Gillingham FC

Gillingham are a shadow of the team they were just a few years ago.

It was less than two years ago when they were playing in the third round of the FA cup at home to Aston Villa. That time they just missed out on going through (or at least a reply) because of a wrong penalty decision against them.

This weekend has got to be on the other end of the scale. Going out in the first round to Dover.

Yes, you heard that right—from Aston Villa to Dover.

After the horrific 2-0 defeat against Andy Hessenthaler's former team, he said publicly that he is thinking of putting the whole team on the transfer list.

In 2002-03 the Gills finished 11th in the English First Division. Now, eight years later, they could be going to their lowest position in decades.

If you're a Gillingham fan, you will know that every time they play away, you'll get money if you bet against your own team.

Each week, hundreds of Gills fans follow the team around the country hoping for an away win. For any other club, after a few games, you may see an away win. This is not the case with the Gills.

They have not recorded an away win in any competition since May 2009! That's 34 away games ago!

When any team sees Gillingham on their home fixture list, I'm sure they think, "That's three easy points."

After the Canadian international, Simeon Jackson, left the club the Gills had to look for someone else who could score. There were very few people who could match the previous guy.

Home games aren't that bad. Gill's fans can still go to Priestfield with a chance of seeing their team win, but that is not a certainty.

Currently they are in 20th place, and just three points above the relegation zone. It seems odd that they were one of the favourites to be promoted at the start of the season.

After a season or so of poor performances, I believe that there is a big chance that Gillingham will be in the Blue Square Premier next season.

An amazing 11 goals were scored at the Crown Ground, but once again Gillingham were on the wrong end of it.

The Gills have not won away from home since May 2009, 31 away games ago. Accrington Stanley did not help them as they slotted seven past the team from Kent.

Five of the goals were scored in the first half. It took just 13 minutes for the home side to go in front, after Sean McCinville latched onto a well placed Terry Gornell cross.

However, Gillingham then went on the attack and managed to score two goals in three minutes, both from Mark Bentley, to go into the lead.

If you are a Gills fan, you can guess what happened next.

Just three minutes after taking the lead, they were picking the ball out of their own net after Andy Parkinson blasted the ball past keeper Lance Cronin for his first league goal in three years.

Bentley had chances to put the Blues back in the lead, but it was Charlie Barnett who played in a cross-shot, which managed to find the top of the net just two minutes before half-time.

Accrington had a 3-2 lead at half time.

Ten minutes into the second half, Gillingham were back on level terms. Cody McDonald scored the goal of the game with a superb solo goal. He ran half the length of the pitch, gliding past defenders into the area and chipped it over Ian Dunbavin.

But yet again, the Gills made it hard for themselves. They conceded two penalties in just four minutes; one for an alleged push, and the other for a trip.

These two fouls gave Accrington the chance to go ahead. Just after the hour mark, they were winning 5-3.

Gornell then beat the offside trap and casually rolled the ball over the line for Stanley's sixth.

Gillingham were then given a lifeline. Keeper Dunbavin pulled down McDonald in the penalty area, which lead to Adebayo Akinfenwa converting the spot kick to make it 6-4.

But with just five minutes remaining, the game took a turn for the worse. A mad brawl ensued right in front on the dugouts.

Danny Spiller was fouled by Ryan, who kicked out at the Gills midfielder. In reaction to this, both benches were empty as all the players and staff rushed over to get involved.

The officials then deliberated. Ryan was lucky to stay on the pitch and escape with a yellow card. However, the Gills' goal hero was given a yellow card, his second, and thus was sent off.

With the Gills down to 10 men and losing 6-4, their hearts must have sunk as they saw the fourth official hold up his board, saying five minutes of injury time.

Ryan added insult to injury. First he got Bentley sent off, then he blasted home Stanley's seventh goal in the time added on.

Final score 7-4.

This is the second time this season that Gillingham has scored four away from home but still lost (Sept. 4, 5-4, vs. Bury).

However, it's not all doom and gloom for the fans at Priestfield. They will remember just two seasons ago when they went to Shrewsbury and conceded seven goals. They then met them again in the playoffs at Wembley and got promoted.

It may happen again.

Gillingham's next away game is at Port Vale. Maybe they can end this away winning drought against the current League Two leaders.

