List of Gillingham F.C. records and statistics

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Ron Hillyard, Gillingham's appearance record holder, played a total of 655 games in a 17-year career with the club. Ron Hillyard.jpg
Ron Hillyard, Gillingham's appearance record holder, played a total of 655 games in a 17-year career with the club.

Gillingham Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Gillingham, Kent, playing in League One, the third level of the English football league system, as of the 2019–20 season. The club was formed in 1893 as New Brompton F.C., [1] a name which was retained until 1913, [2] and has played home matches at Priestfield Stadium throughout its history. [1] The club joined the Football League in 1920, [3] was voted out of the league in favour of Ipswich Town at the end of the 1937–38 season, [4] but returned to the league 12 years later after it was expanded from 88 to 92 clubs. [5] Between 2000 and 2005, Gillingham played in the second tier of the English league for the only time in the club's history, achieving a highest league finish of eleventh place in 2002–03. [6]

Contents

The record for most games played for the club is held by Ron Hillyard, who made 655 appearances between 1974 and 1991. Brian Yeo is the club's record goalscorer, scoring 149 goals during his Gillingham career. Andrew Crofts holds the record for the most international caps gained as a Gillingham player, having made 12 appearances for Wales. The highest transfer fee ever paid by the club is the £600,000 paid to Reading for Carl Asaba in 1998, and the highest fee received is the £1,500,000 paid by Manchester City for Robert Taylor in 1999. The highest attendance recorded at Priestfield was 23,002 for the visit of Queens Park Rangers in 1948. The club holds one Football League record, having conceded the fewest goals in a 46-match season, when the team conceded only 20 goals during the 1995–96 season.

All figures are correct as of 2022.

Honours and achievements

Gillingham fans at the 2000 play-off final Gillsplayoff2000.jpg
Gillingham fans at the 2000 play-off final

Gillingham have won two major honours in English football; first the Football League Fourth Division title in the 1963–64 season [7] and then the Football League Two title in the 2012–13 season. [8] The club has also achieved promotion on four other occasions, most recently in the 2008–09 season, when a 1–0 victory over Shrewsbury Town in the 2009 Football League Two play-off final at Wembley Stadium secured a return to League One following relegation the previous season. [9]

Gillingham's only previous victory at Wembley (at the original Wembley Stadium) came in the 1999–2000 season, when a 3–2 victory over Wigan Athletic in the Second Division play-off final clinched promotion to the second tier of English football for the first time in Gillingham's history. [10] Between 1938 and 1950, when the club played outside the Football League, Gillingham won the Southern Football League championship on two occasions and the Kent League once. [11]

The Football League

Other honours

The New Brompton team which won the Southern League Division Two championship in the 1894-95 season Gills1894.jpg
The New Brompton team which won the Southern League Division Two championship in the 1894–95 season

National cup competitions

Player records

Age

Appearances

All competitive peacetime first team matches are included. Statistics correct as of the end of the 2023–24 season. Appearances as substitute are in brackets. Players who played for the club prior to 1920 or between 1938 and 1950, when the club played in the Southern League and Kent League rather than the Football League, have appearances in those competitions included in their totals. [23]

#NameYearsLeaguea FA Cup League CupbOtherTotal
1 Ron Hillyard 1974–1991563 (0)34 (0)44 (0)14 (0)655 (0)
2 John Simpson 1957–1972571 (0)26 (0)19 (0)0 (0)616 (0)
3 Mark Weatherly 1974–1989458 (49)33 (5)38 (3)14 (1)543 (58)
4 Jimmy Boswell 1946–1958470 (0)36 (0)17 (0)0 (0)523 (0)
5 Charlie Marks 1943–1957392 (0)20 (0)22 (0)0 (0)434 (0)
6 Dick Tydeman 1969–1977
1981–1984		371 (3)22 (0)23 (1)3 (0)419 (4)
7 Max Ehmer [24] 2014–2020
2021–present		348 (6)23 (1)14 (0)15 (1)400 (8)
8 Paul Smith [25] 1997–2005
2005–2006		345 (4)21 (0)18 (0)12 (2)396 (6)
9 Jock Robertson 1919–1933365 (0)30 (0)0 (0)0 (0)395 (0)
10 Brian Yeo 1963–1975356 (11)16 (0)15 (0)0 (0)387 (11)

Goalscorers

Fred Cheesmur scored six goals in a match in 1930, a club record haul for a match in The Football League. Fred cheesmur001.jpg
Fred Cheesmur scored six goals in a match in 1930, a club record haul for a match in The Football League.

