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…


1897 - New Brompton 2-1 Tottenham H        SLD1
Goals from David Skea and Jack Peters proved too much for the Spurs

1904 - Wellingborough 1-0 New Brompton  SLD1

1909 - Southampton 2-0 New Brompton       SLD1

1915 - Gillingham 1-0 Southend Utd               SLD1
Sam Gilligan hit the only goal of the game

1926 - Charlton Ath 1-0 Gillingham                 D3S     Att: 6,658

1932 - Gillingham 0-1 Watford                         D3S     Att: 5,712

1960 - Gillingham 3-1 Millwall                         D4       Att: 7,606
John Shepherd scored twice and Gordon Brown added the other in a comfy home win

1965 - Port Vale 0-4 Gillingham                       D3       Att: 4,203
Doubles from Brian Gibbs and Rodney Green helped the Gills to an impressive away triumph

1971 - Gillingham 0-0 Rochdale                       D3       Att: 3,979

1971 - Tottenham H 4-0 Gills Res                    FC

1982 - Exeter City 1-1 Gillingham                    D3       Att: 2,888
A Colin Duncan effort earned a point at St James Park

1988 - Blackpool 3-3 Gillingham                      D3      Att: 3,405
The sides shared six goals with Steve Lovell (2) and Karl Elsey netting for the Gills

1993 - Wrexham 2-0 Gillingham                     D3      Att: 4,415

1999 - Gillingham 1-1 Colchester Utd            D2     Att: 7,119
The U's took a point despite Carl Asaba scoring

2000 - Chelsea 5-0 Gillingham                        FAC6   Att: 34,205
Goals from Tore-Andre Flo, John Terry, George Weah, Gianfranco Zola (penalty) and Jody Morris saw the top flight side to victory over the battling Gills

2001 - Gillingham 0-1 QPR                               C         Att: 10,430
Despite the Gills dominating, Chris Kiwomya headed home an 83rd minute winner for the R's

2007 - Gillingham 0-1 Brighton & HA            L1       Att: 6,609
Bas Savage returned to Priestfield and netted the Seagulls 18th-minute winner

2010 - Gillingham 1-0 Bristol Rov                   L1       Att: 5,302
A stoppage-time winner from Simeon Jackson sunk the Pirates

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DEBUTS...

The following player made his Gillingham debut in the above games...

1982 - Peter Shaw at Exeter

2007 - Andy Pugh against Brighton

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BIRTHS...

1911 - Fred Lester

The Rochester born left-back joined the Gills from Chatham Town in March 1931 and made his debut when Bournemouth visited Priestfield Stadium shortly afterwards.

He went on to make 210 appearances in just over seven seasons with the club.

In October 1937 he moved to Sheffield Wednesday.


1920 - Tommy Rigg

Tommy was born in Bedlington and went on to play for East Northumberland Boys and Ashington before signing amateur forms with Middlesbrough in February 1939.

During World War II the goalkeeper guested for Arsenal, Birmingham City, Southampton and Bournemouth and then joining Watford in the summer of 1946.

After a spell back in the North-East where he played for Consett, Archie Clark brought him to Gillingham in August 1951 and he made his debut against Millwall at Priestfield.

Rigg was first choice for the next five seasons and went on to play 201 games for the Gills keeping 43 clean sheets.

He retired from the game in 1956 and was awarded a benefit match on May 4 that year which saw a Gillingham side face an All Star XI.

Later that summer he became the trainer of Division Three (North) Gateshead and went on to have a spell as physiotherapist back at Ashington.


1925 - David Laing

The experienced Scot arrived at Gillingham in August 1957 having previously played for Bayview Youth Club, Hearts of Midlothian, Bath City, Clyde and Hibernian.

A midfielder, he made his Gills debut in the opening game of the season against Brighton & HA at home.

After scoring five times in 88 games he was surprisingly released and went on to give service to Margate in two spells and also played for both Ramsgate Athletic and Canterbury City.

David then had a spell as youth-team coach back at Hartsdown Park before taking up media work with first the Daily Mail and later the Dover Express.


1953 - David Kemp

Having come through the non-league ranks with Harrow Borough, Maidenhead and Slough Town, Dave joined Crystal Palace in April 1975.

Spells followed at Portsmouth, Carlisle United and Plymouth Argyle who paid £75,000 for his services in September 1979.

He came to Gillingham on loan in December 1981 and he scored on his debut in a 1-1 draw against Newport County but after three goals in 11 appearances he returned to Home Park.

A loan spell at Brentford was followed by him crossing the Atlantic to play for Edmonton Drillers, Seattle Sounders and San Jose Earthquakes, then came a player-manager role at Swedish side Norrkopping.

Since returning to this country he has held a number of managerial and coaching roles and his current role is as assistant manager to Tony Pulis at Stoke City.


1956 - Dave Rushbury

The experienced full-back was signed by Gills boss Keith Peacock in a £15,000 deal from Carlisle United on deadline day in March 1985.

Having previously been with WBA, Sheffield Wednesday and Swansea City prior to the Cumbrians, he made his Gillingham debut against Millwall at the Den.

Just four months and a dozen appearances later, a £10,000 fee took him to Doncaster Rovers.

He later worked at Chesterfield as first physiotherapist and then with a UEFA 'A' licence to his name manager for a short spell at Saltergate.

Dave later held the position as Director of Football at Alfreton Town.

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DEATHS...

1971 - George Tweed

Having started out with hometown club Newmarket Town, the left-back was with Coventry City and Bristol Rovers prior to coming to Priestfield Stadium in October 1937.

He made his debut on the trip to Northampton Town and went on to make 33 appearances for the Gills before joining Bath City in August 1939.

War broke out and his soccer career was put on hold but when peacetime returned, he went on to play for Gloucester City and Bridgwater Town.

George died in Wells on this day in 1971.


1992 - Jimmy Harbot

The centre-forward joined Gillingham from the Royal Marines in May 1930 but didn't make his debut until Exeter City played at Priestfield in April 1931 and scoring in a 5-3 home defeat.

After just one further appearance he joined Charlton Athletic in May 1932 and later played for Barrow, Stoke City, Torquay United and Chorley.

He was playing as a right-back in his one and only Stoke appearance which saw him line-up alongside Stanley Matthews against WBA in February 1937 - City ran out 10-3 victors.

Jimmy died in Bolton on this day in 1992.