Gillingham fall into League Two again for the second time in three years. After taking the Gills to Wembley last season, Mark Stimson is getting all the blame for their relegation.

Gillingham did not win a League One game away from home all season. No team has ever stayed up without winning an away game, which the Gills showed was true.

All they needed was a draw away at Wycombe, who are already relegated, to keep their place in Leauge One. They lost.

The 3-0 hammering they suffered on the last day of the season is a world away from their first game of the season where they won 5-0 against promotion-chasing Swindon.

Fans have been out to voice their views. The majority of them believe that Mark Stimson is the reason for the failings and that the club would be better without him

Yoosof Farah, a well-known, credited Bleacher Report Featured Columnist and Gillingham supporter had this to say.

"First-team coach Mark Robson to take over? The guy has a UEFA Pro License, has worked with Charlton in the Premier League and Championship, and has gained insight from colleagues including Alan Pardew, Alan Curbishley and Iain Dowie.

"And in terms of his involvement at the Gills, at the moment he only sorts out tactics for set-plays, etc (i.e. the tactics within the tactics) and sets up training drills, so to be honest he can't take much blame for Gillingham's plight.

"Perhaps if given the role of manager, he could do a good job for us. After all, Stimson doesn't have a UEFA Pro License, and his only experience in management has been in the non-league with Grays Athletic and Stevenage Borough."

A Facebook page has been set up so the fans can say how they feel. They pledge not to attend Gillingham home games or spend any money at Priestfield until Mark Stimson is removed as the Gills' manager.

A member of the page, Dave Williams, posted, "I have seen some seriously shit performances down the years but yesterday was one of the most gutless and inept I have seen for a long long time.

"No passion, no pride, no managerial leadership to change the shape or the team. The worst away record in the whole of the Football League - even worse than Darlington. If that is not enough to say goodbye to him, what is?"

It was only in 2004 when Gillingham were flying high in the second tier of English league football. Now they have fallen yet again to the bottom.

This will put some Gills fans ('the plastics') off from going to Gillingham matches and may make some players think about joining another team (hopefully not star striker Simeon Jackson though!).

Gillingham do not deserve to be this low down in the Football League hierarchy. They have a great stadium, a selection of great players and the best supporters in the world.

With news of a 3-1 Tranmere Rovers victory over Exeter City, it becomes clear just how colossal Gillingham's 3-2 home win over promotion-chasing Leeds United was.

In the Coca-Cola League One (third tier of professional football in England), the Gills were 20th in the table before Saturday's match and languishing just above the relegation zone.

Their nearest competitors in the table were the aforementioned Tranmere Rovers, who had a game in hand over Gillingham and were just three points behind the Gills.

And going into this weekend's round of fixtures, Tranmere and Gillingham realised just how easy this situation could be reversed.

If the Rovers won, like they did, and Gillingham lost, it would be the former who would leapfrog their fellow relegation candidates in the table and get out of the relegation zone with a game in hand.

It was a glorious opportunity for Tranmere Rovers, especially considering Gillingham had an indifferent run of form at home recently and were up against arguably the best team in the league, Leeds United.

The same Leeds United team that beat Manchester United at Old Trafford in the FA Cup, and the team containing big game players like Jermaine Beckford, Luciano Becchio, Robert Snodgrass, etc.

So this puts into perspective just how colossal the final result was at the KRBS Priestfield Stadium, as Gillingham unexpectedly defeated Leeds United 3-2 to maintain their three-point advantage in the League One survival race.

Given their away form, had the Gills lost, relegation would almost be a certainty considering their last three games are away to already-promoted Norwich City, at home to Southampton, and then away to fellow relegation strugglers Wycombe Wanderers.

The first two of those teams where formidable Premier League sides only five years ago, and wins against them wouldn't really be a probable option. As for the latter, nobody expects Gillingham to win away from home, even most likely the players themselves!

So to say this 3-2 win for the Gills on Saturday is massive would be an understatement.

Especially considering relegation rivals Tranmere Rovers play their last four games against slightly easier opposition in the likes of mid-table Brentford, promotion-chasers Colchester United and Millwall, and finally against already-relegation whipping boys of League One Stockport County.