Top goalscorers

All competitive first team matches are included. Appearances, including those as substitute, are in brackets. Players who played for the club prior to 1920 or between 1938 and 1950, when the club played in the Southern League and Kent League rather than the Football League, have goals in those competitions included in their totals. [23]

#NameYearsLeaguea FA Cup League CupbOtherTotal
1 Brian Yeo 1963–1975136 (356)4 (16)9 (15)0 (0)149(387)
2 Hughie Russell 1946–1952106 (186)12 (23)2 (0)0 (0)120(209)
3 Tug Wilson 1936–194991 (211)5 (16)17 (25)0 (1)113(253)
4 Tony Cascarino [D] 1981–198778 (219)11 (17)9 (18)12 (15)110(269)
5 Brian Gibbs 1962–1969101 (259)3 (9)6 (16)0 (0)110(284)
6 Steve Lovell 1986–199394 (233)5 (10)2 (17)3 (15)104(275)
7 Damien Richardson 1972–199194 (323)5 (14)3 (20)0 (0)102(357)
8 Ken Price 1976–198378 (255)7 (21)4 (18)0 (0)89(294)
9 Cody McDonald 2010–2011
2013–2017		77 (198)1 (7)1 (6)2 (9)81(220)
10 Ernie Morgan [D] 1953–195773 (155)4 (8)0 (0)0 (0)77(163)
11 Danny Westwood 1975–198274 (211)1 (12)2 (12)0 (3)77(238)

International caps

Andrew Crofts, the club's international caps record holder Me and Andrew Crofts2.jpg
Andrew Crofts, the club's international caps record holder

Transfer fees

Record transfer fees paid

#NameFeePaid toDateNotes
1 Carl Asaba £600,000 Reading 29 August 1998 [35]
2 Robert Taylor £500,000 Brentford 1 August 1998 [36]
3 Paul Shaw £450,000 Millwall 4 July 2000 [37]
4= Marlon King £250,000 Barnet 28 June 2000 [38]
4= Ade Akinbiyi £250,000 Norwich City 6 January 1997 [39]
4= Chris Hope £250,000 Scunthorpe United 4 July 2000 [40]

Record transfer fees received

#NameFeeReceived fromDateNotes
1 Robert Taylor £1,500,000 Manchester City 29 November 1999 [36]
2 Ade Akinbiyi £1,200,000 Bristol City 1 June 1998 [39]
3 Marlon King £950,000 Nottingham Forest 27 November 2003 [41]
4 Bradley Dack £750,000 Blackburn Rovers 27 June 2017 [42]
5 Jimmy Corbett £525,000 Blackburn Rovers 21 May 1998 [43]

Some media sources claimed that the transfer fee paid by Southampton for Paulo Gazzaniga in 2012 was higher than that paid for Taylor, but the fee was not officially disclosed by either club. [44]

Managerial records

William Ironside Groombridge, the club's first manager Groombridge.jpg
William Ironside Groombridge, the club's first manager

Club records

Goals

Points

Matches

The Gillingham team and officials pictured before the club's first ever Football League match in 1920 Gills1920.jpg
The Gillingham team and officials pictured before the club's first ever Football League match in 1920

Firsts

Record wins

Record defeat

Attendances

Notes

A. ^ Promoted via the play-off system after finishing in third place

B. ^ Promoted automatically by finishing in second place on both occasions

C. ^ Promoted via the play-off system after finishing in fifth place

D. ^ Cascarino is placed higher than Gibbs, and Morgan higher than Westwood, as they reached their goals totals in fewer matches.

E. ^ The club has in the past claimed that goalkeeper Freddie Fox made his one appearance for England in 1925 while registered with Gillingham. [51] It is possible that he was still with Gillingham when the team selection was announced, but he left the club to join Millwall nearly a month before the match actually took place. [52]

F. ^ This was the first match for the club's first team, but it was preceded by the first match for the club's reserve team, which occurred earlier on the same day.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gillingham F.C.</span> Association football club in England

Gillingham Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent, England. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, the "Gills" play their home matches at Priestfield Stadium. The team competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system, in the 2023–24 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Gillingham F.C.</span> History of an English football club

Gillingham Football Club is an English football club based in Gillingham, Kent. The club was formed in 1893, and played in the Southern League until 1920, when that league's top division was absorbed into the Football League as its new Division Three. The club was voted out of the league in favour of Ipswich Town at the end of the 1937–38 season, but returned 12 years later, when that league was expanded from 88 to 92 clubs. Twice in the late 1980s Gillingham came close to winning promotion to the second tier of English football, but a decline then set in and in 1993 the club narrowly avoided relegation to the Football Conference. In 2000, the "Gills" reached the second tier of the English league for the first time in the club's history and went on to spend five seasons at this level, achieving a club record highest league finish of eleventh place in 2002–03. The club has twice won the division comprising the fourth level of English football: the Football League Fourth Division championship in 1963–64 and the Football League Two championship in 2012–13.

