County v Gillingham
The Gills were bottom of League Two ahead of their scheduled trip to SK3 in December, but they’re now eight points clear of danger since their American takeover
Tuesday 7 March 2023
“Rumours of an imminent takeover are exciting the fanbase, as patience with Paul Scally has ran out. His lack of backing for managers over recent years has seen any support erode, although some of the abuse that he's been subject of is inexcusable. It's a shame because when he saved us in June 1995, he went on to give us a great decade which was the best in our history, although I do hope for all sides that the takeover happens.”
The thoughts of Gillingham fan Rob Hawley when I interviewed him back on 15 December. I don’t know what was waiting under the tree for Rob on Christmas Day, but I do know this particular festive wish of his was granted. Just as Santa Claus was getting ready to stock up his sleigh, American property developer Brad Galinson completed his takeover of the Kent club.
Having won just twice before the turn of the year (and it’s a huge shame our game on 17 December was called off as that would have been a nailed-on home banker), the Gills have won six times in January and February, with Brad’s dollars being put to good use in the transfer window. They’re well on their way to staying up, and tonight’s game is a completely different proposition to the one that should have taken place in December. After a couple of winless games, you feel we’ve got to pick up three points tonight if we’re going to challenge for the top three. Our County correspondents are feeling confident, with Jon Keighren, Jonathan Baker and Ian Brown all predicting a home win, which would definitely take us up to 6th, and 5th if Bradford fail to win at Walsall.
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Come on County!
Des Junior
Des Junior loves writing about County. But he can never be arsed doing match previews. They’re a bit dull, aren’t they? Paddy Madden’s out for two games with an ingrown toenail…blah blah blah…tomorrow’s referee has handed out more cards than Moonpig…blah blah blah…County haven’t won at Birmingham since 1672.
Fortunately he’s got a number of County correspondents to call upon, and they’re all thinking Dave Challinor’s men can get back on track tonight after two games without a win or a goal.
Jon Keighren, Stockport County
County 2 Gillingham 1
The Barrow and Doncaster games feel like a wobble. But is it a wobble? We’re still in the play-offs after all.
There is still a long way to go and we’ve got big players returning from injury in Horsfall, Sarce and Paddy so there’s still plenty of room for optimism. Gillingham will be tough opposition, they are massively improved since the turn of the year, with new investment and new signings, but our home form will tip the balance. I’m going for a 2-1 win.
Jonathan Baker aka Geordie Hatter, The County Away Day Show
County 4 Gillingham 0
We’re starting to approach ‘squeaky bum time’ in the promotion race. How squeaky is your bum, so to speak?
Can it be squeaky bum time when there is still frost on the ground, and the clocks have yet to go forward? One for the Pools Panel to decide there, I would have thought. Or perhaps the matter should be referred to a Government-appointed Footballing Taskforce, to be chaired by Sir Trevor Brooking. In the meantime, I can report that the squeakiness levels within my own bum (so to speak) remain thankfully close to negligible as we enter this business end of the campaign. If anything, I'm going to admit to feeling rather troublingly relaxed about our promotion credentials, which I suspect is because I'm still reeling from the sheer delight and relief of the return to League football at EP, and have always viewed this season as something of a 'free hit' where further advancement up the pyramid is concerned. I might even (on my most concerningly laid-back days) go a little further, and offer the view that another helping of table-topping glory might make us all feel a little queasy so soon after the last one, and that we might be altogether better off with a mindful meander to mid-table mediocrity in May, before settling into a summer of steady and scrupulous strengthening, ready to go head-to-head again with Wrexham for the League Two crown of 2023-24. Controversial, I know.
Enough of such even-handed future-prospecting for now, though, and back to the feverish immediacy of this present frosty Tuesday. How will we fare versus our visitors from The Garden of England this evening? We'll win handsomely, of course, 4-0. I'm very much looking forward to the spectacle, and if you do detect a just-about audible high-pitched sound emanating from the centre of row CC of the Cheadle End as the full-time whistle blows - well, that could just be my bum-squeakiness levels ramping up for the home straight. Mid-table mediocrity in May? For this team? My arse!
Ian Brown, hedgegrower
County 1 Gillingham 0
What are your best and worst memories from previous games against Gillingham?
Where to start with Gillingham when considering bad memories? Do I drone on about the joys of being housed on the most permanent of temporary away terraces, usually being drenched in rain season after season? Or maybe I pick the only game I can remember where we were not housed there but under the stand in the corner. There were only 45 of us there so they spared us the ravages of winter on the open terrace; County lost but made a game of it.
No, I plump for our ignominious exit from the FA Cup in 2008-09.
We had a pretty good team at the time still in League One and Gillingham were in League Two so when we forced a replay at their place I thought we were already in the next round with a plum tie against Aston Villa.
But, hey ho, this is County we’re talking about and we were dire, largely surviving via a superb goalkeeping display from Owain fon Williams. Amazingly we took the lead against the run of play with a goal from Stephen Gleeson, but Gillingham nicked it with two in reply to secure a juicy tie with Villa.
My best memory goes back to the opening day of the 2000-01 season and a game away from the comforts of Edgeley Park. This was no ordinary game as the man in charge was the ‘Harrow Horror’ David Elleray and he was in particularly obnoxious form, getting booed off at the break as he went into the dressing rooms housed in the corner of the away end.
County replied to a somewhat disputed goal early on by the Gills with three of their own to win 3-1 - the trip back on the coach was epic!
As for today’s score, I have a hunch we’ll win 1-0.
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The 'Harrow Horror'! Not the only time that he robbed us, if I believe. Let's hope for some unobtrusive and evenly-judged whistling tonight. Well- we can wish!