The important victory for Gillingham could also be the defining moment in the career of Mark Stimson, the current Gills manager.

Should his Gills players stay in League One and avoid relegation, his job will be most likely saved and he will avoid the sack.

The pressure has been mounting on Stimson all season, with calls coming in left, right, and centre by Gillingham fans to see this man sacked, claiming he is not up to the job of managing a professional football team.

Saturday's win could well have rescued his fledgling career, and will go some way to ensuring Gillingham Football Club do not take another back step in their development as a football club.

With their current finances, relegation could mean several budget cuts and thus several years playing in the Coca-Cola League Two, the fourth tier and basement league of professional football in England.

Again, it all emphasises just how important Gillingham beating Leeds United 3-2 really was.

And lastly, to get an idea of what an occasion it was for the two teams, Premier League referee Alan Wiley officiated the match, which had an above average attendance of 9,649, with 2,241 Leeds fans making the trip down south to watch their team.

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To read the match report from Gillingham's win, click here.

Let's put this into perspective: at the end of the 1994-95 season, Gillingham Football Club were beset with financial problems, and were teetering perilously on the brink of extinction.

At the time, die-hard Gillingham fans would leave Priestfield stadium after another dismal performance and would be met with something worse than seeing their side lose: people outside the ground advertising their superior rivals, Charlton Athletic, telling them to forget about the local club they've supported for decades and watch their rivals instead.

Whilst Gillingham were languishing in the lower depths of the Football League, Charlton had been rising high in the English Premier League mixing it up with the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool.

But despite their success in the higher echelons of English football, the southeast London club have long been accused of tapping into the Kent (a county in the southeast of England) market and stealing fans from Gillingham's main target area.

Bear in mind, this is a football club who have long been theoretically superior to Gillingham, playing in a higher league for almost 90 years.

As the understandably angry Gills' chairman Paul Scally put it, "Charlton [Athletic] are in SE7 (officially an area of London), not Kent. They're no more a Kent club than Crystal Palace or Millwall (east London clubs who have no official affiliation with Kent). Why can't they get enough people to fill their stadium from the Charlton area?"

So for many years in the past decades and recent times, while Charlton have achieved gate receipts of over 26,000 spectators regularly, the Gills have had to make do with numbers of around 5,000-6,000 per game for a stadium that holds almost 11,000.

Therefore, there are many reasons as to why Gillingham can dislike Charlton Athletic, a club who could be said to have broken codes of etiquette and unfairly hindered the development of the Gills, Kent's sole representative in the English professional football hierarchy.

And now, for the first time in almost a century, both these clubs are on equal footing and participating in the same league, the Coca-Cola League One.

So what better way for Gillingham to exact revenge on their increasingly bitter rivals than to beat them at their rivals' own fortress, a place where Charlton have deviously tried to lure loyal Gills fans.

Then again, what better way is there for Charlton to maintain their superiority complex over Gillingham by completely crushing them on their own ground?

With an away following of close to 4,000 for this match at The Valley on Saturday, this could well be considered Gillingham's biggest game of the season.

They are fighting relegation and continue to be dogged with financial limitations, so a positive result away to Charlton will almost certainly give the Gills that vital morale boost required to aid their League One survival battle.

For Charlton, a win against fierce rivals Gillingham will also give them a big confidence boost, something that could be vital in their fight for League One promotion as they currently are five points off the automatic promotion places.

For both clubs, a win on Saturday will not only dramatically boost morale, ease their league table concerns, and give them the bragging rights, but it can also potentially be the pivotal point in the two clubs going forward as a footballing franchise.

This is especially the case for Gillingham, a club who perhaps need the financial security of regular League One football in order to avoid a deleterious repetition of the infamous '94-95 meltdown season.

So whilst Manchester United taking on Liverpool at Old Trafford is big news, and could possibly decide who wins the Premier League and who gets into the UEFA Champions League next season, there is a more decisive match going on.

Charlton Athletic against Gillingham at The Valley isn't just about attaining the three points needed to get promotion or avoid relegation.

It's not about winning another league title or getting into a major competition yet again.

For Gillingham, it's about gaining revenge for years of preventing the growth of their football club.

For Charlton, it's about ensuring the superiority complex remains intact, and proving who really is the better club with the bigger fan base.