During the 1894–95 English football season, New Brompton F.C. competed in the Southern Football League Division Two. It was the first season in which the team took part in a league competition. The club had been formed a year earlier but in its inaugural season played only friendly matches and games in the qualifying rounds of the FA Cup and FA Amateur Cup. In 1894, New Brompton turned professional and joined the newly-formed Southern League. The team dominated Division Two of the new league, winning all but one of their matches, and gained promotion to Division One by winning an end-of-season "test match" against Swindon Town, who had finished bottom of the higher division.

During the 1920–21 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League for the first time. The team had previously played in Division One of the Southern League, but in 1920 the Football League added the Third Division to its existing set-up by absorbing the entire Southern League Division One. The club appointed Robert Brown as manager, but the arrangement turned out to be only a casual one and he accepted another job before the season started. Under his replacement, John McMillan, Gillingham's results were poor, including a spell of over three months without a league victory, and at the end of the season they finished bottom of the league table.

During the 1973–74 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Fourth Division, the fourth tier of the English football league system. It was the 42nd season in which Gillingham competed in the Football League, and the 24th since the club was voted back into the league in 1950. Gillingham lost three times in the first ten games of the season, but the team then began a run of 20 league games without defeat; by the end of 1973, Gillingham were second in the league table. In mid-February, they lost a Fourth Division game for the first time in more than four months, after which two consecutive wins in mid-March took them to the top of the table. Although Gillingham slipped from first place, they remained in the top three, and a victory over Colchester United on 20 April ensured that the team would be promoted to the Third Division at the end of the season. In their final game of the season on 1 May, first-placed Gillingham lost to second-placed Peterborough United, who overtook them to win the championship of the division.

During the 1986–87 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Third Division. It was the 55th season in which the club competed in the Football League, and the 37th since the club was voted back into the league in 1950. Gillingham began the season strongly and were top of the Third Division table shortly before the mid-point of the season. The team's form declined in the second half of the season; to qualify for the play-offs for promotion to the Football League Second Division, the team needed to win their final game and both Bristol City and Notts County had to fail to win theirs. A victory over Bolton Wanderers, combined with both the other teams being held to draws, meant that Gillingham finished in fifth place and qualified for the play-offs. After beating Sunderland in the semi-finals, Gillingham faced Swindon Town in the final. The two teams drew 2–2 on aggregate, necessitating a replay at a neutral venue, which Swindon won 2–0 to claim a place in the Second Division.

During the 1995–96 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Third Division, the fourth tier of the English football league system. It was the 64th season in which Gillingham competed in the Football League, and the 46th since the club was voted back into the league in 1950. After being in severe financial difficulties for several months, Gillingham had been saved from going out of business during the summer of 1995 by new chairman Paul Scally, who purchased the club for a nominal fee and appointed Tony Pulis as the team's new manager. Having signed many new players, Gillingham began the season strongly with four consecutive wins and remained in the top three positions in the Third Division for the entire season, finishing in second place. The club thus gained promotion to the Second Division seven years after being relegated from the third tier.

During the 1985–86 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Third Division, the third tier of the English football league system. It was the 54th season in which Gillingham competed in the Football League, and the 36th since the club was voted back into the league in 1950. After an unbeaten run of seven games, Gillingham were fourth in the league table in late September, just outside the top three places which would result in promotion to the Second Division. After slipping to ninth in October, the team climbed to third, but at the close of 1985 had fallen again to eighth. Although Gillingham continued to challenge for promotion in the second half of the season and were in second place at the end of January, their form continued to fluctuate. As the end of the season approached, the team were still in with a chance of finishing in a promotion position, however three defeats in the last six games meant that they ultimately fell short, finishing in fifth place.

