall and one at Oxford United he arrived here at Priestfield in August 1999 for what Taylor, by then Gillingham boss, described as the best £25,000 he ever spent.

He scored on his Gills debut in a 2 - 1 defeat by Bury at Gigg Lane and went on to score nine league goals in 28 appearances in his first season here. On top of that he added another four goals as the club beat top flight sides Bradford City and Sheffield Wednesday en route to the first quarter-final appearance in the F.A Cup where the Gills lost against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

It was of course at the end of that season that he enjoyed his and the club's greatest day. On 28th May 2000 he came on as a 97th minute substitute for Iffy Onuora and scored with two minutes of play left on the clock to send around 40,000 Gillingham fans barmy to complete a 3-2 victory against Wigan Athletic.

Back then the club website described the goal as "The most iconic moment in the long history of Gillingham F.C. encapsulated in a few moments of extra time football".

In March 2001 he moved to Queens Park Rangers before returning to Scotland in July 2003 when he signed for Partick Thistle.

Spells followed at Falkirk, Queen of the South and Stenhousemuir before he was forced to announce his retirement from playing in March 2008.