Most importantly, it's about Gillingham showing the solidarity of their football club, and proving that fans will love their team even through the most adverse conditions.

It's Charlton Athletic Football Club versus Gillingham Football Club, and it's probably the most important match happening this weekend in English football.

This is a must read for all Gillingham fans.

Following a bitter 1-0 home defeat against fellow League One strugglers Tranmere Rovers, it's fair to say the pressure really is on Gillingham manager Mark Stimson at the moment.

Amongst many who follow the mighty Gills, there is one topic of colossal debate: should chairman Paul Scally keep the faith in Stimson, or should he cut his losses and give him the sack?

Keep Him

The most emphasised reason to keep Mark Stimson is that the fact this guy got Gillingham promoted from League Two last season, at the first attempt; it is a well-known fact that gaining instant promotion is an almost impossible task in a lot of cases.

Another line of support is that Gillingham last season had one of the best defensive home records in England, and this season the Gills have the joint best defensive home record in League One; the krbs Priestfield Stadium really has been a fortress quite often under the Mark Stimson era.

Further reason to keep Stimson stems from the fact that League One this season is stronger than ever, with clubs like Norwich City, Leeds United, Charlton Athletic (Clowntown Pathetic), Southampton, Millwall, MK Dons, Huddersfield Town, and (to a certain extent) Colchester United all having Championship quality stadia and finances.

These clubs make Gillingham pale in comparison, so it's no wonder Stimson has been finding the going tough under a much tighter budget than a lot of other League One clubs.

Under Mark Stimson, the club have also signed young, ambitious players who have that desire to play for Gillingham Football Club; pre-Stimson, the club was on its knees, dying, as the Gills continued to sign old, experienced journeyman on over-inflated wages who couldn't care less about the club.

And lastly, another one of the most emphasised, and somewhat clichéd, reasons for keeping Mark Stimson as manager of Gillingham is that chairman Paul Scally simply does not have the finances to reach a compensation package with Stimson to give him the sack.

If Mark Stimson was sacked by the Gills, the financial implications could be just as serious as relegation.

Sack Him

Gillingham's away record is the stand-out reason why most anti-Stimson Gills supporters want the man sacked.

In the two-and-a-half seasons under Stimson, Gillingham have won 13 away games in all competitions, drawing 12, and losing 34 matches. This season the team have not won away from home.

Mark Stimson's tactics have also been questionable, with the Gills playing too defensively at times and adopting a defensive 4-5-1 when losing, focusing on preventing any further damage rather than trying to score.

Which leads onto the next point: Mark Stimson is not prepared to take enough risks. The Gills do not counter-attack enough, most likely due to fear of failure and a loss of possession of the ball, and so cannot score enough goals, hence why Gillingham have only scored three goals in their last nine games.

Also, Stimson seems to have lost the support of his players. Talking to KentOnline, the Gills boss said: “We spoke before the game about clearing our own lines and not passing back on a very poor pitch, but didn't take it on board,” before going onto criticise his players for not sticking to the game plan.

Perhaps this is why the Gillingham players are not performing to their best, and hence the poor results? They simply are not listening to Mark Stimson and his instructions.

All in all, under Mark Stimson the Gills appear from the average spectator to the die-hard regular a team that are not the close and cohesive unit required to be successful at any level of football.

So there are the advantages and disadvantages of Gillingham's chairman, Paul Scally, sacking manager Mark Stimson and opting for a fresh approach.

Should Stimson be sacked? Well, that's the beauty of football; everyone has an opinion to give on such issues.

It's the same with every football club across the world; the die-hard fans, who see their football team as the one true love of their life, will have always have differing views on what is right to take their beloved club forward.

Gillingham boss Mark Stimsom must have got the messege by now. Ever the Tranmere fans were shouting "We want Stimson out".

Gillingham have not won since before christmas. As well as that they haven't won away from home all seson.

I can't see how even his closest supports can say he deserves to stay at the club.

Respectable B/R writer Yoosof Farah said, "Stimson out; he's afraid to substitute the totally misfiring Simeon Jackson, & there were times we had a defensive set up & a 4-5-1 formation to prevent any goals going in; when we were already 1-0 down!! Stimson is a better manager than all of us fans put together, let's be honest, but he simply is not up to the standard to manage Gillingham Football Club."