During the 1998–99 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Second Division, the third tier of the English football league system. It was the 67th season in which Gillingham competed in the Football League, and the 49th since the club was voted back into the league in 1950. The club signed two new forwards, each for a new club record transfer fee, but started the season in poor form, winning only one of the first eight league games. The team then went on a much-improved run, being undefeated for 17 league games, and began challenging for promotion to the Football League First Division. Gillingham finished the regular season in fourth place in the Second Division, qualifying for the play-offs for promotion to the First Division. After defeating Preston North End in the semi-finals, they played Manchester City at Wembley Stadium in the final. Gillingham were 2–0 up with less than ten minutes remaining but conceded two late goals, and Manchester City won the subsequent penalty shoot-out to gain promotion.

During the 1929–30 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Third Division South. It was the 10th season in which the club competed in the Football League. Gillingham finished 21st and the club was required to apply for re-election to the League. The team lost in the first round of the FA Cup to Margate of the Kent League.

During the 1993–94 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Third Division, the fourth tier of the English football league system. It was the 62nd season in which Gillingham competed in the Football League, and the 44th since the club was voted back into the league in 1950. Prior to the season, Glenn Roeder resigned as the club's manager and was replaced by Mike Flanagan. The team struggled in August and September, and did not win a Third Division match until the eighth league game of the season. A week later, Gillingham won away from home in the Football League for the first time in 18 months. Gillingham's form remained inconsistent and, although they climbed to 10th in the 22-team league table in October, the team spent most of the season in the bottom half and finished 16th.

During the 1991–92 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Fourth Division, the fourth tier of the English football league system. It was the 60th season in which Gillingham competed in the Football League, and the 42nd since the club was voted back into the league in 1950. The team began the season with a 4–0 victory over Scunthorpe United but their form was inconsistent; not until February did they manage to win two consecutive league games. After a season spent largely in the middle of the league table, Gillingham finished 11th out of 22 teams in the Fourth Division.

During the 1994–95 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Third Division, the fourth tier of the English football league system. It was the 63rd season in which Gillingham competed in the Football League, and the 45th since the club was voted back into the league in 1950. In January 1995, after several seasons spent near the bottom of the Football League and nearly a decade of financial difficulties, the club was declared insolvent and placed in receivership. Mike Flanagan was made redundant as the club's manager and replaced by player-coach Neil Smillie for the remainder of the season. Gillingham finished the season 19th in the Third Division, but the club's continued existence remained in doubt until June, when it was purchased by businessman Paul Scally.

During the 1990–91 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Fourth Division, the fourth tier of the English football league system. It was the 59th season in which Gillingham competed in the Football League, and the 41st since the club was voted back into the league in 1950. Early in the season, Ron Hillyard, the club's long-serving goalkeeper, ended his playing career with a club record number of appearances. Gillingham's form was inconsistent in the first half of the season; after falling to 17th in the league table, the team began a lengthy unbeaten run and were 10th at the end of 1990. Around the end of March, Peter Beadle and David Crown, two of the team's regular starting forwards, were injured and both missed most of the remainder of the season. The team went 10 consecutive games without winning between the last game of March and the first of May and finished the season 15th in the Fourth Division.

During the 1989–90 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Fourth Division, the fourth tier of the English football league system. It was the 58th season in which Gillingham competed in the Football League and the 40th since the club was voted back into the league in 1950. In the previous season, the team had been relegated from the Third Division, after which a number of players left the club, resulting in several teenagers playing in the opening games of the new season. Gillingham began their league campaign in poor form but a run of five consecutive wins in October and November took them into the top six. In December, the team lost to Maidstone United in the first Football League match between two Kent-based teams. Gillingham remained in contention for promotion until early March, but then lost six consecutive games; the team finished the season 14th in the Fourth Division.

During the 1997–98 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Second Division, the third tier of the English football league system. It was the 66th season in which Gillingham competed in the Football League, and the 48th since the club was voted back into the league in 1950. The team started the season strongly and by the end of October were challenging for promotion, but then went on a lengthy run of games without a win which saw them slip into the bottom third of the league table in December. Results improved in the second half of the season, and Gillingham were sixth in the table with one game remaining, which would be sufficient for a place in the promotion play-offs. Results on the final day of the regular season meant that they finished in a four-way tie for the final two play-off places and missed out as they had scored the fewest goals of the four teams involved; a goalbound shot from Nicky Southall in the final seconds of the last game of the season which could have given Gillingham a win and a play-off place instead struck the goalpost and rebounded away.

During the 1905–06 English football season, New Brompton F.C. competed in the Southern League Division One. It was the 12th season in which the club competed in the Southern League and the 11th in Division One. The team began the season in poor form; they failed to score any goals in six of their first eight Southern League games. By the midpoint of the season, the team had won only three times and were close to the bottom of the league table. The team's form improved in the new year, with three wins in the first seven Southern League games of 1906, but they ended the season in similar fashion to how they had started it, failing to score in eight of the final nine league games. New Brompton finished the season in 17th place out of 18 teams in the division.

