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…


1899 - New Brompton 0-1 Southampton  FAC1

1905 - Watford 2-0 New Brompton           SLD1

1911 - Luton Town 3-0 New Brompton    SLD1

1922 - Gillingham 1-2 QPR                          D3S
Charlie Freeman scored for the Gills

1931 - Gillingham 1-1 Brentford                 D3S   Att: 2,547
A Roy Bethell goal earned the Gills a point

1933 - QPR 1-1 Gillingham                          D3S   Att: 4,169
Sim Raleigh netted against the R's at Loftus Road

1939 - Gillingham 6-1 Cheltenham T       SLD1
The Gills romped to victory thanks to two goals apiece from Tug Wilson, Harry Rowley and T McGee

1950 - Torquay Utd Res 1-2 Gillingham  SLD1   Att: 1,962
Harold Williams struck both goals at Plainmoor

1956 - Gillingham 1-1 Crystal Palace      D3S    Att: 4,281
Dave Hawkins scored on his debut having signed from Sheppey United the previous day

1961 - Gillingham 'A' 1-1 Bexleyheath     Seanglian Lge

1969 - Walsall 2-1 Gillingham                  D3   Att: 6,536
A penalty from Brian Yeo wasn't enough at Fellows Park

1989 - Gillingham 1-2 Huddersfield T    D3   Att: 3,531
Gavin Peacock converted a spot-kick but the Terriers left with the points

2001 - Gillingham 2-4 Chelsea                FAC4   Att: 10,419
Paul Shaw and Iffy Onuora were on target in this televised cup clash

2006 - Gillingham 1-1 Rotherham Utd   L1   Att: 6107
Gavin Grant equalised to earn the Gills a point
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DEBUTS...

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

1922- Leo Cassell v QPR at home

1956- Eric Cousans and Dave Hawkins against Palace at Priestfield

1989 - Tony Eeles when Huddersfield came to town

2006 - Tommy Black against Rotherham at home
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BIRTHS...

1972- Nicky Southall

Nicky had four spells with the Gills having been originally brought to the club by Tony Pulis in December 1997.

He scored 30 goals in 389 games for the club ever since netting on his debut at home to Southend United.

Overall he scored 82 times in 736 matches having also had spells at Hartlepool United, Grimsby Town, Bolton Wanderers, Norwich City and Nottingham Forest and these figures don't count the games he played for Dover Athletic.

After leaving Priestfield in May 2012 he signed for Ryman League Division One (South) Whitstable Town as player-coach but was promoted to manager in December 2012 following Justin Luchford’s departure from the Belmont Ground.


1973 - Carl Asaba

The striker, previously with Dulwich Hamlet, Brentford and Colchester United, cost Gillingham a club record fee of £600,000 when he joined from Reading in August 1998.

He made his debut away at Blackpool and went on to open his goal account for the club in the following game a 4-0 home win against Wrexham.

Carl scored 40 goals, including three hat-tricks, for the Gills and of course netted in the play-off final against Manchester City at Wembley.

After making 90 appearances for the club he failed to agree terms on a new deal and moved to Sheffield United for £92,500 in March 2001 and later played for both Stoke City and Millwall.

He remains in the Sheffield area and now deals with some top range 'footballer' type cars.


1973 - Austin Berkley

The Gravesend lad played locally for Gravesham Schools, Longfield Tigers, St George (Eltham) and Erith & Belvedere before joining the Gills as a trainee in October 1989.

He signed professional terms in May 1991 but didn't make his debut until appearing as a substitute at Fulham in an Autoglass Trophy game six months later.

After just six appearances, all as a sub, he joined Swindon Town in August 1992 and later played for Shrewsbury Town, where he enjoyed his best spell playing 194 games Barnet, Carlisle United, Gravesend & Northfleet and Chelmsford City.


1984 - Dennis Oli

Dennis came through the ranks at QPR and made his R's debut as a 79th-minute substitute for Leroy Griffiths against Wigan Athletic in February 2002.

After spells at Gravesend & Northfleet (loan), Farnborough Town (loan), Swansea City, Cambridge United and Grays Athletic, he was signed by Gills boss Mark Stimson, ironically along with Griffiths, in November 2007.

He went on to score 15 goals in 147 appearances for the Gills before being released in the summer of 2012 and signing for League Two rivals Wycombe Wanderers.


1989 - Andy Pugh

The forward joined Gillingham on scholarship terms in 2005 and was to make his first-team debut in February 2007 as a substitute for Dean McDonald against Brighton & HA at home which was more than two months prior to signing his first professional deal.

He made nine sub appearances for the Gills but was loaned out to Welling United, Maidstone United, Folkestone Invicta, Grays Athletic, Dover Athletic and Histon to gain experience.

In June 2010 both he and Luis Cumbers signed permanently for Welling United when there Gillingham deals ended. 

And just this week, after 15 goals in 23 games for the Wings this season, he completed a move to Blue Square Bet Premier Cambridge United.