Tonight's match against Tranmere at Priestfield Stadium look like it was going to be a good one for the home side.

You don't know what your doing

This phrase is used a lot in football matches, but this refferee truely deserved to critisised.

Foul after foul commited by Tranmere players got unpunished, however the slightest tough by a Gillingham player and the Tranmere player went down and got a free kick.

I may be bias towards Gillingham, but I believe the refferee was also being bias towards the away team.

To be honest, the refferee was a complete d!ck.

What are you thinking?

Arguably one of the worst substitution decisions was to take off one of the most consistant players at the moment, Mark Bentley, and replace him with Adam Miller.

..... WTF?!

Miller publically stated that he no longer wants to play for gillingham and wants to move. Why would you then put him on while the team is 1-nil down?

Gillingham Vs Tranmere

The game wasn't the best i've seen Gillingham play but they did make a lot of chances, which they could not capitalise on.

All through the match the ball was going from one end to the other. Chance after chance were going astray for both sides.

The best save of the game is when Julian managed to pull off a reaction save from a pin point header from Edds.

Atfer Tranmere managed to scramble the ball over the line to go ahead, Gillingham turned up the pressure. They had more than a handful of shot fly over the crossbar not even troubling the keeper. The closest the Gills came to scoring is when Barcham  cut inside and crossed low for Rooney, who rattled the crossbar with a rising drive.

So, after tonight's match i think Stimson realises that almost every Gillingham fan, and all of the 104 Tranmere fans, want him to leave the club.

Stimson OUT!!

After struggling down at the lower end of the Coca Cola League One table with an absolutely awful away record, Gillingham manager Mark Stimson is hoping to minimise his woes with a good bit of brandy.

And also a good bit of Febian Brandy, the talented 20-year-old striker on loan at the Gills from Premier League champions Manchester United.

The England under-20 international has formed a formidable partnership with key player Simeon Jackson, the Canada forward currently courting interest from the likes of Blackburn Rovers and Aston Villa, according to various media reports.

The star striking duo have been instrumental in Gillingham's strong home record at the krbs Priestfield stadium, with Brandy having a big impact in his loan spell at the club so far.

He has scored twice in nine league appearances for the struggling Kent club, as well as making several assists for teammate Jackson, and winning numerous penalties. 

Febian Brandy is due to return to Old Trafford in the next few days, but Gills boss Stimson hopes he can reach a deal with United manager Sir Alex Ferguson regarding the player.

"We've put a call into Manchester United to see if we can extend the loan," said Stimson, speaking to Kent Online.

"It was a long shot to get him to the club in the beginning and we surprised a few people by bringing him here."

However, the Gillingham supremo also expects there to be competition from other clubs in League One and the Championship for Brandy's signature.

"He's enjoyed his time here and hopefully we can extend it. I would have thought one or two others will be looking at him."

The season's highest attendance at Preistfield saw them beat the Lions 2-0.

Gillingham had just come of the back of a 3-0 win against Exeter last week, while Millwall were trying to get back on form after being defeated 2-0 by both Bristol Rovers and Barnet.

Gillingham only got promoted last season and are alread showing what they've got to offer to last years play off contenders Millwall.

I didn't take long for the Gills to show their dominance in the game. Six minutes to be exact. Andy Barcham smashed a 20 yard shot into the top left hand corner after a well timed lay off from Curtis Weston.

From then on they didnt look back. Apart from a few minor attacks from the visitors Gillingham were in control.

A few shots went just wide of their target before the Millwall net was shaken again.

Curtis Weston turn provider to goal scorer five minutes brfore half time. He was able to turn his man and then rifle a low shot past the keeper to double the Gills' score.

Apart from a few close calls from both teams in the second half, thats the way it ended. 2-nil to the home side.

Unfortunately, like always at a Millwall game there was a bit of brawling after the game. At about 5 o'clock ( over 2 hours after the game), police cars and an ambulance were speeding donw the towns streets to get to a fight at the train station.

Eyewitnesses said that a Millwall fan was knocked out and that children were also involved.

I just happened to be earwigging on a man on his phone when I heard.. We're gonna get fucked when we go up to The Den". I guess the police will be out on force there aswell.