During the 1950–51 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Third Division South, the third tier of the English football league system. It was the first season of Gillingham's second spell in the Football League; prior to this season the club was elected back into the competition having lost its place in 1938. Gillingham's results in the first half of the season were poor, including a 9–2 defeat to Nottingham Forest, the highest number of goals the team had conceded for more than 20 years; at the end of 1950 they were second bottom of the Third Division South league table. In January and early February Gillingham climbed to 19th in the 24-team division after winning five times in six games, including a 9–4 victory over Exeter City, a new record for the club's highest Football League score which would stand for more than 30 years. After this they won only once in ten matches; the team finished the season 22nd in the division.

References

General

Specific

  1. 1 2 Triggs (1984), p8
  2. ↑ Triggs (1984), p9
  3. ↑ Triggs (1984), p10
  4. ↑ Triggs (1984), p13
  5. ↑ Triggs (1984), p19
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Gillingham". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 17 September 2008.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Brown, p3
  8. 1 2 "Gillingham 2–2 AFC Wimbledon". BBC Sport. 20 April 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  9. ↑ "Gillingham 1–0 Shrewsbury". BBC Sport. 23 May 2009. Retrieved 23 May 2009.
  10. ↑ "Second time lucky for Gills". BBC Sport. 28 May 2000. Retrieved 6 August 2008.
  11. ↑ Brown, pp55, 56, 58
  12. ↑ Brown, p109
  13. ↑ Brown, pp83, 105
  14. 1 2 3 Brown, p56
  15. ↑ Brown, p58
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 "New Brompton". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
  17. 1 2 Brown, p55
  18. ↑ "Brentford stunned by League Two Gillingham". BBC Sport. 8 November 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  19. ↑ "Freeman Makes History". Gillingham F.C. 12 November 2007. Archived from the original on 19 December 2007. Retrieved 12 November 2007.
  20. ↑ "Andy's Colourful Career". Dover Athletic F.C. 28 May 2007. Archived from the original on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2008.
  21. ↑ "Games played by Andy Hessenthaler in 2005/2006". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 10 December 2008. Retrieved 17 September 2008.
  22. ↑ Bradley, Andy (19 September 1987). "Extra Time". Gillingham F.C. Official Matchday Magazine.
  23. 1 2 Brown, pp122–129.
  24. ↑ "Max Ehmer". Soccerbase. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  25. ↑ "Paul Smith". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 27 January 2008. Retrieved 17 September 2008.
  26. ↑ Brown, p83
  27. ↑ Triggs (2001), p344
  28. ↑ Triggs (2001), p226
  29. ↑ Triggs (2001), p349
  30. 1 2 Triggs (1984), p16
  31. 1 2 3 4 "Gillingham FC History (1893– )". Gillingham F.C. 9 September 2007. Archived from the original on 15 November 2007. Retrieved 10 January 2008.
  32. ↑ Mark Mitchener (25 February 2004). "Hayter keeps feet on ground". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 September 2008.
  33. ↑ Triggs (1984), p28
  34. ↑ Elligate, p104
  35. ↑ Triggs (2001), p45
  36. 1 2 Triggs (2001), p313
  37. ↑ Triggs (2001), p288
  38. ↑ Triggs (2001), p185
  39. 1 2 Triggs (2001), p41
  40. ↑ Triggs (2001), p162
  41. ↑ "Marlon King". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 2 October 2008. Retrieved 17 September 2008.
  42. ↑ "Blackburn Rovers seal deal for Gillingham midfielder Bradley Dack". Kent Online. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  43. ↑ "Jim Corbett". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 2 March 2005. Retrieved 17 September 2008.
  44. ↑ Miles, Greg (20 July 2012). "Gillingham's Paulo Gazzaniga joins Southampton". Kent News. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
  45. 1 2 Brown, p130
  46. ↑ Barnes, Stuart (2007). News of the World Football Annual 2007–2008. Invincible Press. p. 334. ISBN   978-0-00-725555-9.
  47. 1 2 3 Brown, p12
  48. ↑ Brown, p34
  49. ↑ Brown, p70
  50. ↑ Brown, p.42
  51. ↑ "Gillingham FC History (1893–)". Gillingham F.C. Archived from the original on 15 November 2007. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  52. ↑ Elligate, p91

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